Consumer is king, to be ripped off their kingdom by crafty corporates

India Today

a day ago

We live in a country where less than 11% of consumers are aware of their rights granted by the Consumer Protection Act, and over 90% do not know how to file a complaint. The situation is especially grim among the illiterate and economically weaker sections, who form the bulk of India's population and are the most exploited lot.This lack of awareness is not just a legal or economic issue, but a humanitarian one. The uninformed consumers, especially those who cannot read, write, or access digital platforms, are defenceless against predatory pricing, counterfeit products, financial scams, unsafe services, and apathetic businesses.advertisementThe legal framework: strong on paper, weak in practiceIndia has one of the most progressive consumer protection laws in the world. The Consumer Protection Act, originally enacted in 1986 and updated in 2019, grants six fundamental rights to consumers:Right to SafetyRight to be informedRight to ChooseRight to be heardRight to Seek RedressalRight to Consumer Awareness
But 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.The digital divide: exacerbating inequityIndia's digital push has been unprecedented, with over 950 million internet users and a booming e-commerce sector. But this digital transformation has also widened the gap between the informed and the ignorant. Most online consumer grievance redressal apps, and complaint portals are inaccessible to those who lack digital literacy or access to smartphones. This means that the very people who need protection the most -- are often excluded from using these services.Rural exploitation: no receipts, no recourseIn India's villages and small towns, transactions are often informal. Bills are rarely issued. Warranty cards are missing. Information on MRP, ingredients, and expiry dates are either hidden or ignored. The illiterate consumer cannot read labels, understand toxic ingredients, or interpret price breakdowns. This makes them easy prey for substandard goods, expired medicines, duplicate fertilisers, and fraudulent mobile recharge schemes.The government's flagship consumer awareness campaign, "Jago Grahak Jago," while iconic, has had limited impact in rural India. Posters and advertisements in English or Hindi do little for populations who are not even functionally literate.Who benefits from ignorance?Corporates and businesses, especially in loosely regulated sectors, often benefit from this gap in awareness. They push high-interest microloans, mis-sell insurance, embed hidden charges in telecom services, and promote inferior products in rural areas with no fear of legal consequences. Their marketing is aggressive, but their accountability is negligible.Consumer education is not profitable, and hence, not prioritised. Transparency at the point of sale is often absent. Call Centres are poorly trained. Instructions are in English. And grievance redressal is layered with bureaucracy.Companies in general don't invest in consumer awareness, not due to oversight, but by design, as keeping the consumer uninformed is profitable.The gender gap in consumer awarenessadvertisementThe situation is even worse for women. In many Indian households, women make the majority of consumer decisions, especially in food, healthcare, and education. Yet, most awareness drives fail to reach them. Women in rural areas have no access to phones or complaint portals. There are many cases where women were sold expired medicines, unsafe cosmetics, or fake nutritional supplements, without their knowledge.Consumer awareness is not just about knowing your rights—it is about knowing you have the right to ask questions. Most Indian women, especially in conservative settings, are discouraged from speaking up in public or questioning authority figures like shopkeepers, bankers, or service agents.Language, literacy, and legaleseAnother barrier is language. Most consumer rights documents are published in English or Hindi. But India is a country of 22 official languages and hundreds of dialects. Legal literacy becomes legal intimidation when the consumer cannot even comprehend the basics of the complaint process. The forms, portals, and helpline instructions are often linguistically inaccessible.The irony is stark: the Right to Consumer Awareness is a legal right, but its delivery mechanism excludes the very people who need it.Empower the silent majorityIndia's consumer revolution remains incomplete. There are millions of rural Indians who don't even know that complaining is an option. Their illiteracy, ignorance, and silence have become the cost of doing business in India.advertisementThe responsibility to change this cannot lie with the government alone. Corporates, civil society, educators, and media must collaborate to make the consumer not just a buyer, but a stakeholder.To be a true market democracy, India must empower all its consumers—especially the ones who cannot read the fine print, but deserve fairness all the same. Awareness is not a luxury. It is a right. And it is time we treated it as one.(Prof Bejon Misra is a renowned authority on consumer rights in India, known for his tireless efforts in promoting consumer welfare and advocating for consumer rights. He has been instrumental in shaping consumer protection policies and raising awareness about consumer issues. Through his work, he has made a significant impact on consumer rights in India. The views expressed are his own.)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)