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Selling cleaning products and detergents in India

In India, household cleaners and detergents sold in packs follow the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which set the declarations on the pack and require packers and importers to register. Plastic packaging falls under extended producer responsibility, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 sets product liability and recall. Toilet soap is a cosmetic.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Pack declarations
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011
Who enforces
Department of Consumer Affairs and state Controllers of Legal Metrology
Packers and importers
Register with the Director or Controller
Price
Maximum retail price, inclusive of taxes, in rupees
Plastic packaging
EPR registration on the CPCB portal
Toilet soap
A cosmetic, under the Cosmetics Rules, 2020

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it a cleaning product, or a soap that counts as a cosmetic? Read more
  2. 2Is the packer or importer registered under the Packaged Commodities Rules? Read more
  3. 3Does the pack carry the rule 6 declarations, at the right size? Read more
  4. 4Is the plastic packaging covered by EPR? Read more
  5. 5Do the instructions and warnings cover safe use? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Which rules apply

Where cleaning products sit among India's product rules.

  • The Packaged Commodities Rules apply to commodities in packages sold at retail; the retail chapter does not apply to packages over 25 kg or 25 litres, or to industrial or institutional consumers.
  • The BIS list of products under compulsory certification read for this guide did not include household detergents or cleaners.
  • The Cosmetics Rules, 2020 list soap products among the categories of cosmetics, so toilet soap follows the Cosmetics Rules, 2020; see the cosmetics guide.
  • Vacuum cleaners and other electrical cleaning appliances fall under BIS's household appliance orders; see the electronics guide.

How we help: Compliant Always records which rules your product was read against, with the source, and watches them for changes. Ask about this

Registration of packers and importers

Rule 27 registration.

  • Anyone who pre-packs or imports a commodity for sale applies to the Director or the Controller of Legal Metrology to register their name and address, within 90 days of starting (rule 27).
  • From the 2026 Third Amendment, the application names the director responsible for violations, the details are updated each year, and the certificate remains valid until cancelled.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the registration certificate on file with its date, and shows when an annual update is due. Ask about this

Pack declarations

What a pre-packed cleaning product shows under rule 6.

  • The name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, and the country of origin for imported goods.
  • The common or generic name, net quantity in standard units, and the month and year of manufacture.
  • The retail sale price as a maximum retail price inclusive of taxes in Indian currency, with a unit sale price such as per kg or per litre.
  • The name, address, telephone number and email address for consumer complaints.
  • The minimum height of letters and numerals depends on the principal display panel: 1 mm below 50 cm², rising to 6 mm above 2500 cm² (Table I, as substituted in 2017).
  • Packages of 10 g or 10 ml or less are exempt; those from 10 g to 20 g still declare the maximum retail price and net quantity (rule 26).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations and the letter sizes, and lists what is missing. Ask about this

Plastic packaging

Extended producer responsibility under the Plastic Waste Management Rules.

  • Producers of plastic packaging, importers of plastic packaging or of products in plastic packaging, and brand owners, including online platforms and retail chains, carry EPR obligations; micro and small enterprises are excluded as brand owners.
  • They register on the CPCB centralised portal and may not carry on business without registration.
  • The 2024 amendment sets labelling of recycled, compostable and biodegradable plastics, and the 2026 amendment requires recycled plastic packaging to conform to IS 14534:2023 and carry the marking.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the EPR registration and packaging specifications with each pack format, dated. Ask about this

Product liability and recall

What the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 says about defects and warnings.

  • A product manufacturer is liable for harm caused by a defect, a deviation from specifications, a breach of express warranty, or a failure to give adequate instructions of correct use or warnings against improper use (section 84).
  • A seller who controlled the design, testing, packaging or labelling, or altered the product, is liable too (section 86).
  • The Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of goods that are dangerous, hazardous or unsafe, and reimbursement of the price (section 20).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps safety data, instructions and test reports with each product and lot, so the record is there if a product is questioned. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand ownerThe pack declarations, warnings and EPR registration.The pack read against rule 6, with the EPR registration on file.
Manufacturer or packerRule 27 registration, and liability for defects and instructions.Registration and test reports kept with each product.
ImporterIts own registration, its name and the country of origin on the pack.Supplier documents read and dated before shipment.
Online marketplaceShowing the declarations on the listing, and EPR as a brand owner where it applies.Listing details compared with the record for the product.

Central and state rules

The Department of Consumer Affairs makes the Packaged Commodities Rules; state Controllers of Legal Metrology register packers and enforce them.

State Pollution Control Boards register producers, importers and brand owners operating in one or two states, through the CPCB portal.

Questions businesses ask

What must a detergent pack say in India?
The Legal Metrology declarations: manufacturer, packer or importer; country of origin for imports; generic name; net quantity; month and year of manufacture; maximum retail price inclusive of taxes; unit sale price; and consumer care details.
Do detergents need BIS certification in India?
The BIS list of products under compulsory certification read on 27 October 2026 did not include household detergents or cleaners. Check BIS's current list for your product.
Do I need to register as a packer or importer?
Yes. Rule 27 of the Packaged Commodities Rules requires anyone who pre-packs or imports commodities for sale to register with the Director or Controller of Legal Metrology within 90 days of starting.
How big must the text be on a cleaning product pack?
It depends on the principal display panel: from 1 mm for panels under 50 cm² to 6 mm above 2500 cm², with larger sizes for text moulded into the container.
Are small sachets exempt from the declarations?
Packages of 10 g or 10 ml or less are exempt. Packages from 10 g to 20 g still declare the maximum retail price and net quantity.
Is soap a cosmetic or a cleaning product in India?
The Cosmetics Rules, 2020 list soap products among the categories of cosmetics, so toilet soap follows the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. From 21 September 2026 soap packs also carry a green or red-brown dot for vegetarian or non-vegetarian origin.
Do cleaning product brands need plastic EPR registration?
Brand owners, importers and producers using plastic packaging register on the CPCB centralised portal and may not carry on business without it. Micro and small enterprises are excluded as brand owners.
Do online listings need the pack information?
Yes. E-commerce entities display the rule 6 declarations except the date of manufacture, and from 1 July 2027 listings of imported goods carry a country-of-origin filter.
Who is liable if a cleaning product injures someone?
The manufacturer, under section 84 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, including for inadequate instructions or warnings. A seller is liable where it controlled the labelling or altered the product.
Can the government order a recall of a cleaning product?
Yes. The Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of goods that are dangerous, hazardous or unsafe, and reimbursement of the price, under section 20 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in India?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including India's central regulators and the state rules that sit beside them. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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