StartupTalky

Tag: BIS

  • BIS Raids FirstCry’s Bengaluru Warehouse, Seizes Goods Worth INR 90 Lakh

    At one of FirstCry’s warehouses in Bengaluru, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) carried out search and seizure operations and found items valued at INR 90 lakh.

    Bheemakkanahalli hamlet, Sulibele Hobli, Hoskote taluka, and Bengaluru rural district were all the sites of the one-day inspection. In a regulatory filing, FirstCry stated that several items valued at about INR 90,000,000 were seized as a result of the search.

    Allegations of BIS and FirstCry’s Response

    According to the BIS, the company violated Section 14(6) of the BIS Act of 2016 by failing to use its standard mark or hallmark for a few of its items. FirstCry explained that the search operation had no effect on the company’s activities and stated that it had cooperated completely with the authorities throughout the process.

    The statement further stated that the company is seeking adequate legal assistance in support of its defence and has no cause to suspect that the products confiscated by BIS do not comply with BIS laws.

    During the BSE intraday trading session on May 27, shares of Brainbees Solutions, the parent company of FirstCry, fell 6.4% to INR 351.15 per share from its previous close of INR 375.25 per share. The company’s poor financial performance in the fourth quarter preceded the stock’s decline.

    What is BIS?

    The National Standard Body of India, or BIS, was founded by the BIS Act of 2016 to promote the peaceful growth of the standardisation, marking, and quality certification of goods as well as for issues related or incidental to these operations.

    The national economy has benefitted from traceability and tangibility in a number of ways, including the provision of safe, dependable, high-quality goods; the reduction of consumer health risks; the encouragement of imports and exports as alternatives; and the management of variety proliferation through standardisation, certification, and testing. In addition to its five Regional Offices (ROs) in Delhi (Central), Mumbai (Western), Chandigarh (Northern), Chennai (Southern), and Kolkata (Eastern), BIS maintains its headquarters in New Delhi.

    In addition to providing certification services to the industry, the Branch Offices (BOs) under the Regional Offices are situated in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Parwanoo, Patna, Pune, Rajkot, Raipur, Durgapur, Jamshedpur, and Vishakhapatnam.

  • Warehouses of Amazon and Flipkart were Raided, Inferior Products were Confiscated

    Thousands of inferior products were seized during a series of raids on Amazon and Flipkart warehouses on 27 March by the Bureau of Indian Standards’ (BIS) Delhi division. The operation, which lasted more than 15 hours, was conducted at a Flipkart subsidiary warehouse in Trinagar and Amazon’s warehouse in Delhi’s Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) said that more than 3,500 products, including geysers, food mixers, and other electrical appliances, were seized during the operation at Amazon’s warehouse. Many of these products, officials discovered, either carried fake ISI labels or lacked the required ISI certification. It is anticipated that the seized commodities are worth around INR 70 lakh in total.

    Raid at Instakart

    BIS officers conducted a separate raid on Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, a Flipkart subsidiary located in Trinagar, Delhi. The crew discovered a cache of athletic shoes that lacked accurate production date information and did not adhere to ISI standards. About 590 pairs of athletic shoes valued at INR 6 lakh were seized by the authorities. These raids are a component of BIS’s broader national effort to enforce quality standards. Similar operations have been carried out in other places over the past month, including Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, and Sriperumbudur, and several uncertified products have been seized as a result.

    According to notifications from numerous regulatory bodies and various ministries of the government, the Bureau of Indian Standards requires compulsory certification for 769 products. Without a current licence or Certificate of Compliance (CoC) from BIS, it is completely forbidden to manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store, or exhibit for sale of these products.

    Raids in Other Parts of the Country

    Large amounts of goods being sold without the required certification were seized by the BIS during a search on the warehouses of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart in the Tiruvallur district last week. 3,376 products, including insulated flasks, food containers, metallic potable water bottles, ceiling fans, and toys without BIS standard markings, were seized by authorities at Amazon’s Puduvoyal warehouse. The items that were confiscated are worth INR 36 lakh. In a separate investigation, BIS officers searched Flipkart’s Koduvalli warehouse and found 36 casserole boxes, 26 stainless steel water bottles, 10 insulated steel bottles that were not BIS certified, and 286 packs of baby nappies.

    The BIS searched an Amazon warehouse in Hyderabad on March 25 and found 2,783 “uncertified” consumer goods valued at over INR 50 lakh. Products like smartwatches, electric water heaters, CCTV cameras, electric food mixers for the home, and both electric and non-electric toys were discovered to be lacking the required BIS certification, according to a report by a news agency. Additionally, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket received notifications from the bureau instructing them to sell only BIS-certified goods. Companies are subject to a fine of at least INR 2 lakh under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. Up to ten times the value of the products sold or offered for sale may be included in this.

    Offenders may also be imprisoned for up to two years, depending on the seriousness of the infraction. Pralhad Joshi, the minister of consumer affairs, stated in December of last year that winning over customers’ trust and confidence is essential for India’s e-commerce industry. He pointed out that in order to preserve product quality, online platforms must declare the nation of origin, guarantee transparent pricing, offer correct product specifications, and have clear return and refund procedures in place.

  • Bureau of Indian Standards Creates Ayush Standardisation Department

    Standardisation in the Ayush industry has been fostered by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is the country’s national standards body. Since a specialised standardising section was set up by the Bureau, standardisation efforts in the field have been accelerated. Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homoeopathy are all part of the traditional Indian medical systems that the new department is working to improve in terms of safety, effectiveness, and quality.

    “Under the leadership of renowned experts, the Ayush department at BIS has formed seven sectional committees, each addressing a specific Ayush system,” added Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General of BIS, while outlining the Ayush standardisation process and structure. In order to guarantee thorough, evidence-based standards that are in compliance with national and international criteria, these committees collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, such as specialists, professional organisations, regulatory agencies, and scientific and technical institutes.

    91 Standards Set by BIS Till Now

    So far, 91 standards have been created by BIS on a wide range of topics, including individual plants; Ayurvedic and Yoga terminology; Panchakarma tools; Yoga props; and procedures for detecting pesticide residues in herbs. The release of 80 indigenous Indian standards for traditional medicinal herbs has been a boon to the industry and consumers alike by promoting the safe and effective use of these plants. Better Ayurvedic healthcare is possible because to the first-ever national standards for Panchakarma equipment, which standardise both preventative and curative measures.

    As part of its efforts to promote sustainability, BIS has developed an indigenous Indian Standard for the “Cotton Yoga Mat,” which will assist local producers and manufacturers. Future areas of standardisation that have been highlighted by the department include yoga clothing, Siddha diagnostics, homeopathic remedies, terminology, and individual plants.

    Maintaining Consistent Quality is the Key

    “As more people turn to Traditional Healthcare Systems, the need for consistent quality, safety, and efficacy in Ayush products and services is imperative,” stated Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of Ayush, while expressing his appreciation for the measures taken by the BIS. BIS has demonstrated its dedication to this field by establishing this specialised department and developing essential standards, such as IS: 17873, which is referred to as the “Cotton Yoga Mat.” The advancement and development of traditional Indian medicine has reached a significant milestone with these events. The BIS is dedicated to promoting the acceptance and growth of Ayush systems on a national and international scale through the implementation of stringent standards and groundbreaking innovations.

    The necessity of establishing national and worldwide standards for Ayush systems has become an absolute necessity as a result of the globalisation of medicine and the growing prevalence of traditional medical practices. The Ministry of Ayush has been making efforts to establish a thriving quality ecosystem in order to ease trade and guarantee the supply of high-quality goods and services to consumers on a national as well as a global scale.

    List Of Government Schemes for Startups in India
    Looking for financial assistance and resources for your startup? Check out our comprehensive list of government schemes for startups in India.
    StartupTalkyAshwini