Since 2021, two government bodies have acted against non-certified products sold online. BIS has searched 22 e-commerce warehouses and seized toys, appliances, bottles, earbuds and footwear without valid certification. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has ordered recalls and refunds of thousands of pressure cookers sold on Amazon and Flipkart, and in February 2026 fined Snapdeal ₹5 lakh over toys, holding the platform liable for its sellers. Every figure below is taken from the government’s own press releases.
BIS search and seizure at e-commerce warehouses
BIS can search premises and seize goods under the BIS Act, 2016. Its e-commerce operations were announced through PIB:
| Date (release) | Warehouse | Seized without valid BIS certification |
|---|---|---|
| February 2025 (15 Mar 2025) | Amazon, Gurugram | 58 aluminium foils, 34 metal water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, 2 food mixers, 1 speaker |
| Before March 2025 (15 Mar 2025) | Flipkart (Instakart), Gurugram | 534 vacuum-insulated steel bottles, 134 toys, 41 speakers |
| 7 March 2025 (15 Mar 2025) | Amazon, Lucknow | 215 toys, 24 hand blenders |
| March 2025 (19 Mar 2025) | Amazon, Tiruvallur, Chennai | 3,376 items worth ₹36 lakh |
| March 2025 (25 Mar 2025) | Amazon, Shamshabad, Hyderabad | 2,783 items worth over ₹50 lakh, including 1,937 steel bottles, 326 earbuds, 170 chargers and 150 smart watches |
| March 2025 (PIB) | Amazon Sellers Pvt Ltd, Mohan Co-operative Industrial Area, Delhi | Over 3,500 products worth about ₹70 lakh |
| March 2025 (same release) | Instakart, Trinagar, Delhi | About 590 pairs of sports footwear worth about ₹6 lakh |
| April 2025 (22 Apr 2025) | Flipkart (Instakart), Bengaluru | About 17,500 units in about 104 varieties, worth about ₹2.5 crore |
| April 2026 (18 Apr 2026) | Flipkart, Sholavaram, Chennai | Deep freezers without the ISI mark or CM/L number |
BIS traced several of the goods to one supplier, and at that supplier’s Delhi premises found about 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 food mixers, 95 room heaters and 40 gas stoves without certification. It filed court cases under Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act. It also issued notices to Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra and BigBasket directing them to ensure that products needing BIS certification are certified before being made available.
The national picture
A written reply in the Lok Sabha on 6 August 2025 summed up BIS’s e-commerce enforcement:
- In 2024–25, BIS bought 344 samples of products under mandatory certification from e-commerce and quick commerce platforms. 142 had no valid BIS certification.
- Since 2024–25, BIS has searched 22 e-commerce warehouses in 12 States and UTs: Amazon 14, Instakart 7 and Blinkit 1.
- BIS has also raided dark stores of e-commerce companies.
CCPA orders against platforms and sellers
The CCPA enforces consumer rights under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, and has treated the sale of non-BIS goods as a breach of them.
Pressure cookers, 2021–2022
| Date | Against | Order |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Nov 2021 | E-commerce entities including Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal | Suo motu notices over pressure cookers sold in violation of the Domestic Pressure Cooker QCO |
| 4 Aug 2022 | Amazon | 2,265 non-conforming cookers sold; notify buyers, recall, refund and report within 45 days; ₹1 lakh penalty |
| 4 Aug 2022 (same release) | Paytm Mall | Similar order; ₹1 lakh penalty deposited |
| 17 Aug 2022 | Flipkart | Recall of 598 cookers; ₹1 lakh penalty |
| 5 Nov 2022 | Cloudtail, a seller on Amazon | Recall and refund of 1,033 cookers; ₹1 lakh penalty |
Under the same campaign, BIS seized 1,435 pressure cookers and 1,088 helmets, according to the Flipkart release. The CCPA also issued safety notices to consumers on helmets, pressure cookers and other goods.
Seat-belt alarm stoppers, 2023
On 12 May 2023, CCPA orders against Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho led to about 13,118 listings of car seat-belt alarm stopper clips being delisted. That case was about road safety rather than BIS, but it shows the CCPA’s reach over listings.
Toys: Snapdeal fined ₹5 lakh, 2026
On 16 February 2026 the CCPA fined Snapdeal ₹5 lakh for facilitating the sale of toys that did not comply with the Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020. Its findings matter to every seller and platform:
- Non-compliant toys stayed on the platform as late as December 2025, despite claims of delisting.
- The platform earned ₹41,032 in fees on such toys through two sellers.
- Many listings lacked the manufacturer’s name, address and BIS certification number.
- Relying only on seller self-declarations was “inadequate”.
- The “marketplace only” defence was rejected and the platform was held vicariously liable.
The CCPA also issued notices to Amazon and Flipkart over toys.
What sellers should take from these cases
- Certification is checked in the warehouse, not only on the listing. BIS seizes physical stock, including stock held in a platform’s fulfilment centre on your behalf.
- An invalid licence number is the same as no mark. BIS’s March 2025 release counts an ISI mark with an invalid CM/L number as non-certified. Check every supplier’s number: see CM/L number check and R-number check.
- Self-declarations are not enough. After the Snapdeal order, expect platforms to ask for licence copies and label images, not just a tick-box.
- Show the details on the listing. Missing manufacturer details and BIS numbers were named as lapses. See what an e-commerce listing must show.
- The products are everyday ones. Bottles, toys, hand blenders, chargers, earbuds, smart watches, footwear and freezers have all been seized. See our guides to kitchenware, toys, appliances and electronics.
- Recalls cost more than certification. A recall means contacting every buyer, collecting goods and refunding the price, on top of penalties and legal action.
Penalties under the BIS Act
Making, importing, selling or storing for sale notified goods without a valid licence, or using the Standard Mark without one, contravenes Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. Under Section 29(3), that can lead to imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh (₹5 lakh for later offences) that may extend to ten times the value of the goods, or both. The offence is cognizable.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech helps sellers and brands get ahead of enforcement: we audit catalogues against BIS’s orders, check suppliers’ licences against BIS’s records, and get products certified under ISI and CRS, including for overseas factories. If stock has been seized or a listing questioned, we can help you put the certification in place. Our team includes former BIS officers. See our ISI mark and BIS CRS registration services, or the marketplace compliance guide.