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BIS cracks down on e-commerce platforms selling unsafe, non-certified products
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Tuesday, 18 March, 2025, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Our Bureau, New Delhi
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In a decisive move to curb the distribution of non-compliant consumer goods, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has launched a series of search and seizure operations targeting major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart. Conducted in cities like Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi, these raids uncovered a large quantity of products lacking mandatory BIS certification, raising serious concerns about consumer safety.
On March 7, 2025, BIS seized 215 uncertified toys and 24 hand blenders from an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow. A similar raid in February at Amazon’s Gurugram facility led to the confiscation of 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, 2 food mixers, and 1 speaker—all non-certified. Meanwhile, at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram, BIS found 534 uncertified stainless-steel vacuum-insulated bottles, 134 toys, and 41 speakers.
Further investigations linked these violations to Techvision International Pvt. Ltd., prompting raids at two of its Delhi facilities. Authorities seized nearly 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves from brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly, all lacking BIS certification.
Legal action has been initiated against Techvision International Pvt Ltd under Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016. Defaulters could face penalties starting at Rs 2 lakh, extending up to ten times the product value, along with imprisonment of up to two years. Additional cases are being filed against other violators.
BIS is intensifying market surveillance to ensure that consumer products, especially those available online, meet required safety and quality standards. Products under scrutiny include domestic pressure cookers, blenders, food mixers, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, toys, helmets, switches, and aluminium foils. Despite the government making BIS certification mandatory for these items, non-certified versions continue to be sold on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket.
Consumers are urged to verify product certification using the BIS Care app, which provides information on mandatory BIS-certified products and allows users to report violations. BIS has also issued notices to e-commerce platforms, directing them to ensure that all required products carry valid BIS certification before being listed for sale.
By taking stringent action, BIS aims to enhance consumer safety, eliminate substandard products from the market, and hold sellers accountable for compliance violations.
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