Barcode Registration (GS1 India)

GS1 India issues them. It is the only authorised body in India to provide barcodes starting with 890, and it was set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry with CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, BIS, APEDA, IMC, FIEO, IIP and Spices Board India. GS1 India warns that any other company providing 890 barcodes operates without legal authority. Apply to GS1 India directly, or through us, and your numbers will be recorded against your own brand.

For a business with turnover up to ₹5 crore, 100 barcodes for one year cost ₹50,200 under GS1 India’s fees effective 1 October 2026. That is ₹27,000 registration, ₹13,000 subscription, ₹7,200 GST at 18% and a ₹3,000 refundable security deposit. The fee rises with turnover, number of codes and validity; the top slab, above ₹1,000 crore, pays ₹89,612 for the same plan. Tell us your turnover and product count, and we will work out the exact figure.

GS1 India says registration usually takes 7–10 working days. The clock starts once the form, documents and payment are complete, so a missing turnover proof or an unsigned request letter is the usual cause of delay. In practice, complete files are the ones that clear on time. We check everything before it goes in, so nothing on our side holds it up.

No, not barcodes starting with 890. GS1 India says any company providing such barcodes operates without legal authority, and both buyers and sellers face legal consequences, fines and damages. Retailers and marketplaces also check barcodes through GS1 India’s GTIN validation service against DataKart, where a resold number will not match your brand. A reseller may quote less, but GS1 India is the only route that holds up.

The GTIN is the number; the EAN-13 is the 13-digit format and the barcode that carries it. GS1 India’s barcodes are known as GTINs or EANs. An EAN-13 number has a 3-digit GS1 prefix (890 for GS1 India), a manufacturer code, a product code and a final check digit. Scanners read the bars, and the system looks up the number. Get the number right and the printed barcode follows from it.

No. The first three digits identify the GS1 member organisation that issued the number, not necessarily the country where the product was made. 890 only tells you that GS1 India allotted the number to a brand owner registered with it. An Indian brand that sources some products from abroad still uses its own 890 numbers. The barcode identifies the product and its brand owner, not its origin.

You have 15 days after the expiry date to renew without penalty. For the next 30 days a penalty of ₹1,180 applies, and beyond 45 days GS1 India terminates the subscription for non-payment. Using GS1 barcodes after validity ends attracts legal action from GS1 India. If you renew early for 3, 5 or 10 years, you get 3 months of extra validity. We diarise the date, so the renewal is not missed.

Only the brand owner, or an entity authorised by the brand owner, can apply to GS1 India. A trader who resells another company’s brand uses that brand owner’s numbers. A contract manufacturer can apply only with the brand owner’s authority. A proprietorship applies with the proprietor’s PAN, and a newly formed company does not need to submit turnover proof. When brand ownership is clear on paper, the application goes through cleanly.