By Soniya:
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, and JioMart over the alleged sale of herbicide products on their platforms. The action, taken on 16 May 2026, highlights the government’s increasing scrutiny of online marketplaces dealing in regulated and potentially hazardous products.
The CCPA functions under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and operates under the Department of Consumer Affairs. It is responsible for addressing unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements, and violations of consumer rights across India.
This latest move comes months after the authority imposed penalties on several digital platforms in January 2026 for the illegal sale of unauthorised walkie-talkies and radio communication devices. During that investigation, the CCPA identified more than 16,900 non-compliant listings across various online marketplaces.
The regulator found that several sellers had promoted certain walkie-talkies as “licence-free” and “100% legal” despite operating outside India’s permitted licence-exempt frequency bands. Under Indian law, radio equipment must comply with licensing norms, Equipment Type Approval (ETA), and spectrum regulations wherever applicable.
The CCPA clarified that e-commerce platforms cannot escape responsibility by claiming to be passive intermediaries when they facilitate the listing, promotion, and sale of regulated products. To strengthen oversight, the authority had earlier introduced the “Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie-Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms” in 2025.
As part of the January 2026 crackdown, Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, and Meta Platforms Inc. were each fined ₹10 lakh, while JioMart, Talk Pro, Chimiya, and MaskMan Toys were penalised ₹1 lakh each.
The latest notices over herbicide sales indicate that authorities are now extending compliance monitoring to other sensitive product categories sold online, particularly those linked to public safety, agriculture, and regulated chemicals.
