Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026: What Changes from January 2027

The Department of Consumer Affairs has introduced significant amendments to India’s e-commerce regulatory framework through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified on 9 September 2026. The Amending Rules amend the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and will come into force on 1 January 2027.

For businesses operating e-commerce platforms and marketplaces, the amendments introduce more specific requirements around search rankings, sponsored listings, pricing, seller information, consumer data, dark patterns, grievance handling and transaction disclosures. The changes are relevant because several of the new requirements concern how platforms operate and present information to consumers, rather than simply what information is disclosed in their terms and policies.

The important aspects of the Amendment Rule are as follows:

1. Greater Transparency in Search Rankings

The amended Rules expand the definition of “ranking” to cover the relative prominence or relevance given to sellers, as well as goods and services offered through a marketplace e-commerce entity, irrespective of the technological means used.

E-commerce entities are also prohibited from manipulating search results or search indexes in a manner that misleads users having regard to their search query. Marketplace entities must additionally make publicly available an explanation of the principal parameters determining the ranking of goods or sellers and the relative importance of those parameters, using plain and intelligible language.

The requirement is therefore focused on transparency around ranking practices. It does not require marketplaces to disclose their underlying algorithms or source code.

2. Sponsored Listings Must Be Identified

The Amending Rules separately address paid visibility on e-commerce platforms.

Sponsored listings of products and services must be distinctly identified through clear and prominent disclosures.

For platforms that rely on sponsored placement or other paid visibility models, this creates a specific requirement to distinguish commercial promotion from ordinary marketplace results.

3. A Defined Reference Price for Discounts

The amendments introduce a specific requirement concerning advertised price reductions.

Where an e-commerce entity or seller announces a reduction in the price of goods or services, the reduced price and the prior price must both be displayed.

The Rules define “prior price” as the lowest price at which the goods or services were offered during the 30 days preceding the announcement of the price reduction.

This creates a more specific reference point for discount claims than simply displaying an earlier or purported “original” price. The provision is particularly relevant to business models involving frequent price changes, flash sales and promotional campaigns.

At the same time, the Gazette does not expressly address every possible pricing structure, including newly listed products, personalised pricing or complex layered discounts. The application of the provision to such models may therefore require careful interpretation as the framework is implemented.

4. Dark Patterns: Annual Self-Audit and Certification

The Amending Rules expressly require e-commerce entities to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.

More importantly for businesses, every e-commerce entity must conduct a yearly self-audit to ensure that its platform is free from dark patterns and must prominently display a certificate confirming this.

This is an important development because dark-pattern regulation is no longer addressed only through guidelines and general consumer-protection principles. This is relevant for businesses whose platforms undergo regular changes in interface design, purchasing flows or consumer journeys.

5. More Information About Sellers and Products

The amendments increase the information that marketplace entities must provide about sellers. This includes the seller’s business name, registration status, geographic address, customer-care number, website and email address where available, and ratings or aggregated feedback.

A consumer may also make a written request after purchase for additional seller information necessary for effective dispute resolution.

The information relating to products and services has also been expanded. Sellers must provide relevant details concerning country of origin, best-before or use-before dates, return, refund and exchange policies, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, return-shipping costs and payment methods.

Sellers must additionally provide applicable government-issued identification numbers, including a GST Identification Number or MSME registration number.

6. New Restrictions on the Use of Consumer Information

The amendments introduce specific restrictions on the use of information collected by marketplace e-commerce entities.

A marketplace cannot use information collected by it for the direct or indirect sale of goods by a seller where those goods bear a brand or name common with that of the marketplace entity, whether or not the seller is related to the marketplace.

The Rules also restrict the use of consumer information to promote or advertise a seller as being associated with the marketplace unless the entity has obtained the consumer’s express and affirmative consent for that use.

7. Bundled Fees and Platform-Related Services

The Amending Rules also regulate the collection of bundled fees.

A marketplace e-commerce entity cannot collect bundled fees from users for services provided on the platform where those fees relate to services unrelated to the e-commerce platform.

An exception is provided for loyalty or membership programmes and benefits, services, offers or incentives provided in connection with such programmes.

8. Stronger Grievance and Transaction Requirements

The amendments introduce clearer requirements concerning platform information and consumer complaints.

E-commerce entities must prominently display their legal name, principal geographic address of headquarters and branches, website details, and customer-care and grievance-officer contact details. A grievance officer must acknowledge a consumer complaint within 48 hours, provide the complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded, and redress it within one month of receipt.

Every e-commerce entity must also become a partner in the Central Government’s National Consumer Helpline convergence process.

For imported goods, the platform must disclose the relevant importer details and the full and complete country of origin in accordance with the applicable Legal Metrology framework.

The rules also prescribe greater visibility for seller information on invoices: the seller’s name must be displayed clearly and prominently in the same font size as the e-commerce entity’s name.

What the Amendments Mean for E-Commerce Businesses?

The 2026 amendments bring several consumer-protection concerns into the operational framework applicable to e-commerce businesses. Search and ranking practices, promotional placement, pricing representations, interface design, seller verification, consumer information and grievance handling are now addressed through specific regulatory requirements.

For marketplace operators in particular, the amendments are very crucial across multiple functions because compliance is no longer limited to legal terms, disclosures or consumer-facing policies. The requirements may also intersect with technology, product design, marketing, pricing, seller onboarding and data-governance processes.