New Delhi: To protect online consumers, the government has made it mandatory for e-commerce companies from January 2018 to print not only the maximum retail price (MRP) on goods but also information like expiry date and customer care details.

An amendment in this regard has been made to the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules, 2011 by the consumer affairs ministry in June. A six-month deadline has been given to the companies to comply with the new rule.

“Consumers deserve the same protection online as offline. At present, only MRP is printed on the goods sold online. We have asked the companies to declare additional details on the label," a senior official in the consumer affairs ministry said.

Along with MRP, the companies have to declare manufacturing date, expiry date, net quantity, country of origin and consumer care details on the label, he said.

Enough time has been given to the companies for complying with the new norms. From January 2018, it is must that goods sold via e-commerce platform should have all these declarations else the companies will face stringent action, the official said.

The companies have to make these declarations in bigger font size so that consumers can easily read the same.

The changes come in the backdrop of e-marketplaces posing new and complex consumer protection issues with the ministry receiving several complaints as regard to information deficit on online products/goods.

Flipkart, Amazon India, Snapdeal, Grofers and Bigbasket are some of the leading e-marketplaces entities operating in the country.

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