The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 to strengthen transparency, accountability and consumer protection in the digital marketplace, its notified under the broader framework of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, these amendment rules will officially come into force on 1st January 2027. 

Key amendments of Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026

• Every e-commerce entity must mandatorily partner with the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) convergence process to strengthen the national grievance redressal mechanism.
• Every grievance officer must acknowledge Consumer complaints within 48 hours, and must provide the complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded. .
• E-commerce platforms cannot manipulate search results or search indexes in a manner that misleads consumers or adversely affects the relevance of search results.
• Sponsored listings must be clearly and prominently identified as sponsored.
• Whenever a discount is announced, both the reduced price and prior price must be displayed, with the prior price defined as the lowest price offered during the preceding 30 days.
• Every e-commerce entity must comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, conduct an annual self-audit, and prominently display a compliance certificate.
• Marketplace entities must disclose the seller’s name, address, customer-care details and other relevant information required for informed consumer decisions.
• E-commerce platforms must disclose the main parameters determining the ranking of sellers/products and their relative importance in plain and intelligible language.
• Platforms must disclose importer details and country of origin for imported goods.
• Marketplace entities must obtain express and affirmative consent for specified uses of consumer information.
• Marketplace entities cannot collect bundled fees for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform, subject to the specified exception for loyalty/membership programmes.
• The seller’s name must be displayed on the invoice in the same font size as the e-commerce entity’s name.

Consumer Protection Act, 2019

• The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 replaced the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 to strengthen consumer rights in the digital age, covering e-commerce, direct selling and misleading advertisements. 
• It established the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), equipping it with suo-motu powers to investigate unfair trade practices, order product recalls, penalize misleading ads, and enforce statutory accountability on e-commerce platforms.