New Delhi: Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Monday met Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi to discuss Uber’s operations in India and the company’s future roadmap.
Senior officials from the Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, were also present during the meeting.
Push for EV Transition
During the discussions, the Union Minister strongly urged Uber India to build an ecosystem that enables its existing fleet to gradually transition towards electric vehicles (EVs).
He also emphasised the need for the company to create adequate support mechanisms for drivers and partners currently associated with the platform to facilitate a smoother EV adoption process.
Government Raises ‘Dark Patterns’ Issue
Pralhad Joshi said Uber India was asked to submit a self-auditing report regarding the existence of “dark patterns” on its platform, along with an action-taken report on steps implemented to address such concerns.
Dark patterns generally refer to deceptive or manipulative digital interface practices that may influence consumer behaviour unfairly.
Focus on Consumer Grievance Redressal
The minister further advised Uber, as a convergence partner, to immediately publish details of its Grievance Redressal Officer and strengthen efforts for timely resolution of complaints received through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) portal.
Balancing Business and Consumer Rights
Pralhad Joshi stated that while the Government of India continues to promote ease of doing business and innovation, protecting consumer interests remains equally important.
The meeting comes amid increasing regulatory focus on digital platforms, ride-hailing services, transparency in app-based operations and consumer rights in India’s rapidly growing technology-driven transport sector.
