The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed Rs. 1 Lakh fine on Amazon Seller Services Private Limited publishing "misleading advertisements" permitting listing and sale of commercially produced sweets under the false and misleading label of 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad'.

The CCPA observed that the phrase "Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad" carries a specific and well-understood meaning for Hindu devotees where it denotes "sacred food offered to and blessed by the deity at the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya".

"The commercial appropriation of this phrase for ordinary confectionery products, without any authorization from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, constitutes not just a misleading trade practice under the CP Act but an affront to the religious sentiments of crores of consumers. The Opposite Party's platform, by reason of its scale and reach, lent an inherent imprimatur of legitimacy to such listings in the eyes of an average consumer amplifying the harm caused manifold.The Authority notes with particular concern the timing of the impugned listings. The products falsely claiming to be 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad' were listed on the Opposite Party's platform prior to the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the Shri Ram Mandir, Ayodhya, which took place on 22nd January 2024 one of the most significant and widely anticipated religious events in contemporary Indian history," the CCPA said.

The CCPA said that it had issued a show cause notice to Amazon on January 19, 2024 three days before the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir temple, at the very height of religious fervour and consumer vulnerability.

It said that Amazon which is equipped with automated monitoring systems and dedicated seller compliance infrastructure, cannot contend that it was "unaware" of the heightened sensitivity surrounding any product carrying the name of the Shri Ram Mandir during this period.

It said that Amazon took down the listings only after receiving the notice and resorted to its "intermediary defence" without acknowledging any proactive obligation to prevent such listings in the first instance. It said that only after two years and multiple hearings and orders that Amazon proposed a structured due diligence framework.

It said that Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce marketplaces operating in India, with an extensive user base spanning hundreds of millions of consumers.

"The scale and reach of the platform is precisely what amplifies the harm a deceptive listing on this platform carries an inherent legitimacy in the eyes of an average consumer by virtue of the platform's size, visibility, and market dominance," the CCPA emphasized.

The authority said that Amazon by hosting, displaying, and facilitating the sale of the impugned listings on its platform, was unquestionably a party to the publication of misleading advertisements within the meaning of Section 21(4) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

The CCPA further noted that the listings were available for nationwide delivery on one of India's largest e-commerce platforms, accessible to hundreds of millions of consumers across the country.

It further noted that the Gross Merchandise Sales generated by one of the merchandiser–M/s Chandu Trading Company through the listings on Amazon's platform amounted to Rs. 25,26,309, from which Amazon also derived commission/fee income through its normal marketplace operations.

It thus directed:

1. Amazon shall ensure that no product falsely claiming to be 'prasad', 'prasadam', 'mahaprasad', 'bhog' or any similar religious offering associated with the religious institutions and shrines named in Para 27 (v) of the order, is listed, hosted, advertised, exhibited, or offered for sale on its platform without verifiable documentary proof of authorization from the concerned institution.

(For context, the framework presently covers 10 major religious institutions and shrines including Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Shri Jagannath Temple, Shri Kedarnath Temple, Shri Badrinath Temple, Shri Somnath Temple, Shri Dwarkadhish Temple and Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple)

2. Amazon shall prominently display complete seller details including the name, address, customer care number, and grievance officer information on its platform in compliance with Rule 5(3)(a) and Rule 5(3)(e) of the E-Commerce Rules, 2020.

3. Amazon shall implement and strengthen the due diligence framework proposed vide its communication dated 28th May 2026, including keyword-based identification and takedown 18 39. iv. mechanisms, and shall periodically review and expand its coverage to include additional religious institutions and shrines.

"The CCPA hereby imposes a penalty of 1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh only) on the opposite party for publication of misleading advertisements on its platform, in violation of Rule 4(3) and Rule 5(3)(a) of the E-Commerce Rules, 2020 read with Section 2(28) and Section 2(9) of the CP Act, 2019. The Opposite Party shall deposit the penalty amount to the ССРА within 15 days from the date of this Order," the CCPA said.

The CCPA further said that it reserves liberty to review compliance and the effectiveness of the proposed framework after three to four months.

A representation was made by the Confederation of All India Traders addressed alleging that Amazon Seller Services Private Limited which operates the e-commerce platform www.amazon.in, was facilitating and enabling deceptive trade practices by permitting the listing and sale of commercially produced sweets under the false and misleading label of 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad'.

It was alleged that the said products were being marketed as an exclusive offering tied to the revered Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Ayodhya, without any authorization, affiliation, or endorsement from the temple or the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, thereby exploiting the deeply held religious sentiments of devotees and consumers across the country for commercial gain.

In the matter of : Amazon Seller Services Private Limited - Sale of sweets on its e-commerce platform under the misleading advertisement/claim of being 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad

Appearance: Advocates Mr. Vivek Ayyagari, Ms. Mythili Girish, Mr. Saikrishna Rajagopal and Mr. Manas Raghuvanshi for Amazon

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