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By:

Bhaskar Nath Biswal

13 May 2026 at 8:30:30 pm

E-Commerce’s Hidden Threat

The modern Indian marketplace no longer echoes exclusively with the chaotic bustle of traditional bazaars. Instead, it thrives within the silent, instantaneous clicks of smartphone screens. From monthly groceries to high-end electronics, digital retail has fundamentally altered how households across the country consume goods. This transition has undoubtedly unleashed unprecedented convenience, democratizing access to products for millions living outside metro cities. However, this...

E-Commerce’s Hidden Threat

The modern Indian marketplace no longer echoes exclusively with the chaotic bustle of traditional bazaars. Instead, it thrives within the silent, instantaneous clicks of smartphone screens. From monthly groceries to high-end electronics, digital retail has fundamentally altered how households across the country consume goods. This transition has undoubtedly unleashed unprecedented convenience, democratizing access to products for millions living outside metro cities. However, this hyper-connected landscape has also exposed a deeply troubling reality. As digital storefronts expand, so does the shadowy ecosystem of cybercriminals eager to exploit the trust and vulnerabilities of unsuspecting shoppers. The digital transaction, once celebrated as a triumph of modern engineering, is increasingly fraught with unseen hazards. Protecting consumers from e-shopping fraud has now become an urgent national imperative. Fraud Surge The sheer scale of India’s e-commerce revolution provides vital context for why online shopping has become such a high-stakes arena. Recent market estimates indicate that India’s e-commerce economy has surged well beyond $140 billion, driven by over 300 million active digital shoppers. Projections show this user base rapidly swelling toward 400 million, largely fuelled by deep internet penetration, affordable smart phones and seamless payment infrastructure like the Unified Payments Interface across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Yet, this remarkable surge in commercial volume has been mirrored by an equally dramatic escalation in cybercrime statistics. Official records from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal reveal that citizens have filed over 3.8 million cyber fraud complaints, representing staggering financial losses exceeding Rs. 36,000 crore, with a significant portion stemming from fraudulent online retail schemes. Perhaps most alarming is the historical recovery rate, where less than one percent of stolen funds is successfully returned to victims once transactions cross cyber borders. Despite the pervasive presence of online threats, digital consumers frequently fall into predictable traps that expose them to severe risk. A primary misstep is the failure to maintain basic password hygiene, with millions of shoppers reusing weak or identical passwords across multiple e-commerce platforms and email accounts, enabling attackers to execute swift cascading breaches. Furthermore, shoppers frequently bypass critical verification steps in pursuit of speed, such as failing to verify whether a website domain uses secure, encrypted connections before typing in card credentials. Another widespread oversight is performing financial transactions over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks in cafes or transport hubs, which allows bad actors to intercept sensitive data packets in transit. Many consumers also neglect regular software updates on their smartphones, leaving unpatched security vulnerabilities wide open to malware. Above all, emotional urgency remains the greatest weakness. Impulsive buyers frequently ignore glaring red flags, such as suspicious payment requests or unverified seller profiles. Decoding Scams Recognizing that awareness is the frontline of defence, key industry players and digital safety advocates have begun taking structured action. A prominent example is the consumer handbook, ‘Your Guide to Safe Online Shopping’, developed by Safer Internet India and commissioned by Amazon. The initiative aims to demystify complex cyber security concepts and provide consumers with actionable, real-world tools to navigate the digital marketplace safely. The handbook shines a bright light on the most prevalent fraudulent tactics currently plaguing buyers. To combat these threats, the safety guide emphasizes a multi-layered approach to consumer protection. It urges shoppers to verify web addresses meticulously, refrain from sharing one-time passwords and avoid conducting transactions off authorized brand platforms. Equally important, the guide bridges the gap between technical vigilance and legal empowerment by outlining explicit consumer rights under Indian laws and detailing formal grievance redressal mechanisms. A sustainable defence against online shopping fraud requires an integrated, multi-stakeholder strategy that aligns consumer awareness, corporate accountability and robust law enforcement. E-commerce platforms must continue investing aggressively in advanced artificial intelligence tools to detect cloned websites, eliminate fake merchant accounts and intercept suspicious payment flows before they reach consumers. Concurrently, regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies must strengthen real-time intervention frameworks, expanding initiatives like the 1930 cyber crime helpline and emergency account-freezing protocols to minimize financial damage when breaches happen. On the demand side, continuous public awareness campaigns, modelled after comprehensive handbooks, must reach deep into semi-urban and rural regions where first-time internet users are most susceptible to manipulation. Ultimately, building a safe digital shopping environment is about preserving trust. Only when digital literacy keeps pace with technological innovation can India truly reap the economic rewards of its e-commerce revolution without sacrificing the security of its citizens. (The writer is a former college Principal and Founder of Supporting Shoulders, an Odisha-based non-profit Trust. Views personal.)

A Reckoning Beyond the Lab

As 2025 draws to a close, science and technology continue to shape global conversations. Artificial intelligence has become part of daily life. Space missions are more frequent and ambitious. New medicines are making their mark. Yet alongside this progress, public anxiety about technology, health, environment and data privacy has grown exponentially. Beneath the excitement and headlines lies a deeper concern that deserves reflection at the end of the year: public trust in science.


Science does not exist in isolation. Its real value emerges only when society understands, accepts and uses it wisely. Trust is the invisible link between laboratories and everyday life. When this link weakens, even strong scientific advances fail to deliver their full benefit.


Mixed Scenario

Across the world, public trust in science presents a mixed picture. In times of crisis, especially during health emergencies or natural disasters, people continue to rely on scientific advice. At the same time, scepticism has grown toward institutions, regulators, and large technology platforms. Many people trust science as a method, but question how scientific knowledge is produced, communicated, and applied.


India mirrors this global pattern. The country has achieved notable scientific successes in recent years. Space exploration, vaccine development, digital public infrastructure, and renewable energy initiatives have strengthened national confidence. Indian science has demonstrated its capacity to respond under pressure, and these achievements deserve recognition.


However, trust is not sustained by achievements alone. It is shaped by everyday experience. Citizens ask practical questions. Is the air safer to breathe? Is drinking water reliable and clean? Are new technologies tested carefully before adoption? Are medicines affordable and effective? When science appears disconnected from these concerns, trust weakens, often without loud protest.


Widening Gap

One major challenge is the widening gap between scientific complexity and public understanding. Modern science is complex by nature. Research papers are dense, data sets are large, and terminology is specialized. Complexity is unavoidable, but lack of clarity is not. Too often, findings are presented either as simplified slogans or buried in technical language. Both approaches damage trust. Oversimplification feels like promotion, while excessive jargon creates distance.


The media plays an important role in shaping perception. Science journalism has expanded, but it competes with misinformation, sensationalism, and the demand for instant attention. Early or incomplete findings are sometimes presented as major breakthroughs. Contradictory results are framed as failures rather than as part of the normal scientific process. Retractions and corrections, which reflect science correcting itself, are often portrayed as scandals. This confuses readers and weakens confidence. Social media has amplified these challenges. Direct communication between scientists and the public is a positive development. At the same time, unverified claims spread rapidly, often faster than carefully reviewed evidence. Individuals without scientific training can command large audiences, while expert voices struggle to be heard. Algorithms reward emotional responses more than accuracy, making trust fragile and easily distorted.


Another important factor is the perceived closeness between science, industry, and policy. Collaboration between researchers and industry is essential for innovation. However, when conflicts of interest are not clearly disclosed, public confidence suffers. People begin to question whether advice is driven by evidence or by economic considerations. Transparent disclosure and strong ethical frameworks are therefore essential.


The internal culture of science also influences public trust. Increasing pressure to publish frequently, secure large grants, and chase rankings has consequences. Quantity can overtake quality. Replication studies receive little attention and negative results often remain unpublished. When weak or flawed research enters public discussion, it does not remain a technical issue. It affects trust in science itself.


Education plays a central role in shaping long-term confidence. Scientific temper is not built by memorizing facts, but by understanding how knowledge is created, tested, corrected and sometimes rejected. Yet science education often emphasizes correct answers over questioning. Students learn conclusions without learning the process. This makes them vulnerable to misinformation later in life. India’s constitutional call to develop scientific temper remains highly relevant. Scientific temper does not mean blind faith in experts, nor constant suspicion. It means respect for evidence, openness to questioning, and comfort with uncertainty. Cultivating this mindset requires sustained engagement, not occasional campaigns.


Trust is also linked to inclusion. Communities that do not experience the benefits of science are less likely to trust it. When solutions ignore local realities, economic constraints or cultural practices, resistance is natural. Effective science communication treats citizens as participants rather than passive recipients.


Encouragingly, citizen science initiatives are gaining ground. Projects involving air quality monitoring, biodiversity mapping, water testing, and public health data collection have shown that participation strengthens both data quality and trust. When people contribute to knowledge creation, science becomes tangible and relatable.


Regulatory systems deserve equal attention. Transparent, competent, and independent regulators inspire confidence. Trust depends not only on outcomes, but also on clear and accountable processes.


In India, rebuilding trust will also require scientists to step beyond laboratories and journals. Engagement with schools, local communities, public forums, and regional languages can make science more accessible and humane. When scientists are visible, approachable and willing to listen, trust grows naturally, without persuasion or publicity.


At the global level, science diplomacy has become increasingly important. Challenges such as climate change, pandemics and resource scarcity require cooperation beyond borders. When scientific collaboration continues despite political tensions, it reinforces the universal value of evidence and reason. India is well placed to contribute meaningfully in this space.


Public trust in science cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned repeatedly. The future of science will depend not only on advanced technologies or larger laboratories, but on stronger relationships between science and society. As we turn the calendar, rebuilding and sustaining this trust may be the most important scientific challenge of all.


(The author is the former Director of the Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, a Visiting Professor at IIT Bombay, and among the first recipients of the ANRF Prime Minister Professorship.)

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