BIS cracks down on e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart

The Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement that to curb the distribution of non-compliant products through e-commerce platforms, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted search and seizure operations in cities like Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi.

The government said that in the raid conducted on March 7 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, the certification agency BIS seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders, all of which lacked mandatory BIS certification.

Earlier, in February 2025, a similar operation at an Amazon warehouse in Gurugram resulted in the seizure of 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, two food mixers and one speaker - all found to be non-certified, the ministry's statement said on Saturday evening.

Similarly, in a raid at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, BIS seized 534 stainless steel bottles (vacuum insulated), 134 toys, and 41 uncertified speakers.

"BIS's investigations into multiple violations on both Amazon and Flipkart traced non-certified products back to Techvision International Pvt Ltd," said the ministry.

Acting on this lead, BIS conducted raids at two different Techvision International facilities in Delhi, uncovering approximately 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves without BIS certification.

Non-certified products seized include brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly, among others, the statement said.

Following the seizure of material, BIS initiated legal action under the BIS Act, 2016, to hold the responsible entities accountable.

The government said BIS has already filed two court cases against M/s Techvision International Pvt Ltd for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.

"Additional cases are in the process of being filed for other seizure operations. Under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, defaulters face a penalty not less than two lakh rupees, which may extend up to ten times the value of the goods sold or offered for sale. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the violation, offenders may also face imprisonment of up to two years," the statement said.

BIS is actively conducting market surveillance to ensure that consumer products available in the market, including on e-commerce platforms, comply with applicable safety and quality standards.

As part of surveillance, BIS purchases various consumer products and subjects them to rigorous testing to verify compliance with the prescribed standards.

The products under market surveillance include commonly used consumer goods such as domestic pressure cookers, hand-held blenders, food mixers, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, toys, two-wheeler helmets, switches, sockets, and aluminium foils for food packaging.

Considering the potential hazards posed by substandard quality products, the Central Government has made BIS certification mandatory for these products in the public interest.

During its surveillance activities, BIS has identified that several non-certified products are being sold on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket even though BIS certification has been made mandatory for these products, the ministry said.

"Non-certified products include those that do not bear ISI Mark or bear an ISI Mark with an invalid license number (CM/L number). These non-certified products pose significant safety risks to consumers as they have not undergone independent third-party testing to ensure they meet minimum safety and performance standards."

BIS urges consumers to make informed purchasing decisions by utilizing the BIS Care app. This app provides consumers with crucial information on products that require mandatory BIS certification and allows them to verify the authenticity of a product's BIS certification by checking the ISI Mark and the manufacturer's license number (CM/L).

Additionally, consumers can use the BIS Care app to lodge complaints about products that do not bear the ISI Mark or report quality concerns regarding BIS-certified products. (ANI)