National Consumer Helpline (NCH) witnesses’ remarkable growth in North-Eastern States

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH), an initiative of the Department of Consumer Affairs, has achieved unprecedented success in the North – Eastern region of India.

Among the states in the region, Arunachal Pradesh has emerged as a standout performer, recording a significant surge in consumer grievance registrations and resolutions. With 318 grievances in 2020, the state witnessed an exponential rise in number of consumers reaching out to NCH through various channels leading to 15,860 consumer grievances being registered in 2024. Arunachal’s progress highlights growing consumer awareness and trust in the NCH platform, driven by innovative outreach initiatives and technological interventions.

This success reflects the collective outcome of multiple initiatives undertaken by the Department to promote consumer awareness and deliver effective grievance redressal mechanisms in some of the most geographically challenging areas of the country.

The Northeastern states, with their unique demographics and socio-economic challenges, have traditionally faced barriers in accessing consumer grievance redressal mechanisms. The NCH’s concerted efforts in these states have led to an impressive increase of 300%, escalating from a modest 9162 grievances in 2020 to 36,609 grievances in 2024. Arunachal Pradesh, in particular, has witness a outstanding growth in this movement, with a significant share of the complaints pertaining to issues in sectors such as e-commerce, telecom services, digital payments, and faulty goods and services.

The remarkable performance of Arunachal Pradesh can be attributed to several key factors:

Localized Outreach Programs: Department has prioritized reaching consumers in remote and tribal areas of the state through localized workshops, community events, and collaboration with self-help groups and local NGOs. Consumer grievances witnessed a tenfold increase from rural areas i.e. 03 grievances in 2020 to 381 grievances in 2024. By addressing consumers in their own language and cultural context, the helpline has made consumer protection rights more relatable and accessible.

Multilingual Support for Greater Inclusivity: Recognizing the linguistic diversity of the North- East, NCH has expanded its language support to include several regional dialects, enabling more people to file complaints and seek help in their native tongue. This has been particularly impactful in Arunachal Pradesh, where linguistic barriers previously hindered consumer participation.

Empowered Participation of Women: There has been a marked increase in the participation of women in lodging consumer grievances, signing an encouraging trend toward gender equality in the realm of consumer rights. The rising involvement of women in this domain is indicative of the broader societal shift towards greater empowerment and autonomy, particularly in the context of accessing justice and accountability.

Digital Awareness Campaigns: In line with India’s digital transformation, the majority of grievances have been registered through the NCH web portal, marking a definitive shift towards digital engagement. The number of consumer grievances has exponentially increased, from 98 in 2020 to 384 in 2021, 855 in 2022, 2,941 in 2023, and 15,230 in 2024. It is important to note that consumer grievances rose by 517% last year. This transition underscores the growing adoption of technology by consumers, facilitating quicker, more efficient processes and contributing to the larger goal of digital empowerment.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has been generating consumer awareness by undertaking country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns under the aegis of “Jago Grahak Jago” and utilizing ‘Jagriti Mascot’ to reach out to consumers across the country including North East region. Traditional media like All India Radio, Doordarshan, fairs & festivals, etc. as well as digital media like social media, Youtube, cinema theatres, etc. are utilized to generate awareness amongst consumers. Through simple messages and jingles, consumers are made aware about the consumer rights, unfair trade practices, consumer issues and the mechanism to seek redressal.

In 2024-25, the department has run following campaigns for awareness generation in NER

– AIR campaign during T20 World Cup in June month.

– IVRS campaign through NFDC with consumer oriented messages in NER.

– Releasing grant-in-aid to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh for generating consumer awareness at local level.

– As a part of the Capacity Building Programme of Panchayats on consumer-centric rights and issues, the Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organizing virtual interactive sessions with representatives of Panchayats in States/UTs to aware them about consumer issues. The first session was held with State of Assam on 20th December 2024.

Building on the success in Arunachal Pradesh, the Department of Consumer Affairs is now focusing on further enhancing NCH’s reach in other North-Eastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, and Sikkim.

The next phase will emphasize:

• Integration with State Government Agencies: Closer coordination with local authorities to streamline grievance redressal.
• Technological Upgrades: Expansion of the NCH platform with AI-driven features to prioritize and resolve complaints faster.
• Youth Engagement Programs: special campaigns to engage the younger population, who are the primary users of digital services and e-commerce.
• Feedback and Monitoring Systems: Strengthened feedback mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement of services.

This strategic approach has led to tangible results in Arunachal Pradesh. Consumers now feel more empowered to voice their concerns, knowing that their complaints will be addressed promptly. Moreover, the awareness campaigns have helped rural communities better understand their rights, particularly in relation to evolving challenges such as online scams, misleading advertisements, and substandard services.

The significant advances in Arunachal Pradesh and the broader North-Eastern region underscore the department’s commitment to creating an ecosystem where consumers are aware of their rights, have access to reliable grievance redressal mechanisms, and feel empowered to hold businesses accountable.

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH), under the Department of Consumer Affairs, is taking an innovative step forward in its mission to serve consumers across India. As part of its ongoing project, NCH is working towards integrating a chatbot feature that supports regional languages, making consumer assistance more accessible to people in every corner of the nation. By introducing this chatbot, the Department aims to break down language barriers, ensuring that consumers from diverse linguistic backgrounds can easily access information, register complaints, and resolve issues without facing communication challenges. This initiative not only aligns with the government’s commitment to enhancing digital accessibility but also empowers individuals in rural and remote areas who may have limited exposure to English or Hindi. By offering real-time assistance in multiple languages, the National Consumer Helpline is poised to strengthen consumer rights protection and foster greater awareness, leading to a more inclusive and responsive system for all.

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Abhishek Dayal/Nihi Sharma