Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling consumer goods in India

In India, packaged consumer goods carry the declarations of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, and packers and importers register under them. Some products need the BIS Standard Mark under a Quality Control Order. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 sets product liability and lets the Central Consumer Protection Authority order recalls.

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

Pack declarations
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011
Price
Maximum retail price inclusive of taxes, with unit sale price
Imports
Country of origin on the pack and, from 1 July 2027, an online filter
BIS orders
Products on the Scheme I and Scheme II lists
Plastic packaging
EPR registration on the CPCB portal
Recalls
Central Consumer Protection Authority, section 20

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product covered by a more specific guide: toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning or kitchenware? Read more
  2. 2Is it on BIS's list of products under compulsory certification? Read more
  3. 3Is the packer or importer registered, and does the pack carry the rule 6 declarations? Read more
  4. 4Does the online listing show the declarations and origin? Read more
  5. 5Is the plastic packaging covered by EPR? Read more
  6. 6Who answers if the product causes harm? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Which guide applies

Where other non-food products sit.

  • Toys, electrical and electronic products, clothing and footwear, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.
  • The Packaged Commodities Rules apply to pre-packed commodities sold at retail; the retail chapter does not apply to packages over 25 kg or 25 litres, or to industrial or institutional consumers.
  • Medical devices follow the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 for their declarations, under a 2025 amendment (G.S.R. 778(E)) to the Packaged Commodities Rules.
  • The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 applies to goods generally.

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

BIS Quality Control Orders

Products that need the BIS Standard Mark or registration.

  • Quality Control Orders, issued by the line ministry after consulting BIS, make conformity to an Indian Standard and the Standard Mark compulsory for listed products.
  • After an order takes effect, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale a covered product without the mark under a valid licence or certificate of conformity.
  • BIS's Scheme I list includes, for example, utility lighters (IS/ISO 22702:2018) and helmets for riders of two-wheeler motor vehicles.
  • Imported products under an order need a licence held by the foreign manufacturer under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
  • Contravention is punishable under section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016 with imprisonment, a fine or both.

How we help: Compliant Always records which Scheme I and Scheme II entries were checked for each product, and keeps any licence with it, dated. Ask about this

Pack declarations and registration

Rule 6 declarations and rule 27 registration.

  • Packs show the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer; the country of origin for imported goods; the common or generic name; net quantity or number; the month and year of manufacture; and the retail sale price as a maximum retail price inclusive of taxes in Indian currency.
  • A unit sale price is declared beside it, except where the retail sale price equals the unit sale price, and for combination, group or multi-piece packages (2023 amendment).
  • Each package bears the name, address, telephone number and email address for consumer complaints.
  • Minimum letter height ranges from 1 mm for a principal display panel under 50 cm² to 6 mm above 2500 cm².
  • Stickers may not be used to make or alter the declarations, except a sticker with a lower MRP that does not cover the original one.
  • Anyone who pre-packs or imports goods for sale registers with the Director or Controller of Legal Metrology (rule 27); importers may make declarations at AEO Tier-2 and Tier-3 bonded warehouses before goods leave them (2026).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations and letter sizes, and keeps the rule 27 registration on file. Ask about this

E-commerce listings

What online marketplaces show.

  • E-commerce entities display the rule 6 declarations on the listing, except the date of manufacture (rule 6(10), 2017).
  • Since 2023, loose goods ordered online, where the buyer knows the commodity, type and quantity, bear a shorter set: the maker, brand owner, importer or seller with origin for imports, consumer care details, retail sale price and net quantity (rule 26(g)).
  • From 1 July 2027, e-commerce platforms selling imported goods provide a searchable and sortable country-of-origin filter (G.S.R. 312(E), 27 April 2026).

How we help: Compliant Always compares listing details with the product record, so a listing and its pack say the same thing. Ask about this

Plastic packaging

Extended producer responsibility.

  • 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, or deal with unregistered entities, without registration.
  • The 2024 amendment sets labelling for recycled, compostable and biodegradable plastics; 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. Ask about this

Product liability and recall

The Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

  • A product manufacturer is liable for harm caused by a manufacturing defect, a design defect, a deviation from specifications, a breach of express warranty, or inadequate instructions or warnings, even without negligence (section 84).
  • A seller who is not the manufacturer is liable where it had substantial control over design, testing, packaging or labelling, altered the product, or gave its own warranty (section 86).
  • The Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of goods that are dangerous, hazardous or unsafe, reimbursement of their price, and discontinuation of unfair practices, after hearing the person (section 20).

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

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand ownerPack declarations, warnings, and EPR as a brand owner.The pack read against rule 6, with EPR registration on file.
Manufacturer or packerRule 27 registration, any BIS licence, and product liability.Registrations, licences and test reports kept with each product.
ImporterIts registration, the country of origin and its name on the pack, and BIS licences for covered goods.Supplier documents read and dated before shipment.
Online marketplaceShowing the declarations and, from 1 July 2027, the country-of-origin filter.Listing details compared with the record.

Central and state rules

Most product rules in India are central: FSSAI for food, CDSCO for imported cosmetics, BIS for standards and the Department of Consumer Affairs for packaged-goods declarations.

States license cosmetics manufacture, enforce food and legal metrology rules through their own officers, and run excise on alcohol.

Questions businesses ask

What must a product package show in India?
Under rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules: 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.
Is country of origin required on imported goods in India?
Yes. Rule 6(1)(aa), added in 2017, requires the country of origin or manufacture on imported packages, and from 1 July 2027 e-commerce platforms provide a country-of-origin filter.
Do I need Legal Metrology registration to import goods?
Yes. Rule 27 requires anyone who pre-packs or imports commodities for sale to register with the Director or Controller of Legal Metrology. From 2026, certificates remain valid until cancelled, with annual updates.
Can I put an MRP sticker on imported goods?
Importers may make declarations at AEO Tier-2 and Tier-3 bonded warehouses before goods leave them. Otherwise stickers may not make or alter declarations, except a lower MRP that leaves the original visible.
How big must the MRP be on a pack?
Minimum letter height depends on the principal display panel: 1 mm under 50 cm², 1.5 mm to 100 cm², 2.5 mm to 500 cm², 4 mm to 2500 cm² and 6 mm above.
What is a Quality Control Order?
An order made under the BIS Act, 2016 by the relevant ministry that makes conformity to an Indian Standard and use of the BIS Standard Mark compulsory for listed products, including imports.
Do e-commerce listings in India need product declarations?
Yes. E-commerce entities display the rule 6 declarations on the listing, except the date of manufacture.
Who must register for plastic EPR in India?
Producers of plastic packaging, importers of plastic packaging or of products in plastic packaging, and brand owners including online platforms, other than micro and small enterprises as brand owners. Registration is on the CPCB portal.
Who is liable for a defective product in India?
The manufacturer, under section 84 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, even without negligence. A seller is liable in some cases, such as where it controlled the labelling or gave its own warranty.
Can the Indian government order a product recall?
Yes. The Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of dangerous, hazardous or unsafe goods and reimbursement of their price, after hearing the person concerned.
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.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch