E-Commerce – Principles And Guidelines For Self-Governance: Redefining Trust, Transparency And Fair Play

Introduction

The Bureau of Indian Standards has released draft standards titled "E-commerce – Principles and Guidelines for Self-Governance"¹ dated January 2025 (herein after referred to as the "Guidelines"). These Guidelines are imperative for the self-governance of e-commerce entities, ensuring fairness and transparency for all stakeholders including consumers and businesses. The rapid growth of e-commerce, brings with it several challenges, particularly pertaining to consumer protection and safety of e-commerce transactions. Transparent self-governance rules are essential to safeguard consumers from fraudulent practices and promote ethical business operations.

The Guidelines outline key principles to streamline e-commerce operations which have been categorized into three phases: pre-transaction, contract formation, and post-transaction.