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Steel imports to India must now be registered
The import of steel and iron has been subject to a new control mechanism since 5 September 2019. The Indian government introduced the so-called “Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS)”, which changes the existing free and unregulated import regulations to still free imports but with mandatory registration. Importers are now required to provide certain information for 284 product groups of iron and steel products in an online portal prior to import in order to obtain an automatically generated registration number.
Importers can enter the registration information into the system 60 days in advance, but no later than 15 days from the expected arrival of the goods in port. The validity of the registration number is 75 days. The only additional effort for the trader is the entry of the registration number and the expiry date in the import declaration. The aim of the new SIMS procedure is the prior collection of data on the import of relevant iron and steel products and to make them available to decision-makers in government and Indian domestic industry. It is hoped that this information will provide a better overview of the current market situation and enable reactions to new developments with possible measures.
India is the 15th steel-importing nation in the world. In 2018 the country imported 8.95 million tons of steel, mainly from South Korea, China and Japan. The value of imported goods amounted to 8.9 billion dollars, but this is only 1.7 percent of the total import of goods to India. The largest producers in India are Arcelor Mittal, Tata Steel and JSW Steel. According to a report by the World Steel Association, India replaced Japan as the world’s second largest steel producer in 2018. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for the standardization and quality control of iron and steel in India. Compliance with Indian standards or the labelling of products with the BIS certification mark is currently optional unless required by specific laws, rules and regulations. However, since 2016, the government has been eager to make the use of the BIS certification label mandatory in the public interest. We will be happy to advise you on any questions you may have about Indian certifications for your products.
If you need assistance with your BIS approval or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 or send us an email.
For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the WPC Registration for wireless products, please click here.
BASF launches its largest investment to date in India with partners
The chemical company BASF’s project to build a new production facility in India is making progress. In addition to the Indian conglomerate Adani, the oil company Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Austrian plastics manufacturer Borealis have now been won as partners for the realization of the billion-euro project. The planned production facility in Mundra in the Indian state of Gujarat is scheduled to start operations in 2024. The four partners are currently working on a feasibility study to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2020. If the plant can be operated economically and receives approval from the authorities, the investments will total up to four billion dollars.
In a first phase, BASF had only announced a cooperation with Adani for the construction and operation of various production facilities for acrylic and related substances. It has now been decided to expand the project and integrate additional facilities. It is considered to integrate the production of propylene based on propane to be supplied by ADNOC into the new production site. The propylene, in turn, will partly be further processed in a plant of ADNOC and Borealis. Propylene will also be the main raw material for the planned acrylic production complex of a joint venture between Adani and BASF.
The entire project would be BASF’s largest investment in India to date. It is also noteworthy that BASF intends to fully supply the site with renewable energy. Chemicals or machinery used for their production could be subject to BIS or PESO certification. The PESO certification or more precisely the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation of India registration describes the approval program for the oil and gas industry or machines that work with gases or are used in the oil industry. Inform yourself in good time and we will check for you without obligation whether your product is subject to approval.
If you need assistance with your PESO Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly:
EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673
Or send us an email.
The Indian standards authority BIS publishes a series of new standards in the food sector
On the occasion of World Food Day on 16 October, the Indian standards authority BIS drew attention to the existing mandatory approval for products such as infant and baby food, milk powder, drinking water and concentrated milk. These foods require mandatory registration, and additional requirements for packaging and transport have now been issued in addition to the regulations governing production.
The more than 2150 BIS standards in the food and feed sector are based on the ISO 22000 standard regarding a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) which ensures product safety throughout the entire process chain from the field to the plate. Such a system includes the monitoring and certification of food production, catering and packaging for the food industry. Furthermore, BIS implements the ISO 22003 standard for basic regulations of authorities and institutions that carry out certifications and audits for a food safety management system.
Indian agriculture is at the first step of food production. For this purpose, a quality management system and guidelines for the cultivation of food crops have been introduced. Based on BIS Standard 16550 (Part 1), this agricultural monitoring system began in 2016 and ensures sustainable food production. As part of its implementation, BIS is also committed to the application of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). For this purpose, an Indian standard India-GAP has been created to cover various aspects of the production, storage, handling and distribution of agricultural products in order to ensure a sustainable supply of the desired quality.
However, production in the field is only part of the process chain in the food industry. BIS is therefore now planning standards for the transport of fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals and legumes to ensure food safety. As these products usually come into contact with packaging during processing, certification will also be introduced for this sector. These requirements apply to both local producers and importers. Please contact us in good time to find out about the procedure and costs of India certification. You will find further details and free downloads on our website.
If you need assistance with your BIS approval or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 or send us an email.
For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
Current legislation on drones in India
The previous law concerning a complete ban on drones was repealed last year. Since 01.12.2018, the general ban has been softened and strict conditions imposed. Drone pilots have to adhere to very complex rules while foreign tourists are still not allowed to fly drones in India because of the danger of terrorism. The import of drones is only permitted with the prior permission of the Ministry of Telecommunications (Department WPC, Wireless Planning and Coordination). Anyone importing a drone without the authorization of the authorities must expect confiscation and the drone will be detained without replacement.
In India, drones are considered as civilian, remote-controlled aircraft that require a unique identification number from the Air Traffic Regulatory Authority (DCGA). UAVs are divided into three weight classes with different requirements. For example, nano drones under 250g do not require a permit to fly inside buildings. However, most commercially available drones such as the DJI Mavic Pro fall under the category of micro drones up to a maximum of 2 kilograms for which the strict regulations apply. For each flight, the operator or pilot also requires a license to fly an unmanned aircraft (Unmanned Aircraft Operator Permit, UAOP). The flight operation of a drone is only permitted in daylight and within sight, flying into a military restricted area or security area is prohibited and the local police must be informed before taking off.
The Ministry of Communications, Department WPC (Wireless Planning and Coordination) is also responsible for the commercial import of drones and supervises the WPC registration. In addition to remote controlled devices such as drones, WPC certification is mandatory for all wireless devices with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. We, the MPR International GmbH, will be pleased to support you with the WPC registration and accompany you during the entire certification process.
For a complete list of all relevant products, please click here.
If you need assistance with your WPC Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 Or send us an email.
For more information regarding the WPC certification, please read our free information booklet “WPC Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the TEC Certification for telecommunication products, please click here.