Rule 6 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Sub-rules (2), (3), (4) and (4A) of rule 6 are short but they are what inspectors see first on a pack: who the consumer can complain to, whether a sticker has been used to alter a declaration, and what optional codes may sit beside the mandatory declarations.
Every package must show the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person or office that can be contacted for consumer complaints. Individual stickers cannot be used to alter or make a required declaration, except a lower-MRP sticker that does not cover the original. Stickers may be used for declarations other than those required. Rule 6(4A) lets a manufacturer, packer or importer add a barcode, GTIN or QR code, an e-code and Government scheme logos.
Rule 6(2): consumer care details
The consolidation shows two versions of sub-rule (2).
| Version | Text |
|---|---|
| Original | "Every package shall bear the name, address, telephone number, E-mail address, if available, of the person who can be or the office which can be, contacted, in case of consumer complaints." |
| Substituted | "Every package shall bear the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address of the person who can be or the office which can be contacted, in case of consumer complaints." |
The substituted version came by G.S.R. 385(E) of 14 May 2015. The footnote says it "will be effective w.e.f. 1.1.2016, dispensed upto 30.6.2016". The words "if available" are gone, so the e-mail address is part of the list without that qualification. The footnote is short and we read "dispensed upto 30.6.2016" as a transition period ending on that date, but the wording is unclear and we do not rely on it beyond saying that such a transition is mentioned. The text we used is as amended up to G.S.R. 226(E) of 28 March 2022.
What the sub-rule does and does not say:
- The details must be those of a person or an office that can be contacted. It need not be the manufacturer's own address. A customer care cell of the brand owner can be named.
- It asks for a name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, all four.
- It does not say how many hours the line must be answered or whether complaints must be acted upon in a set time; the text is silent.
- Rule 7(5) (2017 text) says the size rules for numerals and letters still apply to consumer care details, even where another law deals with the information. See rule 7.
- Rule 9(4) requires the declarations to be in Hindi in Devanagari script or in English, and allows other languages in addition. See rules 8 and 9.
Food labels often carry consumer care details under food law as well; our FSSAI label compliance service can align the two.
Rule 6(3): no stickers to alter declarations
The text: "It shall not be permissible to affix individual stickers on the package for altering or making declaration required under these rules".
The proviso gives one exception: "for reducing the Maximum Retail Price (MRP), a sticker with the revised lower MRP (inclusive of all taxes) may be affixed and the same shall not cover the MRP declaration made by the manufacturer or the packer, as the case may be, on the label of the package."
Two readings matter.
- The bar covers making a declaration as well as altering one. A missing net quantity or date cannot be supplied by a hand-applied sticker.
- The word "individual" is not defined. It appears to mean stickers put on packages one by one, as opposed to a label printed or applied in the packing process. The text does not define it further, and rule 4(1) still allows a "securely affixed" label as part of pre-packing.
The rule does not address a sticker that raises a price. Rule 18(5) bars dealers from obliterating, smudging or altering the retail sale price, and rule 18(6) bars the manufacturer, packer or importer from altering the price on a wrapper once printed and used. See rule 18 and the MRP article.
Rule 6(4): stickers for other declarations
"It shall be permissible to use stickers for making any declaration other than the declaration required to be made under these rules." A sticker announcing a promotion, a festival offer or a marketing claim is therefore not caught by sub-rule (3), although other laws on claims and advertising may apply and are not in the sources.
Rule 6(4A): codes and logos
Sub-rule (4A), substituted by G.S.R. 629(E) of 23 June 2017 with effect from 1 January 2018, says nothing in the rule precludes a manufacturer, packer or importer from declaring the following in addition to the mandatory declarations:
- (a) a barcode, GTIN or QR code;
- (b) an "e-code" for net quantity assurance of the commodity and other required declarations, after obtaining it "in the manner as specified by the Central Government";
- (c) logos of Government schemes, such as Swachh Bharat Mission (the text prints "Swatch Bharat Mission"), where such use is authorised by the Central Government.
Points to note:
- These are permissions, not duties. Nothing in (4A) makes a barcode mandatory.
- They are additional to, and do not replace, the mandatory declarations.
- The e-code requires a process "as specified by the Central Government". The sources do not describe that process, a portal or a fee, and we do not either.
- A Government scheme logo is allowed only where the use is authorised.
Practical examples
Example 1. A packaged-tea brand prints "Customer Care: name, postal address, helpline number, e-mail" at the back. Sub-rule (2) asks for exactly those four items. The brand checks that the e-mail address is included, since the substituted text no longer says "if available".
Example 2. A retailer finds old stock with MRP Rs 250 and the net quantity line smudged. Sub-rule (3) does not allow a sticker to make the net quantity declaration. A fresh label applied in the packing process, not an individual sticker, is the route the Rules allow.
Example 3. A maker adds a QR code linking to a product page. Sub-rule (4A)(a) permits it in addition to the mandatory declarations.
Need help with consumer care and sticker practice?
Stickers and contact lines are a common source of inspection notes because they are visible at a glance. Our FSSAI label compliance service can review your label set, your relabelling practice and your use of codes against the Rules.
Key takeaways
- Sub-rule (2) asks for the name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of the person or office for consumer complaints.
- Sub-rule (3) bars individual stickers that alter or make a required declaration, except a lower-MRP sticker that does not cover the original.
- Sub-rule (4) allows stickers for other declarations.
- Sub-rule (4A) permits barcode, GTIN, QR code, e-code and authorised Government scheme logos in addition to mandatory declarations.
- The e-code procedure is not described in the sources.
Read next
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Maximum retail price and unit sale price
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Multi-component packs, veg dot, GM and imported labels
- Rule 7 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Principal display panel
- Mandatory declarations on pre-packaged commodities
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (as amended up to March 2022; check later amendments), read with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010), as on 30 September 2026. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (in force only from the date the Central Government notifies) amend the Act's penalty sections, not rule 6. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.