The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has emerged as a crucial platform for consumers to voice their grievances and seek redressal. With a significant increase in the number of calls received and a focus on technological advancements, the NCH is revolutionizing the consumer grievance redressal process in India. A press release on various measures to safeguard consumer interests was issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on November 26, 2024.
A Decade of Growth
The NCH has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade. The number of calls received has surged from 14,795 in 2015 to 1,41,817 in 2024.
To further enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the NCH, the government has introduced several technological advancements:
- Multi-lingual Support: The helpline is now available in 17 languages, making it accessible to a wider range of consumers.
- Multiple Channels: Consumers can file complaints through various channels, including the toll-free number 1915, the INGRAM portal, WhatsApp, SMS, email, the NCH app, and the Umang app.
- Convergence Program: The NCH has partnered with over 1000 companies to streamline the complaint resolution process. This ensures that complaints are directly forwarded to the concerned companies for timely resolution.
- AI-Powered Innovations: The NCH 2.0 initiative leverages AI-powered speech recognition, translation systems, and multilingual chatbots to make the grievance filing process more inclusive and efficient.
As the NCH continues to evolve, it remains committed to empowering consumers and ensuring their rights are protected. With these technological advancements and a focus on customer satisfaction, the NCH is poised to further strengthen its position as a reliable and effective platform for consumer grievance redressal.
