MAM
Amazon India inks MoU with Silk Mark Organisation of India
NEW DELHI: Amazon India has signed an MoU with the Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI). As part of the MoU, Amazon will launch an exclusive Silk Mark store with Silk Mark labelled products through multiple sellers associated with the organization. Through this collaboration, Amazon.in will have a significant impact on the lives of numerous weavers and craftsmen associated with more than 4,200 Silk Mark authorised users across the country. The launch will help showcase over 3000 products initially and customers will get access to silk mark assured genuine 100 per cent pure silk products like sarees, dress materials, salwar kameez sets, scarves, stoles, jackets, shirts, ties, etc.
Silk Mark authorised users and numerous weavers and craftsmen associated with them will be part of Amazon Karigar, a program that enables weavers, artisans and micro-entrepreneurs to come online and access a wider market base through Amazon. Sellers’ part of Silk Mark Organization of India (SMOI) will be able to avail additional benefits by selling their products on the Amazon India marketplace including discounted referral fees, support with shipping and delivery of products, imaging and marketing support, technical training and business and sales support. This association will also enable an expansion of the customer base for these weavers and sellers, bringing in greater recognition for their work and providing more employment opportunities.
Amazon India head- MSME empowerment and seller experience Pranav Bhasin said: “Artisans and weavers are a key part of our community and are in need of support to reach customers. At Amazon, our vision is to empower and encourage the growth of artisans and weavers in our mission to bring all forms of Indian crafts online and expand the selection for customers. We are focused on enabling small and medium sellers to embrace online selling and expand their business. The launch of Silk Mark labelled products through our association will enable thousands of weavers across India to sell online and reach millions of Amazon customers.”
Silk Mark certification is an initiative of the Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Silk Mark certified products come with the Silk Mark Label. These are affixed only on pure silk products by the Authorised Users of Silk Mark. Each label has a hologram and a unique number printed on it which helps the consumer trace the product back to the Authorised User. The launch of Silk Mark certified products ahead of the ensuing wedding season on Amazon.in will help thousands of weavers reach millions of Amazon customers with Silk Mark certified products.
"Silk Mark Organisation of India, Central Silk Board is delighted to associate with Amazon India as the online market place for Silk Mark Labeled 100 per cent pure silk products from our Authorised Users. The exclusive Silk Mark Store on Amazon Karigar and Amazon India bazaar is in line with the Go Digital mandate of the government and will help over 4200 Silk Mark Authorised Users spread across India reach millions of Amazon customers. Silk Mark Label is the only assurance of purity of silk and the Silk Mark Store will have a wide range of 100% assured pure silk products. Through this association, the Silk Mark Authorised Users can expand their trade and provide direct and indirect employment to many silk farmers, weavers and craftsmen working for them. In addition to this, it will also help ensure access to 100% pure Silk Mark Labeled products to millions of customers across the country” said Silk Mark Organisation of India VC and central silk board, ministry of textiles, government of India CEO and member secretary Rajit Ranjan Okhandiar.
MAM
Brands push beyond compliance as trust takes centre stage
ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026 spotlights shift from legal checks to credibility.
MUMBAI: In a world where a disclaimer can be legally sound yet socially suspect, brands are learning that compliance may tick boxes but trust wins markets. At the inaugural ASCI AdTrust Summit 2026, a panel on “Beyond Compliance: The New Currency of Trust” unpacked a growing industry reality: the gap between what the law permits and what consumers accept is widening and fast.
Moderated by Meenakshi Ramkumar of National Law School of India University, the discussion brought together leaders across law, marketing and academia to examine how brands must evolve in a digital ecosystem increasingly shaped by scrutiny, scepticism and speed.
Ramkumar set the tone by highlighting a critical shift, advertising today operates in the same digital space that fuels misinformation, scams and fake news, making credibility harder to establish. “The challenge is not just about what brands do, but the broader context of low institutional trust,” she noted, adding that when violations go unchecked, trust erodes not just in brands but in the regulatory system itself.
This vacuum, she said, has given rise to consumer activism from boycotts to social media backlash as a parallel accountability mechanism.
For Amit Bhasin, Chief Legal Officer at Marico, the distinction was clear, legal compliance is non negotiable, but insufficient. “Compliance is the minimum threshold. The real challenge is staying aligned with changing consumer expectations,” he said.
He pointed to how advertising narratives have evolved from traditional depictions of gender roles to more shared responsibilities reflecting a broader societal shift. “Earlier, it was fine to show one person doing the household work. Today, that may not land well. Consumers expect brands to reflect reality,” Bhasin observed.
He also highlighted internal debates where campaigns that may be legally permissible are still rejected for being culturally insensitive, noting that responsible advertising often requires asking uncomfortable questions before the public does.
If compliance is the baseline, reputation is the battlefield.
Bhasin noted that reputational risk has become a far greater concern than legal exposure, particularly in an era where campaigns can be dissected within hours online. “Earlier, a controversial ad might invite a newspaper editorial. Today, within hours, you’re at the centre of a storm,” he said.
Brands, he added, now evaluate campaigns through a dual lens legal viability and reputational vulnerability with the latter often proving more decisive.
From a healthcare perspective, Satish Sahoo of Cipla Health underscored the complexity of operating within fragmented yet stringent regulatory frameworks, spanning drugs, food, cosmetics and Ayush. “Anything under a drug licence is the most tightly regulated,” he said, adding that this necessitates proactive, not reactive, compliance.
He shared an example from the oral rehydration salts (ORS) category, where Cipla resisted the temptation to position products aggressively despite competitive pressure. “Our product is WHO compliant, and our communication reflects that. We chose not to blur the lines, even if others did,” he noted.
The long term payoff, he suggested, lies in credibility built over consistency, not quick wins.
Yet, as Harsha N of National Law School of India University pointed out, even perfect compliance does not guarantee trust. Drawing from historical and modern examples from exaggerated product claims in the 1800s to contemporary environmental and health advertising, he argued that legal frameworks often lag behind consumer expectations. “A brand can be fully compliant and still be perceived as misleading,” he said, citing instances where fine print disclosures fail to reach or convince the average consumer. He added that larger companies carry a disproportionate responsibility to set ethical benchmarks, even in areas where the law remains silent.
The conversation also turned to digital advertising, where the challenge extends beyond content to how ads are experienced. From algorithmic targeting to personalised messaging, brands now operate in an environment where regulation struggles to keep pace with technology.
Sahoo noted that social media has amplified awareness, with influencers and consumers increasingly scrutinising product claims and calling out inconsistencies. “Awareness has gone up dramatically. People are questioning what goes into products and what brands are saying,” he said.
The role of self regulatory bodies such as Advertising Standards Council of India also came under the spotlight.
Harsha acknowledged that while SROs play a crucial role, they are not immune to criticism, particularly around perceived conflicts of interest and enforcement gaps. “SROs have a higher threshold of responsibility not just to interpret the law, but to anticipate societal expectations,” he said.
He added that failures in self regulation often push the burden back onto government intervention, underscoring the need for stronger, more proactive oversight.
One of the more nuanced debates centred on whether building trust comes at a cost. While Sahoo acknowledged that quality and compliance can increase costs, he argued that companies must absorb them as part of their long term strategy.
Bhasin, however, framed the challenge differently not as cost, but as competitiveness in a market where not all players play by the same rules. “The real tension is when others cut corners and you choose not to,” he said.
The panel concluded with a call to embed trust into business metrics.
Sahoo suggested that organisations must go beyond revenue targets to include consumer equity and trust based KPIs, ensuring that ethical considerations are not sidelined in the pursuit of growth. “Trust sounds abstract, but it can translate into measurable consumer equity,” he said.
As the discussion wrapped up, one message stood out: the rules of advertising are being rewritten not just by regulators, but by consumers themselves. In an ecosystem where attention is fleeting and scepticism is high, brands that merely comply may survive, but those that build trust are the ones that endure.
