Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, April 23: In a significant enforcement action, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted a major raid at South India’s largest warehouse operated by M/s Instakart Services Private Limited, trading under the name Flipkart. The operation led to the seizure of goods worth approximately Rs 2.5 crore.
According to an official BIS statement released on Wednesday, the raid was led by Director Narender Reddy Beesu, along with director Vinodini Kishore, joint director Premlata Sinha, and assistant director Piyush Kumar Gupta from the BIS Bengaluru branch Office.
The team uncovered approximately 17,500 units across 104 product varieties—including wireless earbuds, Bluetooth earphones, speakers, toys, footwear, and electronic cables—that were allegedly in violation of the Quality Control Orders (QCOs) and the BIS Act, 2016.
Several seized items were reportedly either unlicensed or bore counterfeit ISI and BIS Registration marks, thereby breaching the BIS licence terms. The BIS further stated that the products were being stored and distributed in contravention of mandatory certification schemes, including the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS).
Legal proceedings are being initiated under Section 17(3) read with Section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016. The Act stipulates penalties including imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lac for the first offence. Subsequent violations can attract fines of no less than Rs 5 lac and up to ten times the value of the goods, or both, as determined by a court.
During the inspection, BIS officials also took the opportunity to sensitise warehouse staff on identifying compliant products and the importance of ensuring goods meet regulatory standards before being accepted for storage or sale.
The BIS reiterated its commitment to curbing the sale of substandard and deceptive products through routine raids. The organisation urged consumers to verify the authenticity of ISI and BIS marks through the BIS CARE mobile application, which also allows the public to report violations confidentially.
“Anyone with information regarding the misuse of the ISI mark, BIS registration mark, or BIS hallmark is encouraged to report it via email, letter, or through the BIS CARE mobile app,” the statement added.