Hyderabad: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Hyderabad, conducted a search and seizure operation at an Amazon warehouse in Airport City, Shamshabad, after finding 2,783 consumer goods stored and offered for sale without the required certification.
These included 150 smartwatches, 15 electric water heaters, 30 CCTV cameras, 16 domestic electric food mixers, 10 domestic pressure cookers, 1,937 stainless steel water bottles, 326 wireless earbuds, 170 mobile chargers, and 90 electric and non-electric toys.
These products fall under the purview of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by the Central government, which mandate BIS certification.
The seized products, lacking the requisite BIS standard mark, were valued at over Rs 50 lakh. This constitutes a violation of Section 17 of the BIS Act-2016, which prohibits the sale, storage, or distribution of goods under QCOs without proper BIS certification.
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The Act stipulates penalties, including imprisonment for up to two years or a fine of no less than Rs 2 lakh for the first offense. For subsequent violations, the fine increases to a minimum of Rs 5 lakh, potentially extending to ten times the value of the goods.
The offence is cognizable, and BIS is set to initiate legal proceedings against the violators.
Under the BIS Act 2016, the Central government can mandate compliance with Indian Standards through QCOs, and so far, 769 products have been brought under this regulatory framework. Consequently, no one is permitted to manufacture, import, sell, or exhibit products covered by QCOs without a BIS license. Strict punitive measures are in place for non-compliance.
To curb the distribution of counterfeit goods and prevent consumer deception, BIS is conducting search and seizure operations based on reports of misuse.
