New Delhi: Several warehouses of e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart have been raised by officials of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), to check for uncertified products that can cause harm to buyers. Several products, including electric gadgets and water bottles have been seized, it was revealed by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The raids were carried out cities like Lucknow, Gurugram and Delhi. More raids will be conducted across the country and a close watch will be kept on the products on offer, not only by these two players, but other e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Meesho and BigBasket.
“A raid was conducted at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow on March 7 during which 215 toys and 24 hand blenders were seized. Another raid at a Gurugram warehouse of the same company in February, led to the seizure of 58 alluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, seven PVC cable rolls, two food mixers and a speaker. None of these are certified products,” it has been stated.
An official explained that items such as toys need certification as they are for children, who may even chew on them. Water bottles have to be made with food-grade metal. It is the same with aluminium foil that is generally used to wrap food. The deadliest of the lot are electric cables and appliances, such as blenders and heaters. These may cause fires. BIS certification for such products is mandatory.
“In a similar raid at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram, operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, BIS seized 534 vaccum insulated stainless steel bottles, 134 toys, and 41 uncertified speakers. BIS’s investigations into multiple violations on both Amazon and Flipkart traced non-certified products back to Techvision International Pvt Ltd. Acting on this lead, BIS conducted raids at two different Techvision International facilities in Delhi, uncovering approximately 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves without BIS certification,” the statement mentions.
Non-certified products seized include brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly, among others, the statement added. Following the seizure of material, BIS initiated legal action under the BIS Act, 2016. According to the Ministry, BIS has already filed two court cases against M/s Techvision International Pvt Ltd for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.
“During its surveillance activities, BIS has identified that several non-certified products are being sold on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket,” it has been claimed.