New Delhi: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has intensified its crackdown on substandard products sold through e-commerce platforms, carrying out major raids at warehouses linked to Amazon and Flipkart in Delhi.
On 19 March, BIS officials conducted a search-and-seizure operation at Amazon Sellers Pvt. Ltd’s facility in the Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, confiscating over 3,500 products.
The seized goods, including water geysers, food mixers, and electrical appliances, either lacked the mandatory ISI mark or carried counterfeit labels, according to a statement from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The estimated value of the goods seized during the raid stands at approximately ₹70 lakh. This marks the second such enforcement action by BIS against Amazon and Flipkart this month, following an earlier operation on 7 March.
A separate raid was carried out on the same day at Instakart Services Pvt. Ltd, a Flipkart subsidiary, in Tri Nagar. Officials confiscated nearly 590 pairs of sports shoes worth around ₹6 lakh, which were found to be missing the required ISI mark and manufacturing details.
This crackdown coincides with ongoing high-level trade negotiations between India and the United States, focusing on a proposed Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
With discussions gaining momentum, India’s stringent enforcement of quality control regulations underscores its commitment to consumer protection and global trade standards.
Both Amazon and Flipkart are owned by American parent companies, making the timing of these raids particularly significant.
Over the past month, BIS has conducted similar operations in Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, and Sriperumbudur, targeting non-compliant products that violate India’s mandatory certification norms.
Responding to concerns raised by e-commerce platforms that they merely act as marketplaces rather than inventory holders, a senior government official clarified that such platforms are not exempt from compliance.
The official stated that all entities involved in the sale and distribution of products must adhere to Indian regulations, and the recent enforcement actions were conducted strictly within legal provisions.
Currently, 769 products fall under compulsory certification in India. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has reiterated that the manufacturing, import, distribution, sale, or storage of these goods without a valid BIS licence or certificate of compliance is strictly prohibited.
Entities found in violation of these regulations face severe penalties under the BIS Act, 2016, including fines, imprisonment, or both.
During previous raids conducted on 7 March at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurgaon, officials confiscated 534 uncertified stainless-steel vacuum-insulated bottles, 134 toys, and 41 speakers.
BIS officials have also targeted various other non-compliant products in recent months, including domestic pressure cookers, handheld blenders, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, toys, two-wheeler helmets, electrical switches, sockets, and aluminium foil used for food packaging.
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