Once a brand starts planning GS1 2D codes, the sales calls begin. Label printers, coder suppliers, scanner companies and software platforms all offer to help, and some describe themselves as "GS1 India authorised". It is reasonable to ask what that means, and how to choose between providers with and without it.
This guide explains what GS1 India's programme is, what it does not tell you, and how to evaluate any provider on its merits. It does not rank or recommend providers.
What GS1 India's programme is
GS1 India — set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry together with industry bodies, and the issuer of 890-prefix numbers — runs a Solution Provider Programme. Participating companies receive the status of "Authorised Solution Provider".
GS1 India is explicit about two limits in its own description of the programme:
- the status "does not imply formal 'Accreditation'"; and
- use of the GS1 or GS1 India logo by providers "is not permitted".
For the current terms of registration, read GS1 India's programme page directly; they are GS1 India's to define and may change.
What the status does not tell you
Because the programme is not an accreditation, the status on its own does not tell you:
- whether a provider's software builds correct GS1 Digital Link web addresses;
- whether its printers can produce codes at your line speed and at retail print quality;
- whether its scanners or POS (point-of-sale) software can read the approved 2D formats;
- how it stores your data, or whether you can take it elsewhere.
Those are the questions that decide whether a project works. They apply equally to providers that are in the programme and those that are not.
The kinds of provider you may need
A GS1 2D project in India typically touches several types of provider, often more than one company:
| Provider type | What they do | Where they matter most |
|---|---|---|
| Artwork and label printers | Print static barcodes and QR codes on cartons and labels | GTIN-only codes |
| Coder and printer suppliers | Print variable data — batch, expiry, serial — on the line | Batch and unit-level codes |
| Vision and verification suppliers | Read codes on the line and grade print quality | Retail readiness, serialization |
| Scanner and POS vendors | Equip retailers and warehouses to read 2D codes | Retailers, distributors |
| Software platforms | Generate codes, manage serials, route scans, run loyalty and traceability | Everything after the code is printed |
Questions to ask any provider
About identity
- Do you work from our GTINs? A provider should never issue product numbers of its own. Your GTINs (Global Trade Item Numbers) come from your own GS1 licence. GS1 itself licenses numbers and publishes standards; it does not sell printers or software. See what GS1 is.
- Show us a Digital Link built from one of our GTINs. Check that the GTIN appears as 14 digits after
/01/, that batch and serial follow in the standard order, and that the code uses a domain you control.
About retail readiness
- Which of the three retail 2D formats do you produce? For general retail, only GS1 DataMatrix and a QR code or Data Matrix carrying GS1 Digital Link count, and the Digital Link must be uncompressed.
- For scanner and POS vendors: can your software convert a Digital Link into GS1 element-string data and pass the GTIN to the till? Which of GS1's scanner modes do you support? GS1 publishes 2D readiness guidance for solution providers, and Mode 1 is the minimum for Ambition 2027 (also called Sunrise 2027).
About the line
- What speed, on what substrate? Ask for a trial on your own line and packaging, not a sample on office paper. Our guide on evaluating whether your printer can handle serialized 2D codes lists what to test.
- How is print quality checked? Retail barcodes are graded with a verification device, with a minimum grade of 1.5 (C). A printer's "printed" signal is not proof — see why "printed" is not the same as "verified".
- What happens when the network or ERP goes down? Ask how codes are buffered, and how duplicates and gaps are prevented and reconciled.
About data and lock-in
- Who owns the codes, scan history and event data? It should be you.
- Can we export everything in a usable format and move domains or providers later? A Digital Link on your own domain makes switching providers far easier than a code on theirs.
- Where is the data held, and who can access it? Ask for this in writing.
About claims
- What exactly does your anti-counterfeit feature do? Be wary of anyone claiming a QR code alone proves a product is genuine. Serialized codes support authentication programmes by creating signals; they need other controls alongside.
- Can we speak to a customer with a similar line and channel? Ask for references you can call, not just logos on a slide.
Running a fair evaluation
Shortlist providers by the jobs you need done, not by status alone. Give each the same brief: your GTINs, your packaging, your line speed, your channel. Ask for the same evidence: generated codes, verifier reports, a line trial and a data export. Then decide.
For the wider context, start with what Sunrise 2027 means for Indian brands, and use the GS1 2D readiness checklist for manufacturers to define the brief you give providers.
See what a correctly formed GS1 Digital Link looks like for your GTIN