Dark Patterns and Consumer Manipulation in Indian E-Commerce Platforms: A Behavioral Economics Perspective

This working paper examines the growing use of dark patterns in Indian e-commerce platforms through the lens of behavioural economics. Drawing on academic literature, regulatory documents, and platform case studies, it analyses how deceptive interface designs exploit cognitive biases such as loss aversion, scarcity heuristics, status quo bias, and the sunk cost fallacy. The paper evaluates India's regulatory response, identifies key enforcement challenges, and proposes recommendations for policymakers, industry, and consumers. This work is based exclusively on secondary research and aims to contribute to the understanding of digital consumer protection in India's rapidly evolving e-commerce ecosystem.