BIS cracks down on substandard goods; raids on Amazon and Flipkart warehouses lead to major seizures

In a major crackdown on the sale of substandard and non-certified products, the Delhi Branch of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted search and seizure operations at warehouses belonging to Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd and Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, a Flipkart subsidiary. The raids, aimed at enforcing compliance with mandatory quality standards, resulted in the seizure of thousands of non-compliant products worth over Rs. 76 lakhs.

On March 19, BIS officials carried out a 15-hour-long search at Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd’s warehouse located in Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Delhi. During the operation, over 3,500 electrical products, including geysers and food mixers, were found without the required ISI certification or bearing fake ISI labels. The estimated value of the seized items stands at approximately Rs. 70 lakhs.

In a separate raid at Instakart Services Pvt Ltd’s facility in Trinagar, Delhi, BIS officials discovered a large stock of sports footwear prepared for dispatch without the mandatory ISI mark and date of manufacture. Around 590 pairs of these non-compliant sports shoes, valued at about Rs. 6 lakhs, were seized.

These enforcement actions are part of BIS’ ongoing drive to eliminate the circulation of substandard and non-certified products in the market. Over the past month, similar raids have been conducted across multiple cities, including Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, and Sriperumbudur, resulting in the seizure of various non-compliant items.

Currently, 769 products have been notified for compulsory BIS certification by various regulators and government ministries. As per BIS regulations, it is illegal to manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store, or exhibit for sale any of these products without a valid license or Certificate of Compliance (CoC) from BIS.

The Bureau of Indian Standards has urged manufacturers, sellers, and e-commerce platforms to ensure compliance with national standards to avoid legal consequences and safeguard consumer interests.