Dark patterns drain Rs 28,000 crore from Indian online shoppers; Flipkart, Cleartrip flagged worst
Datum Intelligence study of 12 platforms and 2,590 consumers finds 88% of India's 304 million online buyers misled by drip pricing, forced action and false urgency, costing Rs 78-87 per user monthly. Flipkart, Cleartrip and BigBasket rank as worst offenders; Amazon India and MakeMyTrip emerge most trusted. 74% would pay more for fair design.
Datum Intelligence report estimates Indian consumers lose Rs 25,000-28,000 crore yearly to dark patterns across e-commerce, quick commerce and travel platforms. Flipkart, Cleartrip and BigBasket flagged as worst offenders; Amazon and MakeMyTrip rated most trusted.