The Department of Consumer Affairs has implemented an “Improvement Notice” system under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, enabling enterprises to fix specific first-time procedural or regulatory non-compliance issues prior to the initiation of penalty proceedings.
According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, which promotes ease of doing business (EoDB), promotes voluntary compliance, and lowers unnecessary litigation, has put the reform into effect.
According to the statement, the new mechanism permits a Legal Metrology Officer to issue an Improvement Notice to companies that commit specific first-time procedural or regulatory errors, specifying the problem and allowing a fair amount of time for correction.
Penal procedures can be avoided if the company complies within the deadline.
Nevertheless, further action under the Legal Metrology Act will be taken against continuous infractions, failure to follow the Improvement Notice, fraud, tampering, and other acts that negatively influence consumer interests.
Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Public Distribution, Food, and Consumer Affairs, declared that the Improvement Notice mechanism’s introduction is “another step towards trust-based government and simplicity of conducting business. ”
The government has implemented the Improvement Notice mechanism under the Legal Metrology Act of 2009, according to his message on the social media network X, which gives businesses the chance to correct certain first-time procedural and regulatory non-compliances before penal proceedings are started.
To safeguard the interests of consumers, the minister stated that the measure would promote voluntary compliance, lessen needless litigation, and reduce the compliance burden while guaranteeing severe action against fraud, tampering, and recurring offenses.
The government announced that the mechanism strives to establish a more transparent, predictable, and business-friendly regulatory framework while upholding strict consumer protection norms.
Manufacturers, importers, packers, merchants, repairers, traders, MSMEs, and other regulated businesses covered by the Legal Metrology Act will also be subject to the reform.
The process addresses several first-time non-compliance with rules and regulations, such as those pertaining to packaged products, documentation and record maintenance, model approval, production, sale and repair of weights and measures, importation of weights and measures, and submitting statutory information and returns.
The department further stated that the new framework does not weaken enforcement under the Legal Metrology Act or lessen consumer protection.
Only certain first-time procedural and regulatory violations are eligible.
According to the ministry, the Improvement Notice system reflects the government’s aim of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” by encouraging trust-based regulation, decreasing superfluous compliance burdens, and promoting voluntary compliance.
It further stated that the reform safeguards consumer interests and strikes a balance between preserving the integrity of the legal metrology system and assisting honest enterprises in achieving compliance.