New Delhi: The Government has set up a National Consumer Helpline (NCH) with a toll free number (1800-11-4000 and a short code 14404) for handling consumer grievances. Six Zonal Consumer Helplines have also been set up at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kolkata and Patna. The number of calls received at NCH have been increasing every year as may be seen from the data for the last three years given in the table below:-
| Financial Year | Calls |
| 2015-2016 | 172558 |
| 2016-2017 | 294069 |
| 2017-18 (till Nov) | 310202 |
Calls received at NCH relate to sectors such as E- Commerce, Banking, Insurance, Telecom, Consumer Durables/Electronics, and Real Estate etc. NCH provides information and guidance to consumers. The grievances received either through call centre or through on-line registration are entered in the Integrated Grievance Redress Mechanism (INGRAM) portal are referred to companies through a convergence platform which helps in fast tracking resolution of consumer grievances and to Regulators/ Government Departments etc.
The National Consumer Helpline and the Zonal Consumer Helplines cover the whole of country.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri C.R. Chaudhary today in Rajya Sabha.
