India’s consumer protection laws are among the most progressive on paper. But for millions, especially in small towns and villages, these rights feel out of reach. More like a distant idea than a real safeguard. Complaints go unfiled, verdicts overlooked, and injustice quietly swallowed.
Contrast this with the United States, where the very foundation of consumer protection rests on the idea of an informed and empowered citizen. There, consumer rights include the right to safety, information, choice, redressal, and education, and most importantly, people know how to exercise them. Filing a complaint, demanding accountability, even suing a service provider is not seen as a daunting process. It is considered routine.
But in India, most people don’t even know they have a right to question.
When a system exists, but people don’t know it does
India’s Consumer Protection Act was first introduced in 1986, and the updated 2019 version came into force on 20th July 2020, promising a faster, more digital-savvy grievance redressal mechanism. It created a three-tier system: District, State, and National Consumer Commissions, supported by online platforms like E-Daakhil and the National Consumer Helpline.
In theory, this was meant to ensure speedy resolution, even for the smallest of grievances. But the ground reality tells another story. As of 2024, over five lakh cases were pending. The 90-day ideal for resolution has been stretched to three or even five years. Courts lack staff, hearings are adjourned endlessly, and orders, when finally passed, are rarely enforced.
Yet perhaps the bigger crisis is that most Indian consumers never even reach these systems. Over 90% of the population doesn’t know how to file a complaint, and many don’t even know they have the option.
A progressive law, in theory
Most people don’t realise it, but every consumer is supposed to have six basic rights: from the right to stay safe and be properly informed, to the right to choose, speak up, and get justice when things go wrong. These include the Right to Safety, Right to Information, Right to Choose, Right to be Heard, Right to Redressal, and the Right to Consumer Awareness. It sounds comprehensive. But a right that is unknown, unread, or unspoken is a right denied.
“Despite stronger legislation, most people still lack a clear understanding of the protections available to them under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019,” says Kalyan Bhaumik, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India.
He adds: “Public education is essential, not just to make consumers aware of their rights, but also to help them navigate the process of accessing those rights effectively. With a heavy backlog of cases in Consumer Forums, State Commissions, and the National Commission, the process can be long and frustrating. This makes awareness and proper guidance all the more crucial.”
The E-Daakhil portal was meant to simplify the complaint process. But in reality, it remains out of reach for many who need it the most. The site isn’t easy to use, it’s mostly in English and doesn’t run well on the basic phones common in rural areas. For a woman in rural Maharashtra or a farmer in Chhattisgarh, it’s less a gateway to justice and more just another screen they can’t navigate.
Stories that never make the headlines
A retired schoolteacher in Pune found himself slapped with a Rs 30,000 international roaming bill despite never leaving the country. He approached his telecom provider, but they dismissed his concern. He finally filed a case with the District Consumer Commission. It dragged on for two years, with 13 adjournments. Even after a verdict in his favour, the company delayed compliance, pushing him into another round of legal struggle.
A tribal farmer in Rajasthan discovered money had been deducted from his PM-KISAN account for a life insurance policy he never asked for. He didn’t receive a policy document, didn’t understand what he had been sold, and didn’t know whom to approach. The complaint never made it to any commission. NGOs later found hundreds like him, mis-sold financial products, all silently cheated.
The long road to justice, if it ever comes
Even those who persevere and reach the commissions often find themselves in an unending cycle of hearings, delays, and unmet verdicts. Many courts operate without a presiding officer or adequate staff. Infrastructure is crumbling. Some commissions hold hearings in makeshift halls with no microphones or internet.
And when a decision is finally made in the consumer’s favour? Compliance is rarely enforced. There are no dedicated enforcement cells, little police coordination, and companies often file endless appeals to stall action.
“Winning a consumer case in India is like winning a trophy in a game no one came to watch. The victory is hollow if orders aren’t enforced,” as a former National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) member once remarked. As Prof Bijon Kumar Misra, a leading voice on consumer rights, rightly points out: “The grim reality is that laws alone cannot protect those who are unaware of their existence. The challenge lies in translating these rights into real-life protections for India’s rural poor, illiterate, and the digitally excluded.”
Why companies don’t want informed consumers
There is a deeper truth here: ignorant consumers are profitable. Many businesses, especially in loosely regulated sectors like telecom, microfinance, and real estate, count on the fact that most customers won’t ask too many questions. They use jargon to confuse, tuck charges away in the fine print, and quietly dodge accountability.
Very few companies invest in consumer education. Call centres are undertrained, instructions are only in English, and the grievance process is made deliberately tedious.
The awareness gap is wider for women
Consumer awareness isn’t just about laws. It’s about having the confidence to ask questions. And most Indian women, especially in rural areas, are still denied that space.
In many villages, it’s women who decide what the family eats, which doctor to see, or whether a child stays in school. Yet when it comes to knowing their rights, they are often the last to hear. Many lack access to mobile phones, are discouraged from speaking up publicly, or are simply not expected to question authority, whether it’s a shopkeeper or a bank officer.
The way forward
A real consumer revolution will need more than laws. It needs:
* Trained consumer aid workers in every panchayat to help people file complaints.
* Multilingual, mobile-friendly complaint portals that are easy to use, even for someone with a basic phone and no prior experience.
* Tougher consequences for companies that ignore consumer court rulings, such as fines, blacklisting, or being publicly named.
* Sector-specific ombudsman systems in areas where complaints pile up, like telecom, insurance, and healthcare… to offer quicker, clearer resolution.
* Consumer Justice Scorecards to rate companies on responsiveness and fairness.
It will also need a cultural shift: businesses must stop treating grievances as a threat and start seeing them as opportunities to build trust.
A market must work for everyone
India cannot become a true consumer democracy if only the urban, English-speaking middle class knows how to demand redressal. The rural poor, the elderly, the illiterate… they make up the real marketplace. They deserve fairness, dignity, and a voice.
Laws matter. But awareness is power. And until every Indian knows not just their rights but how to assert them, justice will remain a promise, not a practice.
