The Forum of Free Enterprise is a non-political organization founded in 1956 by A. D. Shroff, and has been established to educate public opinion in India on free enterprise and a democratic way of life. The Forum publishes booklets to further its objects. The following booklet titled ‘The consumer and the Indian economic environment’ is authored by Professor Gangadhar Gadgil and published in 1980. The author evaluates the reasons behind the hostile economic environment.  He further elaborates how the government protects the consumer and how planning has affected the economy. He examines how factors like decentralized  industries, import substitution, taxation, industrial licensing, etc affect the consumer. He critically analyses The Monopolies and Restrictive Trade practices Act. He suggests recommendations like increase in production of consumer’s requirements,  reasonable stability of prices, protecting consumers from monopolies, need for competition, establishment of suitable legal procedures, etc.