Jamshedpur, December 6: India’s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) seized hundreds of cases of bottled water in Jharkhand after a manufacturer was found using the ISI quality mark without a licence, officials said on Friday.
An enforcement team from the BIS Jamshedpur Branch Office raided the premises of Mahadev Beverages in Bokaro after receiving credible information that the firm was misusing the ISI mark on packaged drinking water covered under national standard IS 14543:2024.
The team, led by Director Kunal Kumar and comprising senior BIS officials, conducted a search and seizure operation at the unit, which produces packaged water under the brand name “ALKAPURE”.
During the raid, officials found 384 cases of bottled water — each containing 12 one-litre bottles — carrying the ISI mark without authorisation. The team also seized 500 empty bottles with labels bearing the ISI logo and the ALKAPURE brand name.
“The firm had violated Section 17 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, by applying the ISI mark without a valid licence,” said Kaushelendra Kumar, a BIS Scientist-E who took part in the operation. He said such violations could attract up to two years’ imprisonment or a minimum fine of ₹2 lakh, which may extend to 10 times the value of the seized goods, under Section 29(3) of the Act.
BIS said it would continue rigorous enforcement to ensure only certified and compliant products reach consumers, and warned of strict action against any misuse of national quality standards.
