The revamped National Consumer Helpline (NCH) of the Centre’s Department of Consumer Affairs has registered a 10-fold increase in the number of calls it handles, while the average number of complaints registered per month has surged to 1,12,468 in 2024, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The NCH serves as the first point of contact for consumers, resolving issues before they escalate to litigation. The redressal of grievances is provided within 45 days, helping to prevent the overburdening of Consumer Commissions.
The technological transformation of the NCH has significantly boosted its call-handling capacity. The number of calls received by NCH has grown nearly tenfold, from 14,795 calls in January 2015 to 1,41,817 calls in January 2024. This exponential growth reflects the rising confidence of consumers in the helpline, the statement said.
Similarly, the average number of complaints registered per month has surged from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,12,468 in 2024. Additionally, grievance registration via WhatsApp has gained momentum, with the percentage of complaints filed through the platform increasing from 3 per cent in March 2023 to 25 per cent in March 2024, demonstrating a growing preference for digital communication channels.
The number of convergence partners of the National Consumer Helpline has steadily increased from 263 companies in 2017 to 1009 companies in 2024.
“This growth underscores the importance of these partnerships in enhancing the helpline’s efficiency, enabling quick and effective grievance redressal, and promoting transparency and accountability. These partnerships ensure consumer complaints are addressed at the pre-litigation stage, fostering greater consumer trust. However, if a complaint remains unresolved, consumers are encouraged to approach the appropriate Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act,” the statement explained.
The helpline is available in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, and Manipuri, allowing consumers from all regions to register their grievances via the toll-free number 1915.
These grievances can be submitted via the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM), an omni-channel, IT-enabled central portal, through various channels: WhatsApp (8800001915), SMS (8800001915), email (nch-ca[at]gov.in), the NCH app, the web portal (consumerhelpline.gov.in), and the Umang app, offering convenience and flexibility to consumers.
The helpline operates in a dedicated manner from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on all seven days of the week, except on national holidays. To enhance accessibility further, a call-back facility is available. An exclusive call centre has been established to ensure prompt service.
In a significant move to further enhance grievance redressal, NCH has introduced AI-based Speech Recognition, a Translation System, and a Multilingual Chatbot as part of the NCH 2.0 initiative. These technological advancements aim to make the grievance filing process more seamless, efficient, and inclusive.
The AI-powered Speech Recognition and Translation System enables consumers to file complaints through voice input in their local languages, reducing manual intervention. The Multilingual Chatbot provides real-time assistance, streamlining complaint-handling processes, and improving the overall user experience. These upgrades ensure that consumers from diverse linguistic backgrounds have equal access to the grievance redressal system, the statement added.