Reinforcing Consumer's Interest: Introduction Of Product Liability

The Parliament of India on August 6, 2019 has passed the much-awaited Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 and notified the same in the official gazette of India after it received the presidential assent on August 9, 2019.

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 ("New Regime") finally replaces and overhauls the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 ("Erstwhile Legislation") by making various amendments to the Erstwhile Legislation and by introducing many new provisions and concepts. Although repeated attempts were made from time to time during the past few years to amend the Erstwhile Legislation by introducing the Consumer Protection Bill 2011, the Consumer Protection Bill 2015 and the Consumer Protection Bill 2018, each time these bills lapsed and could not see the light of day until the New Regime came into effect.