New dark patterns every day; govt working daily to address: Pralhad Joshi

Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi says firms are innovating on dark patterns, prompting daily complaints; he cites NCH refunds and CCPA actions in 2025

Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said companies are innovating when it comes to dark patterns, while adding that the Department of Consumer Affairs has been relentlessly working to address the growing concern.

 

What did Pralhad Joshi say about “dark patterns” on National Consumer Day? 

“Consumer protection has been an integral part of governance in India. Companies think of new dark patterns every day for which we keep getting constant complaints and keep handling it on a daily basis,” Joshi said on the occasion of National Consumer Day.

 

What consumer redressal numbers did the minister cite for 2025? 

As of December 2025, over 140,000 cases were disposed of during the year, with over 90,000 hearings conducted through video conferencing, “demonstrating the growing impact of technology-enabled consumer justice,” Joshi pointed out.

 

How did Joshi describe the role of the National Consumer Helpline? 

“The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has become a vital pillar of India’s consumer protection ecosystem and has firmly established itself as an effective pre-litigation grievance redressal mechanism, delivering timely redressal to consumers while relieving pressure on consumer commission,” he added.

 

What refunds and enforcement actions were highlighted by the government? 

Between April and December 15 this year, the NCH facilitated refunds of up to Rs 42.6 crore across different sectors. Further, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued over 450 class action notices and imposed penalties exceeding Rs 2.13 crore, including action against misleading advertisements and dark patterns in digital markets.

 

What did officials say about IndiGo ticket cancellation complaints? 

Meanwhile, the department received around 100 complaints related to IndiGo ticket cancellations, which were forwarded to the aviation regulator, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told reporters on the sidelines of the event.

 

"We had received complaints related to cancellation of tickets, refund and full refund, because in many cases partial refunds were also being given, which the consumer did not find correct," she said.