Govt cracks down on e-comm platforms for unsafe, non-certified products; BIS raids Amazon, Flipkart warehouses

The government’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has issued stern notices to leading e-commerce platforms — including Amazon, BigBasket, and Flipkart — for violating mandatory certification norms. BIS, which functions under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distributions, raided Amazon and Flipkart warehouses and seized products lacking the BIS certification.

Following the seizure of material, BIS initiated legal action under the BIS Act 2016 to hold the responsible entities accountable. BIS filed two court cases against the entities for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.

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BIS raid Amazon, Flipkart warehouses: What did it seize?

During a raid on March 7 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, BIS seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders that lacked the mandatory BIS certification. A similar operation at the e-commerce giant’s Gurugram facility in February yielded 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, seven PVC cables, two food mixers and 1 speaker — without proper certification.

Authorities confiscated 534 stainless steel vacuum-insulated bottles, 134 toys, and 41 speakers that failed to meet the required standards at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd. The BIS investigations revealed that many non-certified products were linked to Techvision International Pvt Ltd.

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Following this lead, subsequent raids at two of the company’s Delhi facilities uncovered approximately 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves without BIS certification.

According to the ministry, the seized items included products from brands such as Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly. “BIS has filed two court cases against Techvision International for violations of the BIS Act, 2016. Additional cases are in the process of being filed for other seizure operations,” the ministry noted.

Govt penalises e-comm operators for violations

Offenders face penalties starting at ₹2 lakh, which may extend up to ten times the value of non-compliant goods sold or offered for sale. In severe cases, violators could face imprisonment of up to two years under Section 17 of the BIS Act. 

The standards authority has issued notices to major e-commerce platforms, including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket, directing them to ensure that only BIS-certified products are listed where certification is mandatory. During its surveillance activities, BIS has identified several non-certified products sold on these e-commerce platforms.

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Non-certified products include those that do not bear the ISI mark or an ISI mark with an invalid licence number. These non-certified products pose safety risks to consumers as they have not undergone independent third-party testing to ensure they meet minimum safety and performance standards. Consumers have been advised to use the BIS Care App to verify product certification authenticity and report non-compliant items.

The seizures highlight growing concerns over consumer safety as numerous non-certified products continue to be sold online despite government regulations requiring mandatory certification for items like pressure cookers, electrical appliances, and children’s toys. BIS emphasised that market surveillance activities will continue as part of ongoing efforts to protect consumer interests and ensure compliance with safety standards.