Excerpt from Financial Express Article, Published on Mar 17, 2025.
The recent raids on Amazon and Flipkart warehouses by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) have sparked concerns over compliance with Indian regulations. The raids, conducted on March 7, targeted multiple Amazon and Flipkart storage facilities, seizing a significant number of non-certified products. At an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, BIS confiscated 215 toys and 24 hand blenders that lacked mandatory certification.
Earlier in February, a similar operation at an Amazon warehouse in Gurugram led to the seizure of non-certified aluminium foils, metallic water bottles, toys, hand blenders, PVC cables, food mixers, and a speaker. Investigations revealed that the non-compliant products sold on Amazon and Flipkart were linked to Techvision International Pvt Ltd. Following this, BIS conducted raids at Techvision International’s facilities in Delhi, uncovering thousands of uncertified electric appliances, including electric water heaters, food mixers, room heaters, and gas stoves. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has demanded stricter regulations for both Amazon and Flipkart, arguing that e-commerce and quick commerce firms must be held accountable for violating compliance norms. CAIT’s Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal has urged the government to introduce comprehensive policies to ensure platforms like Amazon and Flipkart adhere strictly to Indian laws. He plans to meet Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi to discuss these concerns.
In response to the raids, Amazon stated that it requires all sellers to comply with legal and regulatory standards, adding that the company actively works to prevent unsafe products from being listed. However, CAIT remains firm in its stance, previously accusing quick commerce platforms of distorting India’s retail market by misusing foreign investments. The growing scrutiny on Amazon and Flipkart reflects the ongoing tension between e-commerce giants and regulatory bodies, as authorities push for greater accountability in India’s online retail sector.
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