Consumer Empowerment in E-commerce India and International Perspective

Economies worldwide base their existence on a sole entity - consumers. Commerce and trading mechanisms of any economy primarily run on the behavioural pattern of consumers. Such mechanisms have been regulated by Consumer protection laws. These laws have time and again upheld the interests of consumers against the market entities. However, catering to the needs and rights of consumers has never been more imperative for nations than it is today. Speaking of contemporary times e-commerce has become a dominant feature of the consumer landscape and it has singlehandedly increased the complexities of consumer protection. As a response to this, countries and the international community have codified laws and regulations to further protect the interest of consumers in e-commerce. However, these changing times and constant technological advancements pose a threat to the dynamic wellbeing and the inherent rights of the consumers. This paper seeks to analyse the consumer law reforms in e-commerce sector. The author will compare the laws of India with various nations in the light of the international regulations and examine as to how different or similar they are. Thereafter, an effort will be made to determine whether the new laws and reforms have truly led to consumer empowerment in the e-commerce sector?