The 2026 E-Commerce Rules: Key Amendments and Compliance Implications

Authored by Nithin Satheesh

The Department of Consumer Affairs has notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026 (“Amendment Rules”), amending the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 (“E-Commerce Rules”). The amendments introduce new obligations and strengthen existing requirements applicable to e-commerce entities and marketplace platforms, with a focus on enhancing consumer protection and transparency in e-commerce transactions.

The Amendment Rules will come into force on 1 January 2027, providing e-commerce entities time to assess the impact of the amendments and align their platforms, policies and business practices with the revised requirements.

What has changed?

 

Particulars	Existing Position under E-Commerce Rules	Changes Introduced by the Amendment Rules
Disclosure of e-commerce entity details	Rule 4(2) already required e-commerce entities to prominently display their legal name, principal geographic address of headquarters and branches, website details, and contact details (including email, fax, landline and mobile numbers) of customer care and grievance officers.	The existing disclosure obligation is retained, but the requirement to display the information is strengthened by requiring it to be shown at an appropriate place on the platform. The reference to fax numbers has been removed. The requirement now expressly covers email, landline and mobile numbers of customer-care and grievance officers.
Grievance redressal	Rule 4(5) required the grievance officer to acknowledge consumer complaints within 48 hours and redress them within one month from receipt.	The existing timelines remain unchanged. A new procedural requirement has been introduced requiring the grievance officer to provide the complainant with a copy of the complaint as recorded by the grievance officer.
Imported goods and services	Rule 4(6) required e-commerce entities offering imported goods or services to disclose the name and details of the importer from whom the goods or services were purchased or who may be a seller on the platform.	The existing importer-disclosure requirement is retained and expanded. E-commerce entities must additionally provide for identification of imported goods and disclose the full and complete name of the country of origin, in accordance with the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011.
National Consumer Helpline	Rule 4(7) required e-commerce entities to endeavour, on a best-effort basis, to become partners in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline.	The best-effort qualification has been removed. E-commerce entities are now mandatorily required to become partners in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline.
Manipulation of search results	Rule 4(11) prohibited manipulation of the prices of goods or services to make unreasonable profits and discrimination between consumers of the same class. It did not specifically address manipulation of search results or search indexes.	A new prohibition has been introduced under Rule 4(11)(c), expressly prohibiting e-commerce entities from misleading users by manipulating search results or search indexes having regard to the user’s search query.
Sponsored listings	The 2020 Rules did not contain a specific provision requiring sponsored listings to be identified separately from other search results or product listings.	A new Rule 4(12) requires e-commerce entities to ensure that sponsored listings of products and services are distinctly identified through clear and prominent disclosures.
Price reduction disclosures	The 2020 Rules did not prescribe a specific benchmark for determining the prior price to be displayed when announcing a price reduction.	A new Rule 4(13) requires e-commerce entities or sellers announcing a price reduction to display the prior price alongside the reduced price. The prior price is defined as the lowest price of the relevant good or service during the 30 days preceding the announcement of the price reduction.
Seller’s name on invoices	The 2020 Rules did not prescribe any specific requirement regarding the font size or prominence of the seller’s name on invoices issued through an e-commerce platform.	A new Rule 4(14) requires e-commerce entities to display the seller’s name clearly and prominently on invoices, in the same font size as the e-commerce entity’s name.
Dark patterns	The 2020 Rules did not expressly require e-commerce entities to undertake annual self-audits or display a certificate confirming that their platforms were free from dark patterns.	A new Rule 4(15) expressly requires e-commerce entities to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, conduct yearly self-audits to ensure that their platforms are free from dark patterns and prominently display a certificate to that effect.
Seller information	Rule 5(3)(a) required marketplace e-commerce entities to provide details of sellers, including their business name, geographic address, customer-care number and website details, along with other information necessary for consumers to make informed decisions.	The provision has been expanded to expressly include whether the seller is registered or not, its email address (where available) and any rating or aggregated feedback about the seller. The amended provision also expressly requires marketplace entities, upon receiving a consumer’s written request after purchase, to provide specified seller details, including the principal geographic address of its headquarters and branches, website details and email address, to facilitate effective dispute resolution.
Product and transaction information	Rule 5(3)(c) required marketplace entities to disclose information concerning returns, refunds, exchanges, warranties, guarantees, delivery, shipment, modes of payment and grievance redressal.	The existing disclosure obligation is expanded to expressly include the best-before or use-before date of products. A specific qualification has also been introduced for food products, under which such disclosures are subject to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations made thereunder.
Ranking transparency	Rule 5(3)(f) already required marketplace entities to provide an explanation of the main parameters determining the ranking of goods or sellers on their platforms, in plain and intelligible language.	The existing requirement has been strengthened. Marketplace entities must now explain the main ranking parameters in descending order of significance and disclose their relative importance through an easily and publicly available description in plain and intelligible language.
Use of information by marketplace entities	The 2020 Rules did not contain a corresponding restriction specifically governing the use of consumer information collected by marketplace entities for the purposes set out in the amended provision.	A new Rule 5(6) restricts marketplace entities from using information collected by them for the direct or indirect sale of goods by any seller, whether related or unrelated, bearing a brand or name common with that of the marketplace entity, or for promoting or advertising a seller as being associated with the marketplace entity, unless express and affirmative consent has been obtained from the consumers to whom the information pertains.
Bundled fees	The 2020 Rules did not contain an express prohibition on marketplace entities collecting bundled fees from users for services unrelated to the e-commerce platform.	A new Rule 5(7) prohibits marketplace entities from collecting bundled fees from users for services provided on the platform for other services unrelated to the e-commerce platform. An exception is provided for loyalty or membership programmes and benefits, services, offers or incentives provided in connection with such programmes.
Seller identification numbers	Rule 6(5) required sellers to provide specified information to marketplace entities, including their legal name, address, website, email address, customer-care details and, where applicable, GSTIN and PAN details. However, it did not expressly require sellers to provide government-issued identification numbers as a separate category of information.	A new Rule 6(5)(j) requires sellers to provide any identification number issued by the Central Government, including their GSTIN or Micro and Small Enterprises registration number.

 

What should e-commerce and marketplace entities do now?

With the Amendment Rules coming into force on 1 January 2027, e-commerce entities, including marketplace entities, should use the intervening period to:

1. Review platform disclosures relating to the entity, sellers, products and imported goods.
2. Assess search, ranking and sponsored listing practices.
3. Review pricing practices, including the determination and disclosure of prior prices.
4. Strengthen grievance redressal mechanisms to comply with the prescribed timelines.
5. Conduct a dark-pattern assessment and establish processes for annual self-audits and certification.
6. Review consumer information-use practices against the restrictions under Rule 5(6).
7. Reassess fee structures, particularly bundled fees for services unrelated to the platform.
8. Update seller onboarding processes to capture the additional information and government-issued identification details.