The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has announced comprehensive enforcement measures for e-commerce platforms, with new rules set to take effect from January 1, 2027. According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 will strengthen consumer protection and increase transparency across multiple areas including search results, sponsored listings, pricing, dark patterns and seller disclosures. These amendments expand upon the original Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 to address newer business models and digital practices while providing businesses with greater clarity around their obligations. FSSAI CEO Rajit Punhani emphasized that e-commerce platforms are responsible for everything they sell on their platforms and cannot claim to be merely aggregators with no responsibility for product quality or labeling. In a recent interview with Business Standard, Punhani clarified that platforms must conduct due diligence and cannot mislead consumers, stating "If there is a misleading label, they are responsible and they have to conduct due diligence. Otherwise, we will take action against them."
A recent LocalCircles survey has revealed strong consumer demand for front-of-pack warning labels, with 88% of respondents saying the labels should be large, clearly visible and immediately noticeable. This finding comes amid criticism of FSSAI's proposal to print warnings only one point larger than nutrition information tables on the back of packs. Consumers also favored using total rather than only added amounts of sugar, salt and saturated fat to determine warning requirements, with 53% supporting warnings based on total amounts and another 37% wanting both added and total amounts displayed prominently. Only 6% supported an added-amount-only approach, meaning 90% of respondents wanted total amounts reflected in labeling. The survey also found that consumers want warnings to extend to online grocery purchases, with 89% saying the same warnings should be prominently displayed on e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms before products are added to carts, while another 2% supported displaying them on detailed product pages. The issue has been under consideration for several years, with the first draft on front-of-pack labelling notified in September 2022.
The new rules introduce strict prohibitions on search result manipulation, with Rule 4(11)(c) prohibiting e-commerce entities from misleading users by manipulating search results or search indexes having regard to the user's search query. Rule 5(3)(f) further requires marketplace entities to explain, in plain and intelligible language, the main parameters determining the ranking of goods or sellers and their relative importance. As reported by Business Standard, this distinction is crucial because it allows platforms to retain their intellectual property and commercially sensitive algorithmic architecture while still being required to explain principal ranking parameters to consumers. The 2026 amendments redefine "ranking" under Rule 3(1)(j) to mean the relative prominence given to sellers or goods and services on a marketplace, irrespective of the technological means used. This regulatory approach demonstrates that the same conduct can generate parallel but different liabilities under both consumer and competition law, with the Competition Commission of India's examination of search bias and self-preferencing showing how ranking practices may raise competition concerns when they favour a platform's own products or restrict competitors' access to consumers.
The amended rules introduce stronger compliance requirements around dark patterns — interface and design practices that can potentially manipulate consumer choices. E-commerce entities will now have to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023 and conduct a yearly self-audit, with platforms required to prominently display a certificate of compliance. Marketplace entities cannot use consumer information for specified purposes without obtaining express and affirmative consent. The rules also restrict how consumer information can be used, adding another layer of transparency around data collection practices. FSSAI has made clear that companies should not mislead consumers through deceptive labeling practices, with the regulator holding platforms directly responsible for ensuring proper product information and ingredient disclosures. The 2026 Rules also restrict marketplace entities from using information collected through the platform for the sale or promotion of certain sellers without express consumer consent and further prohibit bundled fees for unrelated services, subject to exceptions for loyalty or membership programmes.
The government has implemented key changes requiring every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), integrating platforms more closely with the national consumer grievance redressal mechanism. In 2025, the NCH received 1.77 million complaints, of which 511,196, or around 29%, were related to the e-commerce sector. Under the amended rules, e-commerce entities will also have to provide complainants with a copy of the complaint as recorded by their grievance officer. Marketplace e-commerce entities will now provide consumers with key information needed for informed purchasing decisions, including best before or use before dates, return and refund policies, warranty information, delivery details and payment information. For imported goods, marketplaces will disclose the importer's details and country of origin. The latest survey was conducted to assess whether consumers had seen any improvement in the online display of date information since 2024.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) continues its stricter enforcement measures for e-commerce platforms, with CEO Rajit Punhani announcing that the regulator will begin checks on e-commerce platforms from October. FSSAI is holding e-commerce platforms directly responsible for products sold through their platforms, moving beyond the traditional 'aggregator' defense. The Supreme Court has given FSSAI two weeks on August 13 to place its final decision on record, with the matter listed for hearing on September 10. There was similarly strong support for rapid implementation, with 88% of consumers surveyed saying food and beverage companies should be required to implement warning labels within six months of rules being finalized, while only 6% supported a 12-month period. The amendments are intended to improve transparency, strengthen consumer protection and provide greater clarity on the responsibilities of e-commerce entities, with the ministry noting that the National Consumer Helpline received 1.77 million complaints in 2025, of which over 511,000 were related to e-commerce. For digital platforms, the challenge from January 2027 will be to demonstrate not merely that information is disclosed, but that the disclosure and design of the platform enable genuinely informed consumer choice.
