Govt cracks whip on ecoms for selling uncertified goods

New Delhi: The government has intensified its enforcement against unsafe and non-certified products sold on e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart, and seized thousands of non-certified goods from their warehouses.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which operates under the Ministry of Consumer affairs, has been conducting raids and subjecting consumer products to rigorous testing to ensure compliance with mandatory safety and quality standards. The latest raids were carried out in Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi.

Products under scrutiny include domestic pressure cookers, metal water bottles, hand-held blenders, toys, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, food mixers, helmets, switches, sockets, and aluminum foils used for food packaging, the ministry said in a statement.

“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 statement added.

BIS has urged consumers to use the BIS Care app to verify product authenticity and report violations. This app provides consumers with 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 app to lodge complaints about products that do not bear the ISI Mark or report quality concerns regarding BIS-certified products, said the statement.

Under Section 17(1) of the BIS Act, the manufacture, sale, or distribution of products requiring a Standard Mark without BIS certification is prohibited, while Section 17(3) bans the unauthorised use of the Standard Mark without a valid license.

Additional cases are being prepared against other violators. The law prescribes a minimum penalty of Rs 2 lakh, which may extend up to 10 times the value of the goods sold. In severe cases, offenders can also face imprisonment for up to two years, the statement added.