Private Labels

The Department of Consumer Affairs has launched an online portal enabling private industries, laboratories and testing facilities to apply for recognition as Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), marking a shift towards public-private partnership in India's legal metrology framework. Applications can be submitted through https://doca.gov.in/gatc until November 30, 2025, the department said in a statement. The initiative follows amendments to the Legal Metrology Government Approved Test Centre Rules, 2013, notified on October 23, 2025, which, for the first time, allow private sector participation in verifying weighing and measuring instruments used in trade and commerce. Recognised GATCs will be authorised to verify 18 types of instruments, including water meters, sphygmomanometers, clinical thermometers, automatic rail weighbridges, tape measures, load cells, beam scales and counter machines. Organisations must have proper testing and calibration facilities linked to national .

The move is expected to have a significant impact on companies like Amazon, Flipkart, Reliance and Tata, which have a large number of private labels

The Gurugram-based firm is expecting its GMV to touch around Rs 30,000 crore by 2022 as the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift towards online grocery

Growing demand for value-for-money products and higher margins make this a profitable growth option

From detergents to electronic goods and fashion, retailers bet big on private labels as consumers look for affordable options within the branded universe

E-commerce firms are being targeted as offline retails have traditionally owned private labels, said industry experts

Independent sellers are now experimenting with newer players such as Google

The private labels from Flipkart are based on this understanding of customer preferences, need gaps and quality issues

A large number of companies are nurturing brands in-house before taking them to the mass market