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Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Bengaluru: BIS Raids First Cry Warehouses, Seizes Goods Worth Rs. 90 Lakhs
Recently, authorities have been raiding warehouses of many large companies, including big e-commerce firms. In this wave of raids, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted a search at the warehouses of First Cry in Bengaluru. The purpose was to find goods that did not meet BIS quality standards. During the raid, officials seized goods in Bengaluru that violated the hallmarking rules under the BIS Act, 2016. They revealed that goods worth Rs. 90 lakhs were confiscated. Some of the products were being sold even though they did not meet the required quality standards. This was found to be a violation under Section 14(6) of the Act. Among the seized items were low-quality slippers and children's toys. First Cry has decided to cooperate with the raids following advice from its legal team. The company, however, clarified that it does not believe the seized goods violate BIS regulations. They also said the raid has not disrupted their business operations. BIS has conducted raids on First Cry's warehouses located in Bhimakkanahalli, Sulibila, Hubli, and Hoskote talukas of Bengaluru Rural district. The company stated that these actions have not caused significant financial loss. They are currently exploring legal options to address the situation. This is not the first time First Cry has faced such scrutiny. In November 2024, the company was investigated by Mumbai GST officials. In the fourth quarter ending March, First Cry reported a revenue of Rs. 1,930 crore but faced a net loss of Rs. 111.5 crore. Concerns are growing over the company's rising losses.
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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
MSMEs must comply with quality standards: Consumer Affairs Secretary
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Wednesday asked MSMEs to comply with voluntary as well as mandatory quality standards while manufacturing products and urged them to be more proactive in sharing problems and seeking solutions. Addressing a conference here, she noted that India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world, and the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) will have a major role to play in achieving this. The secretary said MSMEs need to be more proactive in sharing their problems and asked the industry to demand new standards as well as participate in formulation of these quality norms. She highlighted that the government in the past few years have taken various steps to ensure that people get quality products. Recently, Rs 78 crore has been approved to strengthen existing testing labs and set up new ones. "Ultimately, any nation which grows has to ensure credibility of its goods and services. There cannot be any abstinence, or there cannot be any free passes to the concern of quality," Khare said. The secretary pointed out that there is hardly any participation from the industry whenever standards are being formulated. "...academicians, the domain expertare actually bringing standards, whereas standards should have been for the industry and by the industry," Khare said at a conference organised by India SME Forum, a not-for-profit organisation for small & medium enterprises. The secretary asked the industry to demand time-bound formulation of standards and assured that the government and its departments would do that. Khare said the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has the capacity to formulate standards very quickly. Further, she said the industry players can approach the ministry for support during any difficulties, whether it is the formulation of standards or setting up of a testing facility. "...We will set it up. We do not want you to suffer," Khare added. MSMEs have to become more responsive and much more engaged, the secretary said. "India is poised to become the third largest economy, then it is MSMEs who will do this wonder. So you (MSMEs) cannot do this wonder without adhering to or conforming to standards. And therefore ask for standards," Khare told industry representatives. To become a developed nation, she said India needs to boost its manufacturing capacities to meet local and global demand. Expressing concern over the import of bad products, the secretary said India needs standards to refuse sub-standard goods which get imported into the country, as this hurts the local manufacturing industry. "Even Uganda and Rwanda have more QCOs (quality control orders), more technical regulations than India. Will you still complain?" Khare said. There are still 23,000 Indian standards which are totally in the voluntary regime, the secretary said. These QCOs help in improving global competitiveness and increasing exports, she added. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
MSMEs must comply with quality standards, be more responsive: Consumer Affairs Secretary
Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Wednesday asked MSMEs to comply with voluntary as well as mandatory quality standards while manufacturing products and urged them to be more proactive in sharing problems and seeking solutions. Addressing a conference here, she noted that India is poised to become the third largest economy in the world, and the MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) will have a major role to play in achieving this. The secretary said MSMEs need to be more proactive in sharing their problems and asked the industry to demand new standards as well as participate in formulation of these quality norms. She highlighted that the government in the past few years have taken various steps to ensure that people get quality products. Recently, Rs 78 crore has been approved to strengthen existing testing labs and set up new ones. "Ultimately, any nation which grows has to ensure credibility of its goods and services. There cannot be any abstinence, or there cannot be any free passes to the concern of quality," Khare said. The secretary pointed out that there is hardly any participation from the industry whenever standards are being formulated. Live Events "...academicians, the domain expert…are actually bringing standards, whereas standards should have been for the industry and by the industry…," Khare said at a conference organised by India SME Forum , a not-for-profit organisation for small & medium enterprises. The secretary asked the industry to demand time-bound formulation of standards and assured that the government and its departments would do that. Khare said the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has the capacity to formulate standards very quickly. Further, she said the industry players can approach the ministry for support during any difficulties, whether it is the formulation of standards or setting up of a testing facility. "...We will set it up. We do not want you to suffer," Khare added. MSMEs have to become more responsive and much more engaged, the secretary said. "India is poised to become the third largest economy, then it is MSMEs who will do this wonder. So you (MSMEs) cannot do this wonder without adhering to or conforming to standards. And therefore ask for standards," Khare told industry representatives. To become a developed nation, she said India needs to boost its manufacturing capacities to meet local and global demand. Expressing concern over the import of bad products, the secretary said India needs standards to refuse sub-standard goods which get imported into the country, as this hurts the local manufacturing industry. "Even Uganda and Rwanda have more QCOs (quality control orders), more technical regulations than India. Will you still complain?" Khare said. There are still 23,000 Indian standards which are totally in the voluntary regime, the secretary said. These QCOs help in improving global competitiveness and increasing exports, she added.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
BIS raids FirstCry store for alleged sale of poor items in Karnataka
BENGALURU: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Bengaluru Branch Office, raided FirstCry's warehouse, operated by Brainbees Solutions Private Limited, on Tuesday for allegedly storing and selling substandard products According to a release from BIS, during the raid, it was found that several product models were being stored and sold without valid BIS licenses. These products were found to be misusing the ISI mark and violating the conditions stipulated under the BIS license. Many of these products fall under categories that are subject to mandatory certification by BIS under the relevant Quality Control Orders (QCOs),' BIS release added. As per the QCOs, no product covered under mandatory certification shall be manufactured, stored, or sold without a valid BIS license and full compliance with the applicable Indian Standards, clarified BIS. BIS stated that a total of 33 product varieties comprising approximately 36,924 units of toys, sippers, and other items were seized during the raid. The estimated market value of the seized goods is around Rs 1.43 crore. BIS has urged all consumers to remain vigilant and always verify the presence of the BIS Standard Mark (ISI Mark) and the manufacturer's license number before making a purchase.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Indian standards gaining global recognition, says Min Manohar
New Delhi: Indian standards are increasingly becoming global benchmarks, stated Andhra Pradesh Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar. He made these remarks while attending the 9th Governing Council meeting of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) here on Tuesday, chaired by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. Minister Manohar highlighted the remarkable growth in India's standardization efforts. 'In 2014-15, India had only 2,000 standards. By 2025, this number has surged to an impressive 23,000,' he noted. The current government's ambitious goal is to further expand the number of standards to 55,000. He underscored BIS's crucial role in fostering a quality infrastructure across the nation. Notably, 95 percent of the standards developed by India are recognised as harmonised, aligning with international benchmarks. This harmonisation is a key factor in Indian standards gaining global acceptance. The minister also touched upon significant progress in hallmarking, particularly for gold. Currently, gold hallmarking is implemented in 371 districts across the country. The government aims at establishing hallmarking centers in every district as part of its nationwide expansion plan. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, during the meeting, announced that bullion hallmarking would be launched soon. He also indicated that a policy decision regarding hallmarking for silver jewelry is pending and a formal announcement would be made shortly. Minister Manohar reiterated that BIS plays a vital role in upholding standards, controlling quality, and safeguarding consumer rights in India, reflecting its comprehensive commitment to quality and justice.
