Latest news with #DepartmentofConsumerAffairs
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Centre wants ‘country of origin' filter on shopping apps
The Indian government is proposing that e-commerce platforms include a "country of origin" filter to enhance consumer decision-making, especially before the festive season. A virtual consultation was held with e-commerce players to explore amending the Legal Metrology Rules. While companies generally agreed, some raised concerns about technical challenges and mobile app constraints, but experts believe the change is manageable. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Centre has floated a proposal asking e-commerce platforms to add a 'country of origin' filter to their websites and apps, a move aimed at helping consumers make quicker and more informed choices, especially ahead of the festive shopping rush, as reported by Department of Consumer Affairs on Friday held a virtual consultation with e-commerce players and industry stakeholders to explore amending the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules to introduce such a filter. The idea: enable users to sort products by country, much like how filters for price, brand, or size already work.'Many e-commerce platforms already have filters such as price range, brand, and product type. Adding one for country of origin is very much feasible and will help consumers find items based on their preference quickly. This will bring customer satisfaction,' a government official most platforms only mention the country of origin in the product description section — something shoppers must manually scroll through, one item at a there was broad consensus among companies on the viability of the proposal, some flagged potential tech challenges, especially around tweaking existing algorithms and mobile UI constraints.'There was almost a consensus among the participants, including from major e-commerce firms, and they said this would need change in the algorithm to create this new filter feature. We will hold more deliberations with the stakeholders,' said another sources said the meeting was exploratory in nature. 'For marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra, it would be more of a tech issue, which can be solved. But for companies that hold inventory, there may be an added compliance burden,' said one executive from a leading platform added that screen space on mobile apps is already tight. 'It could be quite draining for the industry. And the expectation of the ministry is to get it done before the festive season if it gets implemented,' he Meena, adviser at market research firm Datum Intelligence, said that while the change could affect product visibility for some international brands, it may not have a major operational impact.'If this is implemented, customers will be able to filter out products based on their country of origin, which means that some brands on these platforms could lose visibility. Until now, not many consumers paid so much attention to a product's country of origin. But overall, it shouldn't be a very big challenge for platforms,' Meena added that for quick-commerce platforms, where food and groceries dominate, the change is unlikely to have much of an impact, as most of their goods are domestically sourced.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Three times the price of other cooking oils: Here's why coconut oil is on fire
India's annual retail food inflation rate fell to minus 1.06% in June, the lowest since January 2019. But consumers continue to feel the pinch from high prices on some items. Among them is vegetable oils, where the year-on-year price increase reached 17.75% in June, according to the National Statistics Office. The all-India average modal (most quoted) retail price of palm oil is currently Rs 132 per kg, compared with Rs 95 a year ago, data from the Department of Consumer Affairs show. The prices of soyabean, sunflower, and mustard oils have risen from Rs 120 to Rs 154, Rs 115 to Rs 159, and Rs 150 to Rs 176 respectively over the same period. But the increase in prices of these oils is nothing compared to what coconut oil has seen. Since the beginning of this year, the wholesale price of coconut oil at Kerala's Kochi market has zoomed from Rs 22,500 per quintal to Rs 39,000 per quintal. At the retail level, the oil is selling for around Rs 460 per kg, close to double its early-January price of Rs 240-250. This makes coconut oil more expensive now than even sesame (or gingelly) oil, a traditionally premium oil that is retailing for about Rs 425 per kg. 'Not only are coconut oil prices at all-time highs, I haven't in my 50 years of trading seen these go up so much in such a short time,' Thalath Mahmood, president of the Cochin Oil Merchants' Association (COMA), said. Global factors Tom Jose, chairman of the Irinjalakuda (Kerala)-based KSE Limited, India's largest solvent-extracted coconut oil producer, attributes the unprecedented price rise mainly to output in the Philippines and Indonesia falling due to El Niño-induced drought. These two countries are the world's top producers-cum-exporters of the oil that is extracted from the dried white flesh or kernels of coconuts (Table 1). The El Niño event, which lasted from July 2023 to June 2024, affected the growth of coconut flowers and fruit development during the 2024-25 marketing year that began in October. The impact is being felt now, as it takes roughly a year for a single coconut to go from flowering on the tree to a fully mature fruit that is ready for harvesting. 'The weather disturbances, on top of aging coconut plantations in the two countries, have led to global supply tightness, and to buyers scrambling to stock up,' Jose said. Production in India, which is an insignificant exporter, has been flat, if not down. No immediate supply response to high prices is expected because coconut trees – even the improved dwarf and hybrid palm varieties – start bearing fruit only in 3-5 years. The price sentiment has been further boosted by reports of the Indonesian government planning restrictions on the export of raw whole coconuts, amid concerns over the shortage of the fruit for local processors. Meanwhile, the government of the Philippines has introduced a 3% mandatory blending of coconut oil-based CME (coco-methyl ester) in diesel sold in the country from October 2024. The blend could go up to 4% from October 2025 and to 5% from October 2026, which would reduce the exportable surplus of coconut oil further. A marginalised oil Of the 5.7 lakh tonnes (lt) of coconut oil produced in India, only about 3.9 lt is used for food (cooking and frying). The rest goes into the manufacture of hair oil, cosmetics, soaps, and in other industrial applications. Like other indigenous cooking oils (mustard, sesame, groundnut, cottonseed), coconut oil has lost market share to the predominantly imported oils – palm, soyabean, and sunflower. The three imported oils accounted for about 72% of the almost 260 lt total domestic edible oil consumption during the year ended October 2024. The only indigenous oil that has held out is mustard; coconut is low down the list (Table 2). Even in Kerala – the state that derives its name from Kera or the coconut tree – the annual consumption of coconut oil is just 2 lt, estimates Mahmood. That is half the consumption of palm oil (4 lt) and a little more than sunflower oil (1.5 lt). From being the top producer of coconut, Kerala has now slipped to third place, behind Tamil Nadu and the No.1 producer, Karnataka. On the whole, the record high prices of coconut oil may not hurt that much, given the extent of its marginalisation. If anything, it may accelerate the shift to other oils, particularly imported oils. Harish Damodaran is National Rural Affairs & Agriculture Editor of The Indian Express. A journalist with over 33 years of experience in agri-business and macroeconomic policy reporting and analysis, he has previously worked with the Press Trust of India (1991-94) and The Hindu Business Line (1994-2014). ... Read More
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
OTT platforms come under scrutiny as dark patterns erode consumer trust
Consumers in India are increasingly flagging design practices on over-the-top (OTT) platforms that make the user experience less transparent, say industry executives and market observers. Frequent complaints include unexpected rental charges, ads during paid subscriptions and difficult cancellations. These tactics, commonly referred to as dark patterns , can mislead users into continuing subscriptions, sharing personal data, or paying extra charges not clearly disclosed. Some users also report being asked to install separate apps or re-register to access certain content. A LocalCircles study of over 95,000 responses from OTT users identified six dominant dark patterns: interface interference, forced action , bait and switch, drip pricing, subscription traps and SaaS billing. Users cited hidden cancel buttons, surprise rental fees, unclear final pricing and charges even after cancellation. To tackle these concerns, the Department of Consumer Affairs introduced Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns in 2023, listing 13 such practices, including false urgency, confirm shaming, basket sneaking, disguised ads, nagging, trick wording and rogue malwares. While the union government's guidelines are aimed at improving digital transparency , some OTT platforms argue they apply only to e-commerce services. 'Dark patterns like forced action, where ads are added to a plan that was earlier ad-free, or subscriptions with difficult cancellation processes lead to a direct erosion of consumer trust ,' said Sachin Taparia, founder of LocalCircles. 'The need of the hour is for all OTT platforms to assess which of the 13 dark patterns exist on their platforms and resolve them at the earliest. Such a move will improve transparency, and platforms that act swiftly will gain a long-term advantage over their competitors,' he added. Experts say greater clarity and enforcement are needed as streaming becomes the primary mode of content consumption in India. The ministry of information and broadcasting listed 69 OTT platforms in the country, including Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar, ZEE5 and SonyLIV. 'India's regulatory approach is rapidly evolving from a reactive stance to a proactive one. The CCPA (Central Consumer Protection Authority) has taken the lead by defining and warning against dark patterns, and by holding platforms—including OTT services—accountable. MeitY's (ministry of electronics and information technology) policies and Trai's (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) oversight play supporting roles in ensuring that digital marketplaces are fair and that no regulatory gaps allow these practices to persist unchecked,' said Consumer Protection Association president Kashyapnath N Upadhyay. 'While enforcement is still ramping up and some platforms are dragging their feet by claiming the guidelines are not binding, the trajectory is clear: deceptive design in OTT subscriptions is on the regulators' radar, and India is moving towards a regime of greater transparency and stronger consumer rights online,' he added.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Centre steps up crackdown on substandard helmets; urges strict BIS enforcement for road safety
The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) have urged consumers across the country to use only BIS-certified helmets. Additionally, the Department has called for strict enforcement against the manufacture or sale of helmets without BIS certification , a press release said. With over 21 crore two-wheelers on Indian roads, rider safety is paramount. While wearing a helmet is mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, its effectiveness depends on quality. Sub-standard helmets compromise protection and defeat their purpose. To address this, a Quality Control Order has been in force since 2021, mandating ISI-marked helmets certified under BIS standards (IS 4151:2015) for all two-wheeler riders. As of June 2025, there are 176 manufacturers across India holding valid BIS licences for protective helmets. The Department has observed that many helmets sold on roadsides lack the mandatory BIS certification, posing significant risks to consumers and numerous fatalities in road accidents. Therefore, there is an urgent need to tackle this issue head-on. To enforce quality standards, BIS conducts regular factory and market surveillance. In the last financial year, over 500 helmet samples were tested and more than 30 search-and-seizure operations were carried out for misuse of the BIS Standard Mark. In one Delhi operation, over 2,500 non-compliant helmets were seized from nine manufacturers with expired or cancelled licences. Similar action at 17 retail and roadside locations led to the seizure of around 500 substandard helmets, with legal proceedings underway. To enhance road safety and protect consumers, the Department of Consumer Affairs had written to District Collectors (DCs) and District Magistrates (DMs) to launch a nationwide campaign targeting manufacturers and retailers selling non-compliant helmets. This initiative was a response to growing concerns over helmet quality and their critical role in safeguarding lives on the road. The Department urged district officials to personally oversee the enforcement of the Quality Control Order and integrate the drive with existing road safety campaigns. BIS branch offices were instructed to coordinate with district administrations and police departments to support the initiative. The campaign saw encouraging results, particularly in the Delhi NCR region, and is now being expanded to other parts of the country. Earlier this year, the BIS Chennai team conducted a roadshow distributing ISI-marked helmets and held an awareness drive in collaboration with local traffic authorities to promote adherence to safety standards. The campaign is also being amplified via media, social channels, and civil society partnerships. To empower consumers, BIS has enabled verification of licensed helmet manufacturers on the BIS Care App and portal, and provided options for lodging complaints. As part of a national awareness initiative, BIS's 'Quality Connect' campaign and 'Manak Mitra' volunteers are actively educating consumers on mandatory certification for helmets and other safety products. The Department of Consumer Affairs has reaffirmed its commitment to consumer safety by removing substandard helmets from the market and promoting BIS-certified protective gear to reduce preventable road accident fatalities.
India Gazette
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- India Gazette
Centre urges consumers to use only Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certified helmets for safety
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) appeal to consumers across the country to use only BIS-certified helmets. Additionally, the Department has called for strict enforcement against the manufacture or sale of helmets without BIS certification, a press release said With over 21 crore two-wheelers on Indian roads, rider safety is paramount. While wearing a helmet is mandatory under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, its effectiveness depends on quality. Sub-standard helmets compromise protection and defeat their purpose. To address this, a Quality Control Order has been in force since 2021, mandating ISI-marked helmets certified under BIS standards (IS 4151:2015) for all two-wheeler riders. As of June 2025, there are 176 manufacturers across India holding valid BIS licenses for protective helmets. The Department has observed that many helmets sold on roadsides lack the mandatory BIS certification, posing significant risks to consumers and numerous fatalities in road accidents. Therefore, there is an urgent need to tackle this issue head-on. To enforce quality standards, BIS conducts regular factory and market surveillance. In the last financial year, over 500 helmet samples were tested and more than 30 search-and-seizure operations were carried out for misuse of the BIS Standard Mark. In one Delhi operation, over 2,500 non-compliant helmets were seized from nine manufacturers with expired or cancelled licences. Similar action at 17 retail and roadside locations led to the seizure of around 500 substandard helmets, with legal proceedings underway. In a bid to enhance road safety and protect consumers from substandard helmets, the Department of Consumer Affairs had written to District Collectors (DCs) and District Magistrates (DMs) to launch a nationwide campaign targeting manufacturers and retailers who sell non-compliant helmets for two-wheeler riders. This initiative was a response to the growing concerns over the quality of helmets available in the market and their critical role in safeguarding lives on the road. The Department had urged district officials to take a personal interest in this matter and launch a special campaign to ensure the enforcement of the Quality Control Order, integrating the drive with existing road safety campaigns to maximise its impact. BIS branch offices were instructed to engage continuously with district administrations and police departments to support this campaign. The results were encouraging, particularly in the Delhi NCR region, and the campaign is spreading to other regions too. Earlier this year, BIS Chennai team organised a successful roadshow distributing ISI-marked helmets and conducted an awareness campaign in partnership with local traffic authorities to promote adherence to safety regulations. The campaign is amplified through various media channels, social media outreach, and civil society collaborations, raising awareness about safety through ISI-marked Protective helmets. Making it convenient for consumers, BIS has added a provision on the BIS Care App and BIS portal to check whether a helmet manufacturer is licensed or not, and also allows users to lodge a complaint on the BIS Care App. As part of a nationwide consumer awareness initiative, BIS organises the Quality Connect campaign, where 'Manak Mitra' volunteers are engaging directly with consumers to provide information on mandatory certification for helmets and other products. The Department of Consumer Affairs underscores the government's commitment to consumer protection and road safety. By removing sub-standard helmets from the market, the Department aims to prevent avoidable road accident fatalities and promote high-quality safety gear. (ANI)
