India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken action against seven online platforms over listings for regulated explosive materials, issuing ₹3 million in penalties and pressing marketplaces to check sellers and buyers.
An Oct. 19 statement from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said the platforms removed a mixed total of 3,940 seller and listing entries after the CCPA intervened. That figure is not a count of distinct sellers: TradeIndia had 210 listings associated with 166 sellers.
The ministry also listed 3,092 sellers for IndiaMART, 421 for ExportersIndia, 206 for Justdial and 11 for Dial4Trade. The other platforms named were Sigma-Aldrich India and Ibuychemikals. Both sell their own products rather than hosting third-party sellers, and the ministry gave no seller counts for them.
The cases involve pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), picric acid, gunpowder and ammonium nitrate. The CCPA fined Dial4Trade ₹1 million over ammonium nitrate listings. ExportersIndia received two ₹1 million penalties: one concerning ammonium nitrate and PETN, and the other picric acid.
The ministry said the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission dismissed Dial4Trade’s appeal after an Oct. 9 hearing. ExportersIndia has appealed both of its orders. IndiaMART has challenged the regulator’s notices in the Delhi High Court and responded to an investigation report, according to the ministry.
India’s Explosives Act, 1884, provides for rules governing activities involving explosives, including their sale. The ministry said such sales require licenses. It wants marketplaces to display sellers’ valid Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) license details and, before a transaction, check who the buyer is and whether the buyer is licensed. The ministry described the action as a measure to protect consumers and public security.
Investigations involving Sigma-Aldrich Chemicals Private Limited, TradeIndia and Ibuychemikals continue, the ministry said. Justdial’s final hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23.
