Consumer protection means protecting the consumers from unscrupulous, exploitative and unfair trade practices of a seller or a producer for maximising their profits. Consumer protection not only includes educating the consumers about their rights and responsibilities but also helps in getting their grievances redressed.

The importance of consumer protection from consumer's point of view can be understood from the following points:

(a) Consumer's Ignorance: In the right of widespread ignorance of consumers about their rights and reliefs available to them, it becomes necessary to educate them about the same so as to achieve consumer awareness.

(b) Unorganised Consumers: In India, consumers are not organised. Though we do have consumer organisation working in this direction, adequate consumer protection is required to provide power and rights to these organisations to protect and promote the interests of consumers.

(c) Widespread Exploitation of the Consumers: Unaware, ignorant consumers might be exploited by unscrupulous, exploitative and unfair trade practices like defective goods, adulteration, false and misleading advertising etc. Consumer protection provides safeguard to the consumers from such exploitation.