In February 2023, GS1 announced the Sunrise 2027 initiative — a global commitment that every retail point-of-sale system will be able to read 2D barcodes by the end of 2027. For brands, this means the familiar EAN-13 barcode that has lived on product packaging for 50 years is no longer sufficient on its own.

For Indian manufacturers, Sunrise 2027 is both a compliance deadline and an opportunity. Done right, the transition from 1D to 2D opens up consumer engagement, supply chain traceability, and product authentication that EAN-13 never could.

2027
Global deadline — all retail POS must scan 2D barcodes. India's major retail chains are already testing 2D-capable scanners in pilot stores.

What exactly changes in 2027?

The short version: every barcode format that currently lives on retail packaging must also be available in a 2D-readable version by 2027. That doesn't mean you must eliminate EAN-13 — it means every product that goes to retail must have a 2D barcode alongside it, or instead of it, that retail scanners can read.

The most important 2D format for Sunrise 2027 is the GS1 Digital Link QR code — a QR code that encodes standard GS1 data (GTIN, batch, serial, expiry) plus a URL that resolves to a product information page. One barcode serves both the supply chain and the consumer.

"A GS1 Digital Link barcode does everything an EAN-13 does for your supply chain — and then also gives every consumer with a smartphone a direct line to your brand."

Ratifye engineering team

Why most Indian manufacturers are not ready

The challenge for Indian manufacturers is layered. Most are printing EAN-13 barcodes issued by GS1 India on their primary packaging. Their printing partners generate these using basic barcode software. Their supply chain partners — distributors, modern trade, e-commerce fulfilment centres — scan EAN-13. Everyone in the chain is set up for 1D.

Switching to 2D requires changes at several points: the barcode generation system must produce correctly formatted GS1 Digital Link QR codes, the URL resolver must be configured, the print files must be updated, and — critically — quality control at the printer must verify that the 2D codes scan correctly before packaging runs.

What GS1 Digital Link actually does

A standard QR code on packaging today typically points to a brand's website, a product page, or a promotional landing page. It carries no structured supply chain data. A GS1 Digital Link QR code is different — it encodes:

GS1 Digital Link resolver routing — how one barcode serves everyone

The Ratifye approach: make Sunrise 2027 an upgrade, not a cost

The brands that treat Sunrise 2027 as a compliance cost — generate some QR codes, update the print file, done — will miss the bigger opportunity. A GS1 Digital Link code that is also cryptographically signed by Ratifye becomes simultaneously a Sunrise 2027 compliant barcode, a product authentication mechanism, a consumer engagement tool, and a supply chain event trigger. One barcode. Every use case.

For Indian pharma manufacturers already on CDSCO, the transition is particularly clean. Your CDSCO DataMatrix already encodes GTIN, batch, serial, and expiry. Wrapping that in a GS1 Digital Link structure adds the resolver URL and makes the same code readable by Sunrise 2027 compliant POS — while maintaining full CDSCO compliance.

Is your barcode Sunrise 2027 ready?

Ratifye generates GS1 Digital Link barcodes that are Sunrise 2027 compliant, cryptographically authenticated, and CDSCO-ready — on the same packaging you already print.

Start generating Digital Link barcodes

Timeline: what needs to happen before 2027

There is more time than it feels — but less than brands typically assume once they account for packaging lead times, print file updates across SKU portfolios, and retailer acceptance testing. A realistic timeline for a mid-size FMCG brand with 50–200 SKUs: