Country of origin is the country where a product was made or produced, shown to the buyer on the listing and the pack. For Indian e-commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs notified the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Amendment Rules, 2026 on 13 February 2026, effective 1 July 2026. The new sub-rule (10A) under Rule 6 requires e-commerce entities selling imported products to offer searchable and sortable country-of-origin filters.
What sellers have to do
The filter is a platform obligation, but it runs on your data. Platforms can only filter what you declare, so every listing needs an accurate country of origin in the catalogue field, matching the pack. The rule is for imported products, though the notification does not define "imported product", and it does not say how platforms will verify seller declarations.
Before and after
Since January 2018, platforms have had to display country of origin, manufacturer name, quantity and MRP on product pages. The 2026 change goes further by making the whole catalogue filterable by origin. A draft was circulated on 23 October 2025 and the final rule gave platforms about four and a half months to comply.
Who is covered
SCC Online's explainer says the amendment applies to marketplace platforms, inventory-based e-commerce entities, foreign e-commerce companies operating in India, and direct-to-consumer brands selling imported goods online. It frames the duties as the entity's: identify imported products separately, add a clear country-of-origin field, enable search and sort filters, and align back-end product data with the front-end filters. If you run your own D2C site that sells imported goods, you are the entity.
What is not confirmed
We did not find the gazette text on a government site, so the sub-rule number and dates rest on the two reports above, which agree. The notification does not say how platforms will check seller claims, how "imported" is defined, or what the penalty for a missing filter is. Check the Department of Consumer Affairs site or your platform's notice before acting on edge cases such as products assembled in India from imported parts.
Practical steps
- Audit your catalogue for blank or wrong origin fields, starting with imported items and white-label goods.
- Match the listing to the printed pack.
- Keep import or supplier paperwork that supports the claim.
- Read the wider rules on pack declarations in Legal Metrology for packaged commodities.
Blooprint's catalogue and listing optimisation work includes this kind of attribute clean-up. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm with a lawyer.