At 73%, Delhi tops sale of substandard products: Survey

NEW DELHI: Beware when you pick up a cheap LED (light emitting diode) lamp next time you are looking for an ‘efficient’ bulb. Though the bulb may cost 50% less than the one from a known manufacturer, it may prove costly in the longer run by consuming more energy and also put the electrical wiring system of your home at risk.
A Nielsen survey of 200 retail outlets spread across New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad has found 76% of LED bulbs brands and 71% of LED downlighter (roof-mounted) brands do not comply with consumer safety standards for lights specified by the Bureau of Indian Standards and the electronics and I-T ministry.
According to the survey, commissioned by the Electric Lamp and Component Manufacturers’ Association, 73% of the LED bulb and downlighter brands surveyed in Delhi did not conform to BIS standards. This makes Delhi the city with the highest degree of violation of BIS norms in the country.
The survey does not pertain to the LED bulbs being procured and distributed through discoms or specified outlets under the government’s Ujala scheme, which aims at replacing all the 770 million conventional or CFL (compact fluoroscent bulbs) lamps in the country with LED bulbs.
The Nielsen survey showed that 48% of LED bulb brands did not mention the manufacturer’s address and 31% brands did not have the manufacturer’s name. Similarly, the study on LED downlighters showed that of the total sample size, 45% brands did not have a manufacturer’s name and 51% brands had no mention of the manufacturer’s address.