The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) is upgrading its consumer grievance system by adding artificial intelligence features, such as speech recognition and multilingual chatbots as part of the NCH 2.0 initiative.
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- The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) has upgraded the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), making it the main platform for consumers in India to resolve grievances before taking legal action.
- The NCH has partnered with over 1,000 companies through the Convergence Programme, covering sectors like e-commerce, travel, education, and banking, to speed up resolutions.
NCH’s Technological upgrades
- The AI-powered Speech Recognition and Translation System will enable consumers to file complaints using voice input in their local languages, reducing the need for manual intervention.
- Grievances can be registered on the Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism (INGRAM) portal, a centralized IT-enabled system that offers multiple channels for filing complaints.
- Consumers can contact the helpline via a toll-free number available in 17 languages (1915), WhatsApp, SMS, email, or a mobile app (Umang).
- Unresolved complaint can be escalated to the Consumer Commission under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
National Consumer Helpline (NCH)
- The Department of Consumer Affairs of the Government of India launched the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) in 2005.
- It was the first of its kind in the country and was set up as an alternate dispute-resolution mechanism.
- Objective:
- To offer advice, information, and guidance to empower Indian consumers, and encourage businesses to adjust their policies and management systems to address consumer issues and grievances, following world-class standard