CCPA penalizes Amazon, Flipkart for selling unregistered herbicide

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed financial penalties on Amazon and Flipkart at ₹10 lakh each, while JioMart faces a ₹5 lakh fine for unauthorized sales of 'Cyclosinone Herbicide' on their respective platforms. The action follows an investigation into the sale and advertisement of the agro-chemical product, which was marketed without disclosing the chemical name of its active ingredient or composition details.

In an order dated September 22, the consumer protection regulator directed all three e-commerce companies to immediately halt the sale and promotion of the product. The investigation revealed that the herbicide was being sold in violation of existing regulations governing agro-chemical products, raising potential hazards to consumer safety.

Beyond the monetary penalties, the CCPA has mandated that the e-commerce platforms conduct comprehensive self-audits to prevent future listings of products that breach applicable laws or endanger consumers. The companies have been instructed to submit detailed compliance reports within 15 days of receiving the order.

The probe was initiated following a complaint forwarded by the Union Ministry of Agriculture, which had been originally filed by the Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI). The action underscores the CCPA's focus on ensuring that e-commerce platforms exercise due diligence in vetting products sold on their platforms, particularly in the agricultural inputs sector.