
E-commerce platforms must comply with guidelines on 'dark patterns': Food Minister Pralhad Joshi
Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday asked all major e-commerce platform to follow the government's guidelines on '
dark patterns
', else actions will be taken to protect consumers' interest.
The minister said the e-commerce players have also been told to conduct internal audits to examine the presence of 'dark patterns', defined as deceptive user interface designs that mislead or manipulate consumers into making unintended choices.
E-commerce players need to submit an audit report to the department of consumer affairs. He said a joint working group will also be set up for effective implementation of the guidelines and curb this unfair trade practice.
In November 2023, the Central
Consumer Protection
Authority (CCPA), under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, issued Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, to curb 'dark patterns' on digital and offline platforms.
On Wednesday, Joshi held discussions with stakeholders to discuss consumer concerns over 'dark patterns' and explore more effective solutions to tackle the issue.
"Representatives of More than 50 e-commerce players participated in the meeting which was organised to sensitise all stakeholders. We have asked for full compliance with dark pattern guidelines," Joshi told reporters.
He said the government has identified 13 dark patterns. These are False Urgency, Basket Sneaking, Confirm Shaming, Forced action, Subscription trap, Interface interference, Bait and Switch, Drip Pricing, Disguised advertisement, Nagging, Trick question, Saas Billing, and Rogue Malwares.
"Consumer interest is paramount," Joshi said, adding that the e-commerce players have promised to abide by these guidelines.
The minister stressed on the need that
digital marketplaces
are governed by fairness, transparency, and accountability.
In case they do not follow guidelines, action will be taken as per the law, Joshi said.
On 'advance tipping' by cab aggregators, the minister said the notices have been given to ride-hailing operators.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said the CCPA has issued 11 notices under dark patterns. Overall, she said more than 400 notices have been issued for
unfair trade practices
.
She said the government will also look into dark patterns by quick-commerce platforms.
The secretary asserted that the CCPA will take actions against unfair trade practices in any sector after proper investigation.
According to the guidelines, dark patterns have been defined as any practice or deceptive design pattern using user interface or user experience interactions on any platform that is designed to mislead or trick users to do something they originally did not intend or want to do, by subverting or impairing the consumer autonomy, decision making or choice.
All major e-commerce platforms, working in the food, travel, cosmetics, pharmacy, retail, clothing and electronics sectors participated in the meeting.
Some of the key stakeholders present in the meeting were Amazon, Flipkart, 1mg.com, Apple, BigBasket, Meesho, Meta, MakeMyTrip,
Paytm
, Ola, Reliance Retail Limited,
Swiggy
,
Zomato
, Yatra, Uber, Tata, EaseMyTrip, Clear Trip,
IndiaMart
, IndiGo Airlines, ixigo, JUSTDIAL, Medika Bazaar, Netmeds, ONDC,
Thomas Cook
, and WhatsApp.
Key industry organisations, including Voluntary Consumer Organizations (VCOs) and leading National Law Universities (NLUs), also participated in this meeting. PTI
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
NHC Foods Signs Mou With Lotmor Brands, Eyes Diversification, Retail Growth, Appoints New KMPs
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 28: NHC Foods Limited (BSE: 517544), a leading exporter of agricultural commodities and spices, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lotmor Brands, marking a significant move in the company's growth and diversification strategy. This grants NHC Foods the rights to manufacture a range of beverages and similar products under Lotmor's 'Nature Day' brand. The strategic move aligns with NHC Foods' strategy to diversify its portfolio beyond exports and agricultural commodities. The company plans to leverage this tie-up to expand its footprint in India's organised retail sector, with a focused entry into leading chains. NHC aims to capture the growing demand for quality packaged beverages and allied FMCG products driven by evolving consumer lifestyles and preferences. Commenting on the MoU, Satyam Joshi, the newly appointed Managing Director of NHC Foods Limited, said, "This MoU with Lotmor marks a defining moment for NHC Foods as we step into India's thriving retail sector. Our strengths in manufacturing, quality assurance, and distribution, combined with Lotmor's product innovation, will enable us to deliver exceptional value to the consumers. This is the beginning of a long-term transformation for us. Highlights: * NHC Foods Limited has entered a strategic MoU with Lotmor Brands Private Limited to manufacture beverages and similar products under Lotmor's 'Nature Day' brand, marking its diversification beyond exports and agri-commodities. * Financial performance for FY 2024-25 shows strong growth, with revenue rising 63.1% to Rs. 341.41 crore and net profit increased 184.7% to Rs. 6.69 crore, reflecting operational efficiency and business momentum. * An EGM held on July 18, approved increasing authorised share capital from Rs. 65 crores to Rs. 100 crore and issuing 6.5 crore convertible warrants on a preferential basis to Mr. Joshi." Mr. Joshi's elevation from Executive Director to Managing Director follows the company's strategic shift under new leadership. An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) recently approved several resolutions, including an increase in authorised share capital from Rs. 65 crore to Rs. 100 crore, and the issuance of 6.5 crore convertible warrants on a preferential basis to Mr. Joshi. Separately, the Board of Directors of NHC Foods has approved the appointment of Manoj Kumar Sharma as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. At the same time, Vijay Thakkar has been appointed as the Company Secretary and Compliance Officer. Both appointments took effect on July 16. Financially, NHC Foods continues to demonstrate robust performance. The company's revenue for the financial year 2024-25 was Rs. 341.41 crore, representing a 63.1% increase over the previous year's revenue of Rs. 209.24 crore. The company's net profit jumped by 184.7% from Rs. 2.35 crore to Rs. 6.69 crore, reflecting enhanced growth and operational efficiencies. Disclaimer: This document contains forward-looking statements, which are not historical facts and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as government actions, local developments, and technological risks. The Company is not responsible for any actions taken based on these statements and does not commit to publicly updating them to reflect future events or circumstances.


Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Mid-sized GCCs out-hire larger peers with double-digit growth in first half
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills ETtech Mid-size global capability centres (GCCs) in India are outpacing the large ones in hiring, according to data sourced by by mid-size GCCs , or those with 500–2,000 employees, increased 10–12% in the six months through June, compared with 4–6% by large GCCs , showed data from staffing services provider Quess Corp Most of the hiring by mid-size GCCs is aimed at replacing outgoing employees or expanding existing teams, said Quess Corp IT Staffing CEO Kapil Joshi. 'These centres are focused on long-term stability, process maturity, and cost efficiency.'To be sure, large GCCs, with more than 2,000 employees, still make up the majority of the workforce and continue to grow, albeit at a slower pace than in the the GCC wave is growing in India, large multinationals that already employ thousands in Indian GCCs are opting for leaner teams and sharper focus to make the workforce more agile and adapt quickly to business needs in the wake of the disruption from artificial large GCCs bring scale and reliability, the mid-size ones are leading the way in capability-led hiring, said relatively smaller firms are entering India for the first time or expanding operations quickly, building entire capabilities from the ground up, said Joshi. 'To attract the right talent, they are offering competitive salaries, signing bonuses and quicker career growth, especially for skilled professionals in AI and data roles…They're not just hiring more people, they're hiring differently, with a clear goal to build new capabilities and gain a competitive edge in the talent market.'Over the last five years, the headcount at mid-size GCCs grew 46%—to more than 220,000 in 2024 from 150,000 in 2019—compared with a 34% expansion in the workforce at other GCCs, showed data from ANSR that helps MNCs set up non-mid-market GCCs, largely comprising big GCCs, employed 1.68 million people in 2024, up from 1.25 million in GCCs are aggressively expanding in India. More than 45 new centres set up operations in the past two years alone, as per an April report by industry body Nasscom and consulting firm Zinnov. They account for nearly 35% of India's total GCCs, and 30% of the GCC additions during the past two operate under greater cost constraints than their larger peers, are rapidly evolving into significant contributors to their parent organisations' market strategies and are becoming influential players in their respective industries, according to sector centres are characterised by high maturity as transformation hubs, and deep product capabilities with a significant share of global product management talent. They have a high concentration of niche deeptech skills, a central role in global engineering, research & development (ER&D), an agile operating model enabling faster leadership elevation, and function as process transformation engines for their parents, say than 120 new mid-market GCCs are expected to be established in India by the end of 2026, adding about 40,000 jobs, ET had recently to the Nasscom-Zinnov report, the mid-market segment has the potential to attract at least 23–27% of the 130,000–150,000 global mid-market companies leading to AI-led transformation.


India Today
a day ago
- India Today
Consumer is king, to be ripped off their kingdom by crafty corporates
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 in general don't invest in consumer awareness, not due to oversight, but by design, as keeping the consumer uninformed is 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 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 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 irony is stark: the Right to Consumer Awareness is a legal right, but its delivery mechanism excludes the very people who need 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 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 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)