New Delhi, 23 September (H.S.): The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), the country’s leading traders’ organisation, has welcomed the notification of the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, describing the reforms as a significant and far-reaching step towards making India’s digital commerce ecosystem more transparent, accountable and equitable.

CAIT National Secretary General and Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal said on Wednesday that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India was steadily moving towards protecting consumer interests while ensuring a level playing field for traders, retailers, start-ups and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the digital economy.

Khandelwal said the rules, which will come into effect from January 1, 2027, introduce several important provisions, including greater transparency in search rankings, clear disclosure of sponsored listings, accurate presentation of discounts, integration with the National Consumer Helpline, stronger grievance-redressal mechanisms and measures to curb deceptive “dark patterns” that may mislead consumers.

He said CAIT had for a long time raised concerns over deep discounting, opaque algorithms, misleading promotions, manipulation of search results and preferential treatment of selected sellers. According to him, the new rules address several of these concerns and could contribute to creating a more level competitive environment between online and offline businesses.

Khandelwal particularly welcomed the mandatory disclosure of sponsored listings, measures against manipulation of search results and the requirement to display the lowest price offered during the preceding 30 days alongside discount advertisements. He said these provisions would strengthen consumer confidence and help curb misleading pricing practices.

The CAIT secretary general said the reforms were aligned with the government’s broader vision of “Vocal for Local”, “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and “Local to Global”, and would provide smaller traders, entrepreneurs and MSMEs with greater opportunities in the digital marketplace.

Khandelwal said the success of digital commerce should not be measured solely by the growth of large platforms, but also by the extent to which it empowers millions of traders and retailers, women entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs across the country.

CAIT also expressed its gratitude to Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and the Department of Consumer Affairs for introducing the reforms while taking into account the evolving challenges in digital commerce and concerns raised by various stakeholders.

The traders’ body also called for firm enforcement against predatory pricing and violations of foreign direct investment (FDI) rules, saying effective implementation would be essential to ensuring a transparent and competitive digital marketplace.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar