The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Consumer Affairs has overhauled the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), transforming it into a nationwide, single-window platform for swift, pre‑litigation grievance redressal. Now accessible in 17 languages—including Hindi, English, Bengali, Assamese, Tamil, Telugu, Manipuri, Kashmiri and others—the revamped helpline enables consumers from every region to register complaints through the toll-free number 1915.
The impact of this transformation is evident in the surge in public engagement. Calls to the helpline have risen almost tenfold over the past decade, increasing from 12,553 in December 2015 to 1,55,138 in December 2024. The average number of monthly complaints has also shown impressive growth, climbing from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,11,951 in 2024. Digital adoption has strengthened this outreach further: grievance registrations via WhatsApp have grown from 3% in March 2023 to 20% in March 2025, marking a major shift toward mobile-first communication.
These complaints are routed through the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM)—an omni-channel platform that allows consumers to file grievances through WhatsApp, SMS, email, the NCH mobile app, the UMANG app and the web portal consumerhelpline.gov.in. The helpline operates daily from 8am to 8pm, except on national holidays, and offers a call-back facility to ensure accessibility. With an exclusive call centre and a redressal window capped at 45 days, the platform aims to resolve disputes before they escalate to the Consumer Commissions.
A major contributor to NCH’s efficiency has been the rapid expansion of its convergence partnerships. The number of companies integrated with the helpline has increased from 263 in 2017 to 1,169 in 2025, enabling quicker issue resolution and building greater consumer trust. If any grievance remains unresolved, consumers can still escalate their cases to the appropriate Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
To further modernise the system, the Ministry has introduced advanced features under the NCH 2.0 initiative. These include AI-based Speech Recognition, a multilingual Translation System, and a Multilingual Chatbot, enabling consumers to file complaints in their local languages using voice inputs. These tools reduce manual processing, offer real-time assistance, and ensure seamless accessibility for users from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
In line with the Next-Gen GST Reforms 2025, effective from September 22, 2025, the Department has also introduced a dedicated GST grievance category on NCH. This section assists consumers seeking clarity on revised GST rates and exemptions. Additionally, a 15-language Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) on the 1915 helpline guides callers about alternative methods of lodging grievances. To strengthen data-driven decision-making, IIT Kanpur is developing an AI-powered analytics dashboard for the Department.
Outreach efforts have also yielded significant results, particularly in rural regions and the North-East, where engagement has risen by more than 300% following language expansion and improved accessibility. Increased participation from women has also been a notable outcome of these initiatives. The year-on-year rise in complaint volumes between FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25 underscores the platform’s growing reach and the shift toward digital grievance redressal.
Between April 25 and October 31, 2025, the NCH facilitated consumer refunds amounting to Rs 27.61 crore across 30 sectors, effectively resolving 49,333 refund-related complaints. This accomplishment highlights the platform’s growing effectiveness, strengthened by a broader network of convergence partners and proactive stakeholder collaboration.
With the integration of Generative AI, speech-to-text systems, advanced translation tools and multilingual chatbots, the National Consumer Helpline is emerging as a future-ready, inclusive and reliable mechanism for consumer protection. The NCH 2.0 initiative marks a significant leap toward ensuring faster, transparent and equitable grievance redressal for consumers across India.
