Centre launches dedicated GST complaint category on National Consumer Helpline

New Delhi: The Centre has introduced a dedicated category on the National Consumer Helpline’s (NCH) INGRAM portal to register complaints related to revised GST rates and their resolution, according to an official statement.

The GST Council has reduced tax rates on various goods and services with effect from September 22. To address anticipated consumer queries, the Department of Consumer Affairs has updated the NCH platform in line with the Next-Gen GST Reforms 2025 approved during the 56th GST Council meeting.

"To address the expected consumer queries and complaints on NCH following the implementation of revised GST charges, rates and exemptions effective from September 22, a dedicated category has been enabled on the INGRAM (Integrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism) portal," the statement said.

The category includes sub-categories such as automobiles, banking, consumer durables, e-commerce, FMCG, and others, where GST-related complaints can be registered. An inaugural training session conducted by Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) officials on 11 September equipped NCH counsellors to handle GST-related queries effectively.

On 17 September, a stakeholder consultation meeting was held under the chairpersonship of the Consumer Affairs Secretary, with participation from e-commerce platforms, industry associations, and consumer durables companies. During the meeting, the department asked them to pass on the benefits of GST rate reductions on specified goods and services to consumers.

"The helpline will also share data and insights generated from consumer complaints under this sector with concerned companies, CBIC and other concerned authorities to enable timely action under relevant laws," the statement added.

Consumers can now lodge complaints in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, and Manipuri, via the toll-free number 1915 or through the INGRAM portal. The platform supports multiple registration modes, including WhatsApp, SMS, e-mail, the NCH app, web portal, and Umang app.

Each complaint is assigned a unique docket number to enable transparent tracking and resolution. According to the report, the technology upgrade has significantly increased call-handling capacity. The number of calls received by NCH rose from 12,553 in December 2015 to 1,55,138 in December 2024, while the average monthly complaints grew to 1,70,585 in 2025 from 37,062 in 2017. Nearly 65% of grievances are now registered through online and digital channels.