NEW DELHI, March 18 -- India's consumer dispute redressal system is straining under rising caseloads, mounting vacancies and patchy infrastructure, even as a modern legal framework promises faster, more accessible justice, according to the Consumer Justice Report 2026.

The report, released by Tata Trusts and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy under the India Justice Report initiative, finds the system increasingly unable to keep pace with demand. Pendency has risen about 20% over the past five years, with more than one-third of cases at state commissions pending for over three years, far beyond the statutory disposal window of three to five months.

At the core of the backlog is a shortage of leadership and staff.

As of 2025, around half of ...