INDIA: Consumer Protection Act Sets Out New E-Commerce Regulatory Regime

As well as providing a legal framework for e-commerce transactions, the country’s newly-adopted Consumer Protection Act (2019) also sets out to establish a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). Once operational, this body will focus on both protecting the collective interests of consumers and ensuring manufacturers and endorsers are held properly liable for any false/misleading promotional activities.

With regard to e-commerce, the new legislation extends across a wide range of related areas, including online transactions and those conducted offline via an electronic medium, whether in the form of teleshopping, direct selling or multi-level marketing. The Act also obliges all e-commerce operators to prominently display a variety of product-related information on their platforms. This should include country of origin, refund, exchange and return arrangements, payment options, warranty details, delivery protocols and complaints procedures.