Supreme Court grants States six weeks to respond to plea on disclosure of identity of shop owners
The Supreme Court of India has granted states and union territories six weeks to respond to a PIL seeking mandatory identity disclosure for shop owners. The petition argues that displaying registration and contact details is essential for consumers to seek legal redress under the Consumer Protection Act.
Why it matters
This case could establish a national standard for consumer transparency, potentially increasing accountability for small businesses and simplifying the process for filing consumer complaints.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (August 5, 2026) granted six weeks to several States and Union Territories to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking directions requiring shop owners to display their identity, registration details and number of employees at their establishments to enable consumers to pursue complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition filed by lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking such disclosure requirements as a measure to safeguard consumer rights.
During the hearing, Mr. Upadhyay informed the Bench that responses had so far been received from only a few States, including Haryana, Punjab, Bihar and Assam, as well as the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
“We grant six weeks’ time to the respondents who have not filed responses to file the same,” the Bench said.
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