The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai Branch, conducted simultaneous raids on Wednesday, March 19, targeting warehouses of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in Tiruvallur district near Chennai. The operations, aimed at curbing the sale of substandard goods, resulted in the seizure of thousands of products lacking the mandatory ISI mark, signaling a breach of the BIS Act, 2016.

At Amazon’s facility in Ponneri, a team led by Joint Directors B.J. Gowththam and L. Dhinesh Rajagopalan confiscated 3,376 items valued at Rs 36 lakh. The haul included insulated flasks, food containers, metallic water bottles, ceiling fans, and toys—all missing the BIS Standard Mark required under various Quality Control Orders. The release emphasized that such products cannot be stored, sold, or exhibited without a valid BIS license, citing Section 28 of the Act.

In a parallel operation at Flipkart’s Koduvalli warehouse, a team headed by Director D. Jeevanandam and Joint Director J. Sreejith Mohan seized 286 packs of baby diapers, 36 boxes of casseroles/insulated hotpots, 26 stainless steel water bottles, and 10 insulated steel bottles, all lacking certification. The raids followed intelligence about suspected violations, with evidence collected to support legal action.

G. Bhavani, head of BIS Chennai, affirmed that offenders would face strict consequences under the BIS Act, 2016. “The violation carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment or a fine starting at Rs 2 lakh, potentially rising to ten times the value of the goods,” she stated, referencing Section 29 for first-time offenses. The crackdown underscores BIS’s nationwide effort to enforce safety standards, with similar operations reported in cities like Delhi and Lucknow. The seized items highlight persistent challenges in ensuring e-commerce compliance with India’s quality regulations.