If you operate a Family Entertainment Centre (FEC), trampoline park, or gaming zone in India with imported arcade machines, you have approximately 14 months to ensure compliance with new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) regulations—or risk seizures, fines up to 10 times the value of goods, and even imprisonment. This isn't speculation; it's already happening to e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart.
The New Reality: BIS Quality Control Order 2025
In May 2025, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs issued the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2025. Among the 90 categories of products now requiring mandatory BIS/ISI certification is the category "Amusement Machines and Personal Service Machines" under IS 302 (Part 1):2024.
This covers virtually every arcade cabinet, redemption game, VR pod, racing simulator, and coin-operated amusement device in your venue. The enforcement dates are staggered by business size:
- Large & Medium Enterprises: 19 March 2026
- Small Enterprises: 19 June 2026
- Micro Enterprises: 19 September 2026
From these dates forward, manufacturing, importing, selling, or even storing non-BIS arcade machines becomes a criminal offence under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.
The Government Is Already Raiding—Hard
If you think enforcement will be lax, consider what's already happening. In FY 2024-25, BIS conducted market surveillance raids on 22 e-commerce warehouses across 12 states. Of 344 products sampled, 142 were found without valid BIS certification and seized.
High-Profile Raids in 2025
- March 19, 2025: A 15-hour raid on an Amazon warehouse in Delhi's Mohan Cooperative area seized over 3,500 electrical devices worth ₹70 lakh—geysers, mixers, and appliances either lacking BIS marks or bearing fake ones.
- Same day: A Flipkart/Instakart warehouse in Trinagar, Delhi lost 590 pairs of sports footwear worth ₹6 lakh.
- March 7, 2025: An Amazon warehouse in Lucknow had 215 toys and 24 hand blenders seized—none had mandatory BIS certification.
- Vijayawada: BIS raided warehouses serving Flipkart, E-Kart, and Meesho, seizing goods across 25+ categories.
These aren't isolated incidents. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) separately seized illegal Chinese toys worth ₹6.5 crore for violating BIS and Foreign Trade Policy norms. The message is clear: the government is using warehouses and logistics nodes as chokepoints to enforce compliance.
Why Chinese Arcade Machines Are the Next Target
The vast majority of arcade equipment in Indian FECs comes from China—ticket redemption games, racing simulators, claw machines, VR pods, and motion rides. Here's the uncomfortable truth: most of these machines don't have BIS certification.
Why Most Chinese Arcade Equipment Lacks BIS
- The QCO for amusement machines was only notified in May 2025—Chinese factories haven't caught up yet.
- BIS certification for foreign manufacturers requires appointing an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR), factory inspections by BIS officials, testing at BIS-recognized labs, and 6-8 months of processing time.
- For Chinese factories serving dozens of countries, India-specific certification is often deprioritized until absolutely necessary.
- Product listings typically show CE or RoHS marks (for EU/general use), but these are not valid for India.
This means if you've imported arcade machines from China in the past few years, they're almost certainly not BIS-certified. And once enforcement begins in March 2026, these machines become illegal contraband—in your venue.
5 Critical Risks for FEC and Trampoline Park Owners
1. Regulatory Raids & Seizures
If BIS can raid Amazon and Flipkart warehouses, they can raid your FEC. Under the BIS Act, officials have power to search, seize, and prosecute. Your venue is a commercial site with public access—exactly the kind of location inspectors target. A single complaint or routine inspection could trigger seizure of all non-compliant machines.
2. Legal & Financial Penalties
Section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016 provides for:
- First offence: Fine of minimum ₹2 lakh OR imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
- Subsequent offences: Fine of minimum ₹5 lakh, extendable up to 10 times the value of seized goods, OR imprisonment up to 2 years, or both
- Criminal prosecution of business owners and responsible officers
For an FEC with 20-30 non-BIS arcade machines worth ₹50 lakh-₹1 crore, the financial exposure is catastrophic.
3. Safety & Liability Exposure
Non-BIS machines may have substandard wiring, inadequate grounding, poor over-current protection, or exposed mechanical hazards. The BIS standard IS 302 (Part 1):2024 specifically addresses electrical safety, thermal/fire hazard prevention, and mechanical safety.
If a child is injured on a non-certified machine:
- Civil liability under Consumer Protection laws
- Criminal liability for negligence (knowingly using non-certified equipment)
- Insurance claims may be denied if equipment doesn't meet national standards
4. Insurance & Reputational Damage
Most commercial insurance policies include clauses requiring equipment compliance with applicable national standards. Operating non-BIS machines could void your coverage entirely. And when media covers a safety incident or raid at your venue, the reputational damage to your brand—and relationships with mall partners—can be irreparable.
5. Business Continuity Risk
If a raid seals or seizes your top-earning machines during peak season—school holidays, weekends, festivals—your revenue evaporates overnight. Customers demand refunds. Social media fills with negative reviews. Recovery takes months, if it happens at all.
The Retrofit Problem: Why You Can't Just "Get BIS" for Existing Machines
Many FEC owners assume they can simply certify their existing machines retroactively. The reality is far more complex:
- The original manufacturer (typically a Chinese factory) must apply for BIS certification—not the Indian importer or FEC owner.
- The manufacturer must appoint an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) who shares legal liability.
- BIS officials must conduct factory inspections in China.
- Sample machines must be tested at BIS-recognized laboratories.
- The entire process takes 6-8 months minimum and costs significantly per model.
- If you bought through a trading company, you may have no direct relationship with the factory—and no leverage to make them pursue certification.
This means many operators face a hard choice: write off non-BIS machines over time, or accept increasing regulatory and safety risk until the inevitable raid.
Actionable Compliance Strategy for FEC Owners
Immediate Actions (Next 0-6 Months)
- Inventory Audit: List all amusement/arcade machines with model numbers, manufacturer names, country of origin, and installation dates.
- BIS Status Check: For each model, request BIS license/ISI numbers from your supplier. Verify them using the BIS Care App or online databases at bis.gov.in.
- Stop Buying Non-BIS: Halt any new purchases from suppliers who cannot demonstrate valid BIS certification for the specific models you're ordering.
- Contract Protection: Add clauses to new purchase orders requiring BIS compliance, indemnity for regulatory seizures, and obligation to share certification documentation.
Medium-Term Actions (6-18 Months)
- Prioritize by Risk: Categorize machines by revenue impact and safety risk. Address high-power, high-revenue machines first.
- Shift to Compliant Suppliers: Source from Indian manufacturers with existing ISI licenses, or international suppliers actively pursuing BIS with evidence (AIR appointments, test reports, pending applications).
- Engage Manufacturers: If you have strong relationships with Chinese suppliers, encourage them to pursue BIS—consider co-funding certification in exchange for exclusivity or better pricing.
- Internal Policy: Document a compliance policy stating no newly-installed machine will operate without BIS documentation.
Long-Term Strategy (18+ Months)
- Fleet Modernization: Over 2-3 years, phase out all legacy non-BIS machines. Replace with certified equipment or modular systems that can be easily re-certified.
- Marketing Differentiation: Position your venue as "All machines meet Indian safety standards (BIS/ISI)"—a genuine differentiator with safety-conscious families.
- Ongoing Monitoring: Assign a compliance owner to track new QCOs. VR/AR devices are already coming under CRS; future orders may target additional amusement tech.
Questions to Ask Your Current Supplier
Before your next purchase, demand clear answers:
- Does this specific model have a valid BIS/ISI license number? (Not just CE or RoHS)
- Can you provide a copy of the BIS license certificate and test reports?
- Who is the Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) for the manufacturer?
- If not yet certified, what is the timeline and will you guarantee completion before March 2026?
- Will you indemnify me against regulatory seizures if certification is not obtained?
Any supplier who cannot answer these questions clearly is selling you regulatory liability.
The Bottom Line
The same enforcement machinery that's raiding Amazon and Flipkart warehouses today is on a collision course with Chinese arcade machines in Indian FECs and trampoline parks. The QCO 2025 deadline of March 19, 2026 is not theoretical—it's a hard date backed by demonstrated enforcement capability.
FEC owners who act now have 14 months to audit their equipment, transition to compliant suppliers, and phase out problematic machines. Those who wait will face seizures, fines, criminal prosecution, and the very real possibility of watching their business shut down during a routine inspection.
The choice is yours: compliance now, or crisis later.
How Bamigos Can Help
At Bamigos, we specialize in interactive projection games, floor games, and wall games manufactured in India with full BIS compliance. Our systems are designed for commercial venues like FECs, trampoline parks, malls, schools, and corporate entertainment spaces.
Unlike imported arcade cabinets facing certification uncertainty, our interactive projection technology is already compliant with Indian standards—giving you peace of mind as regulations tighten.
Contact us to learn how you can modernize your venue with BIS-compliant, high-engagement gaming systems that won't put your business at regulatory risk.
References & Further Reading
- BIS Quality Control Order 2025 - Official Gazette: bis.gov.in
- BIS Raids 22 E-Commerce Warehouses - Press Information Bureau (PIB)
- BIS Act, 2016 - Section 17 and Section 29 provisions
- IS 302 (Part 1):2024 - Safety standard for electrical appliances
- FMCS Guidelines for Foreign Manufacturers - India Briefing
