To get a barcode for products in India, a brand owner registers with GS1 India, the body that issues the retail product numbers printed as EAN-13 barcodes. Registration gives your company a number block starting with 890, India's prefix, and you assign one number to each product and pack size, then print it on the pack. Modern retail chains, large e-commerce marketplaces and export buyers usually ask for these registered numbers. Most distributors and wholesalers do not need any of this. The products you sell already carry the maker's EAN, and the stickers you print for your own godown, for cartons, loose stock or repacked bags, are internal codes that never go on a retail shelf. Those need no registration at all. The question is whose name is on the product. Below is a table to tell which side you are on, the GS1 India steps for those who do need it, and what a distributor's own stickers should look like.
Who needs what
| You are | What you need | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| Brand owner selling to modern retail or online marketplaces | Registered EAN-13 on every product and pack size | GS1 India |
| Brand owner selling only through traditional kirana trade | Often nothing yet, but a buyer can ask for it later | GS1 India when they ask |
| Distributor or wholesaler of branded goods | The maker's EAN that is already on the pack | None |
| Distributor printing godown or carton stickers | Your own internal codes, usually Code 128 | None |
| Repacker selling under your own label | Registered EAN-13 for your packs | GS1 India |
The GS1 India route, for brand owners
- Apply on GS1 India's website with your company's registration documents.
- Choose a plan by how many product numbers you need. There is a one-time registration fee and an annual fee, and GS1 India lists the current amounts by plan size on its site.
- Once approved, you get your company prefix. Assign one number to each product and each pack size. A 200 g and a 500 g pack get different numbers.
- Print the barcode on the pack artwork, or on labels, at a size retail scanners can read.
- Renew every year. A lapsed registration can be a problem with retail buyers who check.
Be wary of anyone selling "cheap barcodes" outside GS1. The numbers may be registered to someone else, and a retailer that checks the number against GS1's records will find another company's name.
What a distributor's own stickers should be
Your godown sticker has a different job. It tells your own scanner which item this is and how many are in the box, so a whole carton bills in one scan. It never leaves your supply chain as a retail code, so it should not look like one:
- Use Code 128, which takes letters and any length, and never a made-up 13-digit number that could be mistaken for an EAN. Our Code 128 vs EAN-13 comparison explains why.
- Put the box quantity in the code, so one scan is one box.
- Keep the maker's EAN on the packs inside untouched.
Takkada's barcode labels for Tally Prime work this way. Stickers print from a purchase bill or an item with the item and box quantity in a Code 128 code, and a maker's EAN already on a pack can be linked to the item with its pack quantity by the business admin. None of it needs a GS1 registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is GS1 registration mandatory for barcodes in India?
A: No general rule requires one on every product. Modern retail chains, large online marketplaces and export buyers ask brand owners for registered numbers, and a distributor's internal stickers need none.
Q: Do I need my own barcode if I only distribute other brands?
A: No. Use the maker's EAN already printed on the pack. Print your own internal stickers only for cartons, loose stock or items with no code.
Q: Can I buy barcodes from a reseller instead of GS1 India?
A: Be careful. Numbers sold outside GS1 may be registered to another company, and retailers who check them will see that.
Q: What does 890 at the start of a barcode mean?
A: It is GS1's prefix for India. It shows the number was issued through GS1 India, and says nothing about where the product was made.
Talk to us
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919435977777 and we will show you internal carton stickers printed from one of your purchase bills.