BIS cracks down on E-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart for selling non-certified products in Chennai
The operation, executed under the provisions of the BIS Act of 2016, resulted in the seizure of thousands of uncertified goods, raising quality concerns and consumer safety.
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CHENNAI: In a major crackdown on the sale of non-compliant consumer products, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai office, conducted simultaneous searches at the warehouses of leading e-commerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart.
The operation, executed under the provisions of the BIS Act of 2016, resulted in the seizure of thousands of uncertified goods, raising quality concerns and consumer safety. According to a PIB release, a range of products, including insulated flasks, food containers, metallic drinking bottles, ceiling fans, toys, baby diapers, stainless steel water bottles, and insulated steel bottles were found to be lacking the mandatory BIS Standard Mark (ISI certification) required for sale in India.
Acting on intelligence regarding quality violations, a BIS enforcement team led by joint directors PJ Gautham and Dinesh Rajagopalan searched Amazon Seller Services' warehouse in Durainallur village, Ponneri taluk, Tiruvallur district and unearthed 3,376 non-certified items valued at Rs 36 lakh.
Simultaneously, another BIS team, led by director Jeevanandam and Sreejith Mohan, searched Flipkart's warehouse in Koduvalli, Tiruvallur district and found a substantial stock of uncertified baby care products and household essentials, including diapers, hotpots etc.
According to G Bhavani, head of the BIS Chennai branch, the violations fall under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.
"For a first-time offence, Section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016, prescribes penalties that include imprisonment for up to two years, or a fine that may extend to ten times the value of the non-compliant goods," Bhavani said.
She urged consumers to be vigilant when purchasing products online and encouraged them to verify the presence of BIS certification marks before making a purchase.
Additionally, she called upon the public to report instances of non-certified goods being sold.
"Anyone with information regarding the sale of uncertified products can report it to the BIS office at CID Complex, 4th Cross Road, Taramani, Chennai-600113. Reports can also be submitted via the BIS Care app or emailed to cnbo1@bis.gov.in. The identity of informants will be kept strictly confidential," she assured.
Consumers can also visit www.bis.gov.in or use the e-BIS (manakonline.in) portal to access information about certified products and BIS regulations.
