Is consumer really king today?

CHENNAI: Is the consumer really a king today? In an effort to seek answers to that question the Consumers Association of India (CAI) on Friday  hosted a conference keeping with their 10th anniversary.At the inaugural of the two-day conference at Hotel Le Royal Meridien, G Rajan, Secretary General, CAI, said, “In the last 10 years, we as an organisation, are taking efforts to educate consumers about their rights. At the end of the day, it is the consumer who pays his money to buy things and people should realise they have the right to question if things are not up to the standards of what the brands promise to deliver.”“Today, we are bogged down with too many choices, and consumerism is really on the boom. At this point it is important that people make some educated, intelligent choices, rather than just getting carried away by the advertisements,” observed Rajan.To highlight the level of ignorance of consumers about their rights, he quoted the example of the MRP. He explained, “Not many people know what MRP means. It means the Maximum Retail Price one can sell the product for.” He clarified, “It doesn’t mean that is the price of the product. There could also be shops which sell the same product at a much lower price.”S Ramakrishnan, Former Chief Information Commissioner, Government of Tamil Nadu, urged the people to realise their power as consumers, and to ensure they are not taken for a ride.The two-day conference will deliberate on various consumer issues and sessions, namely Law and the Consumer, Are Corporates delivering what they promise consumers? — FMCG products, Consumer durables, Service Sector, Advertising in a Competitive Economy — A friend or foe?