Major e-commerce sites like Amazon, Flipkart, and BigBasket have received severe warnings from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for breaking mandatory certification requirements.
Products without the necessary BIS certification were seized during raids on Amazon and Flipkart warehouses by BIS, which is part of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket Received Several Warnings From BIS
Legal action was initiated under the BIS Act 2016, with two court cases filed for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3).
According to Amazon, it takes steps to stop products that aren’t in compliance from being listed and requires sellers to abide by all relevant laws.
24 uncertified hand blenders and 215 toys were seized during a March 7 BIS raid on Amazon’s warehouse in Lucknow. 58 aluminum foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, seven PVC cables, two food mixers, and one speaker without the required certification were seized during an earlier raid at Amazon’s Gurugram facility in February.
41 speakers, 134 toys, and 534 stainless steel vacuum-insulated bottles were seized for non-compliance at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram.
Additional raids at Techvision International Pvt Ltd’s Delhi facilities resulted from BIS investigations that connected the company to numerous uncertified products.
About 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves without BIS certification were found during the raids. Products from brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly were among those seized.
Two court cases have been brought by BIS against Techvision International, and more cases are being prepared for other infractions.
The value of the uncertified goods sold can be ten times the penalty for non-compliance, which starts at ₹2 lakh.
Offenders May Be Imprisoned For Up To Two Years
Under Section 17 of the BIS Act, offenders may be imprisoned for up to two years in extreme circumstances.
Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket have all received notices telling them to make sure that only BIS-certified products are listed in places where certification is required.
Several non-certified products were found to be sold on these platforms by BIS’s surveillance efforts.
Products without an ISI mark or with an invalid ISI license number are considered non-certified.
Since these uncertified products have not been subjected to independent third-party testing for safety and performance standards, consumers are at risk for safety issues.
Customers are encouraged to report non-compliant products and confirm the authenticity of certifications using the BIS Care App.
The seizures show that despite stringent government regulations, uncertified products are still being sold online, raising concerns about consumer safety.
Market surveillance will continue to safeguard consumers and guarantee adherence to safety regulations, BIS stressed.
