Maharashtra: Hundreds Of Real Estate Developers Penalised For Misleading Advertisement

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released its Half-Yearly Complaints Report 2024-25, revealing a significant presence of misleading and illegal advertisements in the real estate and offshore betting sectors.

Between April and September 2024, ASCI reviewed 4016 complaints and investigated 3031 advertisements of which 98% needed some modification. ASCI’s continued vigil on digital platforms saw a total of 2830 ads being processed, representing 93% of the total ads taken up.

Of the ads investigated, 2087 ads were in violation of the law. Of these, 1027 were reported to the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA) under an MoU between ASCI and MahaRERA.

According to ASCI, real estate emerged as the most violative sector, accounting for 34% of cases investigated.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO of ASCI, remarked, "Our work in partnership with government regulators in sectors such as betting and realty is creating an impact. While there is a long way to go, such partnerships are able to create an impetus for better oversight. With constant progress in reducing our turn-around time for complaint management, ASCI’s deep experience and tech-supported efforts are evolving to provide better protection to the consumers of India.”