Indian toy retailers play hardball as they sit on non-BIS inventory

Some shut shop as they fear raids

Indian toy retailers are sitting on inventories they acquired before certification by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) became mandatory, forcing many to shut shop temporarily. Toy retailers Business Standard spoke to feared losing their stockpile to surprise raids.

The BIS grants licence to toy-manufacturing units based on an assessment of their manufacturing and testing wherewithal through factory visits, as well as testing of toys in BIS laboratories (labs) or BIS-recognised labs in line with Indian standards.

No individual is allowed to manufacture, import, sell/distribute, store, hire, lease/exhibit for sale toys that do not conform to the Indian standards