National Consumer Helpline receives over 1 lakh complaints a month, reflecting consumer trust

NEW DELHI — The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) currently receives over one lakh complaints per month, reflecting the growing consumer trust, as average number of monthly complaint registrations increased from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,70,585 in 2025, according to official data.

Call volumes have grown more than tenfold, rising from 12,553 in December 2015 to 1,55,138 in December 2024.

With the introduction of digital modes, nearly 65 per cent of consumer grievances on the helpline are registered through online and digital channels. Grievance registration via WhatsApp has shown a significant growth from 3 per cent in March 2023 to 20 per cent in March 2025, the data showed.

Since the implementation of the GST reforms, the National Consumer Helpline has logged 3,981 calls concerning GST issues (as of October 2. Of those, 31 per cent were queries and 69 per cent were formal grievances handled for further action.

Out of the total, 1,992 grievances have been forwarded to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) for further action, while 761 grievances have been referred in real time to the relevant convergence partner companies for direct resolution.

In July 2025, the National Consumer Helpline successfully facilitated refunds totalling Rs. 2.72 crore by resolving 7,256 consumer grievances across 27 different sectors which increased from 1079 consumer grievances with total refund of Rs. 62 lakh in April 2025.

The e-commerce sector for July 2025 accounted for the largest number of refund-related complaints, with 3,594 cases resulting in refunds worth Rs 1.34 crore. The travel and tourism sector followed, with refunds amounting to Rs 31 lakh.

The number of convergence partners has steadily increased from 263 in 2017 to 1,142 companies till September 2025, strengthening collaborative mechanisms for timely grievance redressal.

As of February 2025, the Department of Consumer Affairs has secured refunds worth Rs 1.56 crore for more than 600 students enrolled in Civil Services, Engineering and other courses, after coaching centres failed to honour their refund commitments.