BIS Cracks Down on Amazon and Flipkart Warehouses, Seizes Thousands of Substandard Products Lacking ISI Certification
In a major crackdown on substandard products, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted extensive raids on the warehouses of Amazon and Flipkart, seizing thousands of items lacking the mandatory ISI certification. The 15-hour-long operation, which took place at Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd’s warehouse in the Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Delhi, led to the confiscation of over 3,500 electrical appliances, including geysers, food mixers, and other household products. These items either did not have the required ISI mark or had counterfeit labels, violating national quality standards. The estimated value of the seized goods is approximately Rs 70 lakh.
Amazon India responded to the raid by stating that it operates as a marketplace in India and requires all sellers to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon policies. The company assured that appropriate action is taken upon notification of non-compliance and that it actively collaborates with stakeholders, including regulators, to enhance customer experience.
In a separate operation, BIS officials raided a warehouse of Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, a Flipkart subsidiary, located in Trinagar, Delhi. During this raid, authorities uncovered a significant stockpile of sports footwear that failed to meet the required ISI standards and lacked essential manufacturing date details. A total of 590 pairs of sports shoes, estimated at Rs 6 lakh, were seized in this action.
These raids are part of a nationwide initiative by the BIS to enforce strict compliance with Indian quality standards and protect consumers from substandard products. Over the past month, BIS teams have intensified their enforcement activities, conducting similar operations across multiple locations, including Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, and Sriperumbudur, leading to the seizure of a wide range of non-compliant products.
The BIS has made it mandatory for 769 products to have proper certification, as notified by various regulatory bodies and ministries of the Indian government. The sale, import, distribution, storage, or display of these products without a valid BIS license or Certificate of Compliance (CoC) is strictly prohibited.
Further expanding its crackdown, BIS also carried out raids in Tamil Nadu, where they seized over 3,000 substandard items from Amazon and Flipkart’s warehouses in Tiruvallur district. At Amazon’s warehouse in Puduvoyal, 3,376 products, including insulated flasks, food containers, metallic potable water bottles, ceiling fans, and toys without BIS standard marks, were confiscated. The estimated value of these seized products is Rs 36 lakh. Similarly, Flipkart’s warehouse in Koduvalli was raided, leading to the seizure of baby diapers (286 packs), 36 boxes of casseroles, 26 stainless steel water bottles, and 10 insulated steel bottles, all lacking the required certification.
These enforcement actions by BIS highlight the government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that products sold in the Indian market meet stringent quality and safety standards. Consumers are urged to check for proper certification before purchasing products, especially from e-commerce platforms. The crackdown serves as a warning to online sellers and marketplaces to comply with legal requirements or face stringent action.
For video news updates, visit our YouTube channel THE OLIGO.
