Lok Sabha Question No. 1827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: AI based Consumer Complaints Redressal Mechanism
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Harish Chandra Meena

## ORIGINAL IN HINDI

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1827

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2025

## AI BASED CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REDRESSAL MECHANISM

1827.  SHRI HARISH CHANDRA MEENA:

(OIH)

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether 54893 digital consumer complaints registered in Financial Year 2023-24 increased to 68831 in Financial Year 2024-25 despite the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based redressal mechanism in Rajasthan and the country;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  this  increase  in  number  thereof  after  the  introduction  of  AI based redressal mechanism and if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes to take any steps to reduce the volume of this increasing number of complaints and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L. VERMA)

(a) to (c) :  The Department has revamped the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), which has emerged as a single point of access for consumers across the country for grievance redressal at the pre-litigation stage, thereby enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of the consumer grievance registration and redressal system.

The helpline operates in a dedicated manner from 8 AM to 8 PM on all seven days of the week, except on national holidays. To enhance accessibility further, a call-back facility is available. An exclusive call center has been established to ensure prompt service.

NCH proactively partners with companies who want to join the programme on a voluntary basis to offer efficient consumer complaint resolution. This initiative gives the company an opportunity for better corporate governance and social responsibilityby redressing consumer disputes at pre-litigation stage. The number of convergence partners has steadily increased from 263 companies in 2017 to 1,110 companies till now spanning across the sectors such as E-commerce, Banking, General Insurance, Life Insurance, NBFCs, Travel & Tourism, Food, Consumer Durables, Electronics Products, Broadband & Internet, Direct Selling, Retail Outlets, Digital Payment Modes, Agency Services and Others.

The technological  transformation  of  the  NCH  has  significantly  boosted  its  call-handling  capacity. The number of calls received by  NCH has  grown more than tenfold, from 12,553 in December  2015 to 1,55,138  in  December  2024.  This  exponential  growth  reflects  the  rising  confidence  of  consumers  in  the helpline. Similarly, the average number of complaints registered per month has surged from 37,062 in 2017 to  1,11,951  in  2024.  Additionally,  grievance  registration  via  WhatsApp  has  gained  momentum,  with  the percentage of complaints filed through the platform increasing from 3% in March 2023 to 20% in March 2025, demonstrating a growing preference for digital communication channels.

In a significant move to further enhance grievance redressal, NCH has introduced AI-based Speech Recognition,  a  Translation  System,  and  an  AI  enabled  Chatbot  as  part  of  the  NCH  2.0  initiative.  These technological  advancements  aim  to  make  the  grievance  filing  process  more  seamless,  efficient,  and inclusive.  The  AI-powered  Speech  Recognition  and  Translation  System  enables  consumers  to  file complaints through voice input, reducing manual intervention. The AI enabled Chatbot provides real-time assistance,  streamlining  complaint-handling  processes,  and  improving  the  overall  user  experience.  These upgrades  ensure  that  consumers  from  diverse  linguistic  backgrounds  have  equal  access  to  the  grievance redressal system.

The  website  of  the  National  Consumer  Helpline  (NCH)  has  also  been  upgraded  to  serve  as  the central  point  of  access  for  consumers  across  India  seeking  grievance  redressal  at  the  pre-litigation  stage. This website includes enhanced functionality, modern features, and improved navigation with a user-centric design.  It  incorporates  advanced  features,  offering  faster  grievance  resolution  and  a  more  efficient  user experience.

This increase in the number of consumer grievances registered digitally is primarily due to enhanced consumer awareness about their rights, the improved outreach and accessibility of the National Consumer Helpline  (NCH),  and  the  availability  of  multiple  grievance  registration  modes  through  the  Integrated Grievance

Redressal  Mechanism  (INGRAM),  such  as  toll-free  number  1915,  WhatsApp,  SMS,  NCH  app, email,  UMANG app, and the web portal.  The  facility  is  also  available  in  17  Indian  languages,  enabling consumers  from  diverse  linguistic  backgrounds  to  access  the  helpline  conveniently  and  ensuring  wider regional access across the country.

The  Department  of Consumer  Affairs has been implementing  a scheme  titled  'Consumer Awareness'.  Under  the  Scheme,  the  Department  of  Consumer  Affairs  has  been  conducting  countrywide multimedia  awareness  campaigns  titled  'Jago  Grahak  Jago'.  Consumers  are  made  aware  of  unfair  trade practices, grievance redressal mechanisms, Hallmarking, ISI products, and various other consumer related issues through various  media  like TV, radio, cinema theatres, IVRS, fairs & festivals as well as digital media like Youtube etc. Under the scheme, Grant-in-Aid are also provided to States / UTs for carrying out activities  on  consumer  awareness  with  local  content  in  regional  level.  The  Department  has  been  actively using social media with various creatives, infographics and videos for consumer awareness.

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