Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Second Edition

CONSUMER PROTECTION IN INDIA

The word ‘consumer’ is used to describe a customer who buys for personal use and not for business purposes. Although the subject is comparatively new, its roots are old. The explosion of interest in consumer matters arose in the second half of the 20th century. The reason for this tremendous upsurge of activity is two-fold—a combination of new business methods and changing attitudes. The key factors are the complexity of goods that bring about new business methods and the changing forms of advertising and distribution.

The second half of the 20th century has seen a growing tendency among manufacturers to appeal directly to the public by forceful national advertising and other promotional methods. Further influence ...