The year 2025 emerged as a watershed moment for consumer protection in India as the Department of Consumer Affairs accelerated reforms to deliver faster justice, strengthen consumer trust and raise product quality across the marketplace. Through deep digital transformation, market stabilisation measures, modernised standards and expanded testing infrastructure, consumer welfare was firmly placed at the core of India’s rapidly evolving economy.
From paperless consumer courts and AI-enabled grievance redressal to improved price monitoring, safer household products and transparent trade practices, the year marked a clear shift from reactive regulation to responsive, technology-driven governance.
2025 At A Glance
More than 2.8 lakh users were onboarded on the e-Jagriti platform
Over 1.31 lakh consumer cases were disposed digitally
Refunds amounting to ₹27.61 crore were facilitated through the National Consumer Helpline
Daily price monitoring was conducted across 575 centres nationwide
Twelve Government Approved Test Centre certificates were issued under Legal Metrology
New BIS standards were released to enhance consumer safety and product quality
Digital Transformation Of Consumer Justice
A landmark reform of 2025 was the nationwide rollout of e-Jagriti on 1 January 2025. Conceived as a unified, end-to-end digital platform, e-Jagriti transformed consumer dispute resolution by integrating legacy systems such as CONFONET, e-Daakhil, OCMS and NCDRC-CMS into a single interface. The platform enables digital filing, virtual hearings, document exchange, case management and judgments, significantly reducing physical visits, procedural delays and litigation costs.
Designed around citizen convenience, e-Jagriti offers multilingual access, OTP-based registration, encrypted document exchange, voice-to-text functionality and real-time case tracking. By mid-November 2025, more than 2.81 lakh users, including about 1,400 NRIs, had registered on the platform, with complaints filed from the United States, United Kingdom, UAE, Canada and Australia. During the period, over 1.35 lakh cases were instituted and more than 1.31 lakh cases disposed, reflecting faster resolution and reduced pendency across consumer commissions.
To ensure effective implementation, the Department conducted extensive training programmes and introduced weekly Jansunwai sessions to provide real-time technical support and grievance resolution. The platform has been particularly beneficial for senior citizens, women and consumers in remote areas.
Strengthening The Consumer Protection Framework
Alongside digital reforms, institutional capacity under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 was strengthened. Amendments to recruitment rules for Group A posts in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission were notified to enhance administrative efficiency. The Department also released financial assistance of ₹7.31 crore to States under the Strengthening Consumer Commissions scheme to upgrade infrastructure and improve service delivery.
Extensive stakeholder consultations were held throughout the year with consumer commissions, industry bodies, e-commerce platforms, voluntary consumer organisations and academia. Discussions focused on emerging challenges such as misleading advertisements, unfair online trade practices and leveraging technology for faster justice delivery.
Consumer Awareness And Outreach
Consumer awareness initiatives in 2025 focused on scale, inclusivity and last-mile reach. The Jago Grahak Jago campaign continued across digital, print and outdoor platforms, educating citizens on consumer rights and redressal mechanisms. To reach consumers without smartphones or reliable internet access, nationwide IVRS voice call campaigns and SMS outreach were conducted in 11 languages.
Awareness activities were also taken to mass public gatherings, including the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, which recorded an estimated footfall of over 66 crore people. Innovative initiatives such as Amar Chitra Katha comic books on consumer rights were distributed through schools and digital platforms, while weekly virtual interactions with Panchayats strengthened grassroots engagement.
National Consumer Helpline Delivers Quick Relief
The National Consumer Helpline continued to serve as the first point of grievance redressal for consumers, offering services in 17 languages through toll-free number 1915, WhatsApp, SMS, mobile app, web portal, UMANG and email. The number of convergence partners increased to 1,169 companies, enabling faster pre-litigation resolution of complaints.
Technological upgrades under NCH 2.0, including AI-based speech recognition, multilingual chatbots and automated translation tools, further enhanced accessibility. Between April and October 2025, the helpline facilitated refunds worth ₹27.61 crore across 49,333 cases, offering a fast, non-adversarial alternative to litigation.
Price Monitoring And Market Stabilisation
The Department maintained daily monitoring of prices of essential commodities through the Price Monitoring System, collecting data from 575 centres nationwide. Targeted interventions under the Price Stabilisation Fund helped manage volatility in pulses, onion, potato and tomato prices.
During 2025–26, onion prices remained largely stable due to higher production and timely buffer stock operations, including discounted retail sales and efficient rail-based transportation. The Tomato Grand Challenge continued to promote innovative solutions to strengthen the tomato value chain and ensure affordability.
Legal Metrology Reforms For Fair Trade
Legal Metrology reforms focused on ensuring accuracy in trade while reducing compliance burden. New rules were notified for gas meters, moisture meters, radar speed measuring equipment and breath analysers. A major step towards public–private collaboration was the issuance of 12 Government Approved Test Centre certificates to 11 private entities, significantly expanding verification capacity and reducing waiting time for businesses.
The e-Maap portal, under implementation, aims to integrate State Legal Metrology systems into a unified national digital platform, enhancing transparency and efficiency.
BIS Strengthens Quality Ecosystem
The Bureau of Indian Standards continued to reinforce India’s quality ecosystem through standardisation, certification, hallmarking and laboratory modernisation. A notable highlight was the release of a new Indian Standard for incense sticks, aimed at enhancing consumer safety and product quality.
BIS expanded mandatory hallmarking coverage and strengthened the HUID marking system for silver jewellery, providing complete digital traceability. With over 17.35 lakh articles hallmarked under the HUID system, consumer confidence and accountability were significantly enhanced.
National Test House Expands Capabilities
The National Test House advanced its modernisation agenda by diversifying testing services and upgrading digital systems. A key milestone was the signing of an MoU with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment to strengthen collaboration in advanced research and testing.
NTH expanded capabilities in electric vehicles, renewable energy, drones, defence equipment and food testing, improving turnaround time and technical depth.
Looking Ahead
National Consumer Day 2025 was observed with the theme Efficient And Speedy Disposal Through Digital Justice, highlighting the transformative role of technology in consumer protection. Building on the momentum of 2025, the Department of Consumer Affairs remains focused on deepening digital justice delivery, strengthening Legal Metrology reforms, expanding standardisation outreach and enhancing testing capacity.
The initiatives undertaken during the year reflect a strong commitment to consumer-centric governance, fair markets and quality assurance. As India’s economy and digital commerce continue to expand, the Department remains steadfast in ensuring that transparency, safety, accountability and trust define the consumer experience.
