NCH Secures ₹52 Crore Refunds in 9 Months, 79,000+ Grievances Resolved

In a major boost to consumer protection enforcement, the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has facilitated refunds amounting to ₹52 crore by resolving 79,521 refund-related grievances across 31 sectors over the last nine months (25 April – 31 January 2026).

The refunds were secured at the pre-litigation stage, enabling consumers to obtain time-bound relief without approaching Consumer Commissions — significantly reducing legal burden, costs, and delays.

The achievement highlights the growing impact of the Government's flagship consumer protection mechanism under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, particularly amid rising digital commerce and service transactions nationwide.

Pre-Litigation Resolution Model Driving Faster Relief

The National Consumer Helpline operates on a convergence-based digital grievance redressal model, where complaints are forwarded directly to companies for resolution within defined timelines. The process includes continuous monitoring, escalation mechanisms, and consumer feedback tracking to ensure accountability.

This structured intervention has allowed thousands of consumers to secure refunds swiftly — often in cases where companies had failed to respond to repeated requests.

By resolving disputes before they escalate to formal litigation, NCH reduces pressure on consumer courts while ensuring speedy justice.

E-Commerce Sector Accounts for Over ₹36 Crore in Refunds

The e-commerce sector accounted for the highest number of complaints and refund value:

• 47,743 grievances

• ₹36.79 crore refunded

Complaints ranged from non-delivery, delayed delivery, defective goods, refund delays, and order cancellations.

The Travel & Tourism sector followed with over ₹4.16 crore in refunds facilitated through 5,149 grievances, reflecting continued consumer challenges in ticket cancellations, booking disputes, and service deficiencies.

Notably, refund complaints were reported from metropolitan cities as well as remote and rural regions, underscoring NCH's pan-India accessibility and digital reach.

Top Five Sectors Driving 85% of Refund Amounts

The top five sectors together accounted for more than 85% of total refunds facilitated during the period.

The remaining refunds were distributed across 26 other sectors, including automobile services, food delivery platforms, and financial services.

Real Cases Reflect Impact on Ground

Several cases illustrate the Helpline's effectiveness:

E-Commerce: A consumer whose delivery was repeatedly rescheduled without refund received his money back after NCH intervention. He said, "NCH helped me a lot to get my money back."

Automobile: A customer facing unresolved diagnostic issues with his vehicle secured a full refund. He shared, "Addressed the issue to my satisfaction after raising the complaint in the NCH portal."

Food Delivery: After receiving incorrect and incomplete food orders with no response from the platform, a customer obtained a refund through NCH. He stated, "You ensured faith in the system. My belief of consumer rights being intact has strengthened."

Insurance: A premium paid for a policy that was never issued was refunded following NCH action. The consumer noted, "Filing complaints online through NCH is very easy and helps a lot in fighting for us against companies."

These cases demonstrate how the Helpline prevents prolonged legal battles while reinforcing consumer confidence.

Accessible in 17 Languages, Multi-Channel Platform

The National Consumer Helpline functions as a single-point access grievance platform, available in 17 languages across multiple digital and offline channels:

• Toll-free number: 1915

• WhatsApp / SMS: 8800001915

• INGRAM Portal

• NCH Mobile App

• Web Portal

• UMANG App

• Email: nch-ca[at]gov[dot]in

Strengthening Consumer Trust in Digital Markets

The facilitation of ₹52 crore in refunds within nine months underscores the Government's commitment to strengthening consumer rights enforcement — particularly in fast-growing digital marketplaces.

By enabling structured, technology-driven pre-litigation dispute resolution, NCH is emerging as a critical institutional safeguard that promotes transparency, accountability, and trust in India's service economy.

Consumers are encouraged to proactively use the National Consumer Helpline to safeguard their rights and seek timely redressal.