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CropLife India flags illegal pesticide sales on e-commerce platforms
NEW DELHI: CropLife India has raised alarm over the growing online sale of unauthorised pesticides, warning that gaps in regulation and enforcement across e-commerce platforms risk exposing farmers to hazardous and spurious products.
The industry body, which represents 17 research-led crop protection companies, called for a strong joint government–industry framework to bring accountability, licensing and traceability into digital agri-input supply chains. The concerns come as the government reviews pesticide regulation under the draft pesticides management bill, 2025.
The issue took centre stage at CropLife India’s national conference on crop protection products sale on e-commerce platforms, held in New Delhi, where policymakers, regulators and industry executives examined how agri-input sales are shifting online and where oversight is falling short.
Addressing the gathering, ministry of agriculture & farmers welfare agriculture commissioner P K Singh, said basic compliance checks such as GST verification were inadequate when hazardous products are sold digitally. He stressed the need for tighter quality assurance, traceability and supply-chain accountability, and said these risks must be addressed explicitly in the new law.
Insecticides board & registration committee secretary Subhash Chand, warned that while digitisation is expanding access in rural India, pesticides remain hazardous products requiring shared responsibility between platforms and manufacturers. ONDC domain lead – agriculture Ravi Shankar underlined the importance of better cataloguing, advisory information and traceability to help farmers distinguish genuine products from fakes.
CropLife India chairman Ankur Aggarwal said the industry was not opposed to online sales but to the absence of enforceable safeguards. “Tackling unauthorised products is critical for farmer safety, food security and trust,” he said, adding that regulation must evolve with digital commerce.
The association pointed out that pesticides are governed by the insecticides act, 1968 and insecticides rules, 1971, which strictly limit sales to licensed sellers, approved products, defined geographies and valid at from manufacturers or importers. However, e-commerce platforms facilitating such sales are not required to hold licences under pesticide law, nor explicitly mandated to verify product authorisations, creating a regulatory blind spot.
Risks are sharper in inventory-led e-commerce models, where storage and dispatch may occur from warehouses not licensed under existing rules, weakening inspection, sampling and traceability. CropLife India also clarified that rule 10E, introduced in 2022 to permit online or doorstep delivery, does not waive licensing or authorisation requirements, despite being widely misinterpreted.
With inspections largely tied to licensed premises, enforcement agencies struggle to track responsibility across fragmented digital supply chains, delaying action against illegal products. While welcoming the intent of the draft bill, CropLife India said it fails to clearly address platform-level accountability, licensing in inventory models and digital traceability.
The association said it will submit its recommendations through the formal consultation process, calling for what it described as “regulated enablement” of digital agri-commerce.
Brands
Bajaj Consumer Care FY26 profit rises to Rs 193.7 crore
Revenue climbs to Rs 1,092 crore as profit grows 49 per cent YoY
MUMBAI: Hair today, growth tomorrow Bajaj Consumer Care Limited seems to have found its shine again, posting a sharp jump in profitability even as it doubled down on brand spends and expansion. The company reported a net profit of Rs 193.7 crore for FY26, marking a strong 49 per cent rise from Rs 130.1 crore in FY25. Revenue from operations also grew to Rs 1,092.2 crore, up from Rs 942.8 crore a year earlier, signalling steady demand momentum across its portfolio.
For the March quarter, profit stood at Rs 64.1 crore, compared to Rs 31.5 crore in the corresponding period last year, while revenue rose to Rs 308.3 crore from Rs 243.5 crore.
The performance came despite a notable increase in spending. Advertising and sales promotion expenses climbed to Rs 168.3 crore in FY26, up from Rs 137.8 crore in FY25, reflecting continued investment in brand building. Other expenses also rose to Rs 151.3 crore from Rs 134.2 crore, indicating a broader push towards growth.
Operating efficiency, however, held firm. Profit before tax increased to Rs 234.8 crore in FY26 from Rs 157.7 crore a year earlier, supported by disciplined cost management across materials and inventory.
On the balance sheet, the company’s total assets expanded to Rs 959.1 crore as of March 31, 2026, compared to Rs 931.9 crore a year earlier. Other equity rose to Rs 780.3 crore, reinforcing a stronger financial base.
Cash flow from operations saw a significant uptick, reaching Rs 196.9 crore in FY26, nearly three times the Rs 67.9 crore recorded in FY25, highlighting improved working capital management.
However, the year also saw aggressive capital allocation. The company spent Rs 190.2 crore on share buybacks, contributing to a net cash outflow of Rs 196.5 crore from financing activities. Cash and cash equivalents stood at Rs 6.8 crore at the end of the year, down from Rs 25.6 crore.
Even as investments in subsidiaries and assets continued, the numbers suggest a company balancing growth ambitions with shareholder returns keeping one eye on expansion and the other on efficiency.
With margins improving and revenue steadily climbing, Bajaj Consumer Care appears to be combing through the competition with renewed confidence.
