How to Register Barcode in India: Step-by-Step Process

Before we proceed on to know how to register barcode in India, let me ask you a question-

Why do you need barcode registration?

If you know the answer, then it’s good. However, if not, don’t worry at all. We have described the need for the barcode for businesses later in this blog.

As we know, industrialization has been a hit in the last few years. Not only did it create more jobs for the global economy, but it led to an increase in the number of products. As a result, the identification of products became a tedious task and hence, it demanded a system that would help in easy identification.

Considering the same, George J Laurer, in 1970, invented the system of Universal Bar Code in the USA. Barcodes are machine-readable symbols represented as numbers and parallel lines used to identify and track products.

Read on to know more about barcode and barcode registration in India.

Table of Content What is Barcode? An Overview of Barcode in India Types of Barcodes Process of Barcode Registration in India Documents for Barcode Registration How Could Barcode Make a Business Efficient?

What is Barcode?

Barcode is an image read by machines and characterized by parallel lines that vary in width and spacing between them and digits. It is employed to encode product information such as serial numbers, products, batch numbers, and MRP of the product instantly.

You can observe the use of barcodes mostly in supermarkets, malls, stores, etc. Barcode is mainly used for product identification and has inherent advantages such as cost-effectiveness, elimination of errors, ease of managing inventory, and time-saving.

This system assists all the parties in the supply chain such as manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers to identify the products easily.

Furthermore, a barcode on products serves a vital purpose in supply chain hospitals, transportation, supermarkets, and fast-moving retail chains.

The most commonly used barcode type is EAN-13 that has 13 numeric digits.

An Overview of Barcode in India

GS1 is a not-for-profit, global entity that governs and administers bar codes across India. GS1 creates standards and handles the barcode standard employed by manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers.

About 2 million companies across 20 industries such as Healthcare, Food, Transport & Logistics (including Customs), Retail & Consumer Packaged Goods, Government, etc. worldwide utilize the GS1 System of standards.

Thus, GS1 is the association that controls the issuance of barcodes that can be scanned anywhere across the globe.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India along with leading Chambers of Commerce and Industry established GS1 India as a not-for-profit organization in 1996.

GS1 India, as an affiliate of GS1 Global, administers and allocates GS1 barcodes in India.

Types of Barcodes

The different application demands different barcodes having the potential to contain distinct data. Hence, to diverse requirements, GS1 has established standards for use with various types of barcode symbols. GS1 barcodes are categorized into the following categories:

EAN -13

EAN-13 is called the European Article Number, earlier known as International Article Number. It’s a 13-digital number used for barcodes in Europe, India, and other countries.

UPC- A

It’s a Universal Product Code with a 12-digital barcode. Generally, it is used in the US, Australia, UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

Databar Barcodes

Usually, Databar Barcodes are used for fresh food products. They comprise additional information such as a batch number, weight of the product, and expiry date.

GS1 1D Barcodes

The GS1 and ITF-14 are highly versatile 1d barcodes using which one can easily track the items of the global supply chain. The GS1 128 barcodes carry various ID keys and additional info such as serial number, the weight of the product, expiry date, etc. The ITF-14 contains the GTIN (Global Trade Item Number) and is perfect for being applied to corrugated products.

GS1 2D Barcodes

Such barcodes are mainly popular because of the online payment wallets. These can contain a lot of information and are hugely used by businesses to even share videos and websites. It can include around 7000 digits or 4000 characters. Such barcodes are also useful in the integration of data with programs such as MS Office, Servers, MS SQL, and other database files.

Process of Barcode Registration in India

The procedure for registering barcodes in India is completely online. The authority for registering Barcodes in India is GS1 India.

Follow the process given below to register the barcode of your product in India.

Step 1: Log in to the official website of GS1 India i.e., https://www.gs1india.org.

Step 2: Fill the application for barcode registration.

Step 3: Upload all the required documents as described later in this blog.

Step 4: Choose the type and number of barcodes you need for your business/product

Step 5: Confirm all the information required

Step 6: Pay the applicable fees (depending on various factors as described later)

Step 7: Track the status of your registration on the website.

Documents for Barcode Registration

To complete the barcode registration process, you must attach the following documents with the application:

• PAN Card of the company as proof of authentication of the business entity
• Application/letter requesting allotment of barcode
• Certificate of GST/VAT registration
• Copy of canceled cheque
• Memorandum of Association (MoA) or Articles of Association (AOA)
• Product details such as the batch number, product number, serial number, and MRP of the product
• Certificate of incorporation/partnership deed

Fees for Barcode Registration

The registration fees for barcode depends on the following:

• Number of barcodes required
• The company’s turnover
• Subscription period

Considering these factors, the barcode registration fees may vary from Rs 44,000 to Rs 2,20,000.

How Could Barcode Make a Business Efficient?

In other words, we can also ask why businesses must use the barcode to make themselves efficient. Well, there’s no just one but various reasons why businesses should use the barcode.

Listed below are some of the benefits/advantages of barcode:

Eliminates Error

Because of the automated information available on the barcode, the chances of errors are almost negligible. Also, since there isn’t any manual intervention in registering data, the error is reduced to a great extent.

Cost-effective and Convenient

Barcodes can be obtained easily. They are cost-effective and convenient to print. In addition, you can customize them as per your need.

Detailed Information

Barcodes have various information pertaining to the products such as the serial numbers, product numbers, batch numbers, etc. Such information ensures the genuineness of the products.

Promotes Better & Faster Decision Making

The information associated with the barcode is completely automated and accurate. Hence, it helps in making faster and efficient decision-making.

Improves Inventory Control

Another biggest benefit of having a barcode is that it helps you improve inventory control. It smoothens the movement of products because of every detail being captured in the barcode. As a result, the movement through the supply chain becomes hassle-free.

Unique and Global Identification

One of the best aspects of the barcode system is that it facilitates unique identification that is recognized across the globe. Therefore, there isn’t any possibility of any two products having the same code.

Saves time

Registering a barcode help you save a lot of time.

How?

Since the information is scanned and fed directly into the central computer, you don’t need to waste time on manual data entry or retrieval. It is instantaneously ready.