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Key Takeaways
India’s fast-growing digital commerce sector faces significant financial and reputational risks from deceptive interface designs. The Datum Intelligence report “Dark Patterns in India’s Online Marketplaces” estimates Indian consumers lose between ₹25,000 crore and ₹28,000 crore annually.
The survey had 2,590 respondents from 50 cities in the first quarter of 2026. The study examined 12 platforms, namely, Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa, Bigbasket, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Blinkit, MakeMyTrip, EaseMyTrip, ixigo, and Cleartrip.
The use of dark patterns by websites forces customers to save money, bargain, and change platforms, thus leaving over ₹55,000 crore of Gross Merchandise Value susceptible to loss.
A survey revealed that currently, 63% of users who pay for services online experience drip pricing or extra costs, which are disclosed only during checkout. This number was 52% in 2024, which shows a rapid rise within one year.
73% of the platforms evaluated utilise forced action tools to coerce people into performing acts that they would not have chosen voluntarily. Over half of the platforms employ bait-and-switch methods whereby the initial offer does not match what is actually provided at the end of the transaction.
The awareness paradox here is striking. 81% of respondents said they knew about dark patterns. Yet 85% still reported being misled. This points to a design problem, not just a knowledge gap.
On LoansJagat, users comparing digital lending products frequently flag hidden processing fees and auto-renewal traps as key pain points when choosing lenders.
The Datum Intelligence report noted that “existing regulatory interventions have so far had limited success in curbing deceptive digital practices that continue to impact millions of consumers.”
Zepto was fined ₹7 lakh in December 2025 for drip pricing and basket sneaking violations. After the CEO, Aadit Palicha, came out and said that those were mistakes on their part, Zepto redesigned its checkout process.
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This report recommends a 36-month plan.
Phase 1 (Months 0-6) recommends no insurance as a pre-selection on the checkout process, complete all-inclusive pricing while searching, and the creation of a complaint portal resolving issues within 30 days.
Phase 2 (Months 6-18) recommends the production of Quarterly User Experience reports by platforms that exceed the ₹500 crore GMV mark, and the creation of an escalation framework based on penalties.
Phase 3 (Months 18-36) recommends annual third-party UX audits and the development of an industry benchmarking index.
The EU’s Digital Services Act is cited as a reference model for drawing clearer lines between deceptive design and legitimate persuasion.
Dark patterns are no longer just a consumer complaint. They are a macroeconomic threat to India’s digital commerce growth, at ₹25,000–28,000 crore in annual losses and ₹55,000 crore in GMV at risk. Amazon leads on consumer trust in e-commerce with a 50% trust score, while Flipkart, Myntra, and Nykaa all recorded net distrust. Businesses that act now stand to gain a real edge in trust, with 74% of consumers willing to pay more for transparent platforms.
What dark patterns fool Indian customers into overpayment while shopping on digital platforms?
The methods include charging for additional services only after reaching the checkout stage, using false countdown timers, making customers sign up for unnecessary subscriptions, and ticking additional items automatically. Such designs compel people to spend more money than originally intended. It is estimated that an average Indian spends ₹78-87 per month due to such strategies, according to Datum Intelligence's research of 2026.
Is it legal for Indian e-commerce sites to implement dark patterns?
No. The CCPA of India prohibited 13 dark pattern practices in 2023. However, there is no strict control over their use. For example, in January 2026, several firms were penalised ₹44 lakhs by regulators for dark pattern usage. In particular, in December 2025, company Zepto was charged ₹7 lakhs for employing drip pricing and basket sneaking tactics.
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