DoCA Strengthens National Consumer Helpline with Advanced Capacity Building Initiatives

As part of this broader capacity-building initiative, DoCA collaborated with Amazon India to conduct a specialized training session on December 11, 2024.

In a major step toward enhancing consumer grievance redressal at the pre-litigation stage, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has launched a comprehensive Capacity Building Program for its National Consumer Helpline (NCH) associates. This initiative, which began earlier this year, is designed to equip associates with advanced skills and knowledge to provide seamless, effective, and empathetic support to consumers across the country.

Strategic Training in Collaboration with Amazon India

As part of this broader capacity-building initiative, DoCA collaborated with Amazon India to conduct a specialized training session on December 11, 2024. This intensive 40-hour training program emphasized soft skills development, professional outlooks, and essential customer service behaviors for the NCH associates. Upon completion, over 80 participants will receive a joint certification from the Department of Consumer Affairs and Amazon India, reflecting their enhanced expertise in consumer grievance redressal.

NCH associates, who handle consumer queries and grievances in 17 languages—including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Tamil, Bengali, and Assamese—benefit from this multilingual approach to support India’s diverse population. Currently, NCH manages over 1 lakh complaints each month, addressing issues ranging from e-commerce to misleading advertisements.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, stated: "The government remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding and safeguarding consumer rights. Training like this, provided by Amazon India, enhances the performance of the National Consumer Helpline, enabling associates to deliver superior support and a seamless dispute resolution experience for consumers.”

Ms. Susan Pointer, Vice President of International Public Policy at Amazon, added: "Customer obsession is at the core of Amazon's operations. Our collaboration with the Department of Consumer Affairs is an opportunity to share best practices that strengthen consumer confidence in online shopping and enhance grievance redressal mechanisms.”

Broader Training and Capacity-Building Efforts

In addition to the Amazon-led program, DoCA, in collaboration with National Law University, Delhi (NLUD), hosted a one-day training session for NCH associates on November 30, 2024. Held at the NLUD Campus in New Delhi, this session delved into contemporary consumer protection challenges under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, including:

• Misleading advertisements.
• Issues in e-commerce and quick commerce.
• Emerging trends like dark patterns, greenwashing, and surrogate advertisements.

Two of the four sessions were dedicated to equipping associates with practical knowledge to address grievances stemming from these complex concerns. Training Outcome Assessments were conducted post-training to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs and the progress of associates.

Technological Upgrades and Future Roadmap

These capacity-building efforts complement ongoing technological advancements in the NCH infrastructure. The Department aims to position NCH as a single point of access for consumers nationwide, ensuring efficient grievance redressal and fostering greater accountability and transparency in consumer protection.

This strategic program underscores DoCA’s commitment to transforming consumer dispute resolution, enabling consumers to enjoy a fair, transparent, and trustworthy marketplace.