The toy market is going through a major change, a recent development in which BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards ) conducted a massive raid that led to the seizure of 18,000 toys across India. Many major toy stores such as Hamleys, and Archie’s, were raided for quality standards. In January 2021, BIS made an announcement for quality control that all toys must have mandatory BIS certification.
Impact on Online Marketplaces: Amazon, Flipkart, and others
An official notice from the authorities has also been sent to major Marketplaces such as Amazon , Flipkart and others, to allow listing and sale of only BIS-marked toys and remove or ban all other cheap quality toys on the platform.
The real question that arises is to understand the complete process of the marketplace’s quality check before enrolling a seller.
How Marketplaces like Amazon Implement quality standards for toy sellers?
Each marketplace be it amazon, flipkart and others have there own eligibility factors to decide enrollment of sellers of different products
Lets understand the mechanism for toy sellers on amazon
Amazon is among the largest marketplace and follows a certain eligibility requirement from all sellers in terms of categories to become eligible on the platform, in case of toy sellers, different toys need specified certification standards such as
| Amazon Requirements | Sellers must provide |
| Mandatory Business Details | Name, Email, GSTIN , Phone Number |
| Squishy Toys | A document which confirms that the product was tested according to ISO 17025 |
| Electric Toys | Lab test and relevant certification for IS15644 which includes(safety test for heating,abnormal operation, strength of operation , room temperature strength of electric equipments, radiation proof) |
It is mandatory for all toys to have an ISI mark on them to sell online and offline as per BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards)
But why are there still loopholes in the standards?
Despite such regulations it is clearly evident that substandard toys are being sold on the marketplaces like amazon and flipkart which clearly indicates the loopholes in the authenticity of the process.
These mandatory certifications are mostly conducted by third party service providers , such as testing laboratories. This availability of the majority of substandard toys on amazon hints towards fake certifications to bypass the quality check.
- Devastating Results of Marketplaces loopholes
Very recently an agra based seller on flipkart sold acid, due to which a class 12 female student in delhi was attacked by two customers, who ordered it, all such news indicates there is definite requirement to make the marketplaces more secure and strict in terms of regulation and standard check.
- Loopholes in import orders from outside India
As BIS is mandatory, this creates a barrier for substandard toys in the market but a network of substandard sellers order different parts of toys individually, which are then assembled as one unit to make the sellable toy, this loophole in the custom duty check is also one of the reason of concern to stop substandard toys entry completely.
How can Quality Check be improved?
- More Strictness from Marketplace Inhouse Team
This can be improved by strengthening the in house regulation check teams on marketplaces, the process of enrollment of a new seller must go through better quality check points.
- Third Party Compliance Services
Some new businesses can also provide third party compliance services to bridge the gap of compliance requirements met accurately for the sellers and the marketplaces.
- A specialized Government Wing to regulate marketplaces Better
Government should also take serious steps in creating a different department altogether which can solely dedicate its functioning in ensuring Indian quality standards on online marketplaces for all categories of all sellers.
- Will this in-house, third party compliance service and Separate Government department prove to be beneficial or not for sellers ?
This change will be good for quality standards sellers for toys and will promote new businesses which wish to join the toy industry, as the removal of sub standard toys from the marketplaces will open doors for new and already genuine toy selling sellers to increase their business on marketplaces like amazon, flipkart and others.