TEC has released new Security Requirements for Telecom Products

On October 13, 2020 the Department of Telecommunications in India has finally issued the long awaited regulations that were needed for the TEC certification of telecommunications equipment, which has been mandatory since 2019: The “Communication Security Certification Scheme” describes the requirements for telecommunications equipment, while the “Procedure For Security Certification Of Telecommunication Equipment” regulates the certification process.
  
One of the key take aways from these new regulations is that from now on, some products listed within the TEC certification must be tested in India by the Telecom Security Testing Laboratory (TSTL). This currently includes IP routers, Mobility Management Entity (MME), cryptographic controls, and Wi-Fi CPEs. In the future, mobile devices, connectable (U)ICC, E-Node B and P-Gateways could be added.
Testing and certification are mainly aimed at the software. This means that changes to it require registration. Small changes can be registered on a temporary certificate, which must be converted into a full certificate after one year at the latest by means of renewed testing. However, if the software change affects security aspects, it must be retested and certified immediately.
TEC certification has been around many years before 2019 as a voluntary certification, but since April 2019 the certification has been mandatory and every year the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) expands the certification catalog and adds more telecom products. Until now, only a few products have actually been certified, but with this new standard, the TEC can now officially begin its certification work.
If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone at +49-69-271 37 69 261. There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
For more information about TEC certification, please refer to our free brochure “TEC Certification Made Easy“.

Stakeholders of the Indian steel and automotive industry meet with Minister

On October 2, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Steel and Petroleum, met with representatives of the Indian steel and automotive industry. The topic of discussion was the role of the steel industry as a supplier to Indian automobile manufacturers and its future-ready orientation. The Minister explained that numerous reforms have already taken place to support the steel and automotive industry. He is certain that the industry is well prepared for future requirements of the domestic market. His ministry will continue to pursue the #MakeInIndia strategy and promote the establishment of companies and the creation of jobs.

Furthermore, a roadmap was worked out to promote Indian steel production, especially for the automotive industry, and to introduce a program to improve the quality of products. The Indian steel industry is a diverse and vibrant industry with numerous levels of decision makers within the value chain. The Minister suggested that each industry representative should contribute their experience so that the entire sector can benefit. To this end, meetings are to be held in future with the Ministry, the private sector and companies with state shareholding. After China, India is the world’s second largest producer of steel, producing around 106,000 tons of steel in 2019. 20 percent of this comes from state-owned companies, the rest is produced by private companies such as Tata Steel or ArcelorMittal. The steel industry accounts for 2 percent of India’s GDP and employs more than 600,000 workers.

Iron and steel products can be exported from India without restrictions, the quantity has been around 5 million tons annually in recent years. In India, steel products must be certified voluntarily or mandatory according to BIS guidelines. BIS stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards and is the national Indian certification body under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food & Public Distribution. Product certification according to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been in place since July 2013 and is intended to guarantee quality, safety and reliability to third parties. MPR International GmbH – India Certification will be pleased to support you in the BIS certification process and will be at your disposal for any questions you may have.

Since 2012, the BIS has been gradually expanding the certification catalog and continuously adding additional goods. BIS certification mandatory for many electronic products for industrial and consumer uses. Factory inspections are also required for some products.
If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone at +49-69-271 37 69 261. There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

Indian authority BIS to establish new quality standards for 371 products by March 2021

In order to restrict imports of inferior and non-essential goods, including those from China, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has submitted a draft for mandatory quality standards for 371 products to the Ministry of Commerce. The BIS plans to make the standards mandatory by March 2021. The 371 products cover several industries, ranging from steel products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electrical appliances to furniture and toys. During a virtual conference, the head of the BIS, Tiwari, said that once the specifications have been defined, these new quality standards will be made binding and their enforcement will also be monitored more strictly than before.

The ministries concerned are currently identifying the most important products from the Ministry of Commerce’s list and handing them over to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the preparation of the corresponding standards. In selecting the individual products, the ministries’ proposals, the annual import volume and already existing standards were taken into account. The Cabinet Secretary of the Indian Parliament supervises the process, the selection of products and the timely introduction of the standards by March 2021.

Meanwhile, the BIS has announced that it will conduct stricter controls and has stationed personnel at the country’s major ports who will work closely with the customs authorities. BIS officials will be examining random samples of imported goods directly at the port, according to BIS Director Tiwari. To ensure the quality of imported products, the BIS will increasingly carry out unannounced inspections of factories and markets. Specifically, Tiwari said they plan to increase the number of audits from the current 20,000 per year to 100,000. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national body for industry standards. So far it has introduced 20,866 voluntary and 358 mandatory product standards. Product certification according to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was introduced in July 2013 and is intended to guarantee quality, safety and reliability to third parties. We would be pleased to assist you with BIS certification and are also available to answer any questions you may have. MPR International GmbH – India Certification offers you a complete package for BIS certification, where you will be optimally supported.
Since 2012, the BIS has been gradually expanding the certification catalog and continuously adding additional goods. BIS certification mandatory for many electronic products for industrial and consumer uses. Factory inspections are also required for some products.
If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone at +49-69-271 37 69 261. There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

Indian government calls on BIS to set binding quality standards for imports

The Indian government has asked the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to set binding standards in accordance with international norms for the import of goods. The project could have an impact on the import of Chinese goods that are not considered necessary. These include all products that can be produced in India in an identical or equivalent manner. Recently, the Ministry of Finance submitted a list to the BIS of imported goods to which certain quality standards are to be applied in future. A spokesman for the BIS said that the authority is currently reviewing the existing standards and will make changes if necessary.

India imports goods from about 11,500 product groups. The annual leaders are crude oil, gold, electronic goods, fertilizers, machine components, plastic products, steel, toys and pharmaceuticals. The BIS is currently working on technical guidelines for at least half of the products to ensure the quality of imports and domestic products. First of all, this is to be done for 400 products. In India there are about 25,000 quality standards for a wide variety of products and services, but only about 150 of these are mandatory for manufacturers. It is assumed that China will be most affected by the stricter standards, since most of the cheap imports come from there.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national body for industry standards under the umbrella of the Ministry of Consumer Protection. The tasks of the BIS are the labelling and certification of products. The BIS has recently revised its website and added information on quality standards as well as international norms. In addition, the Minister of Consumer Protection, Paswan, presented a mobile app of the BIS and two other applications that consumers and industry representatives can use to find out about BIS certifications and standards. Product certification in accordance with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been in place since July 2013 and is intended to guarantee quality, safety and reliability to third parties. We will be pleased to assist you with BIS certification and are also available to answer any questions you may have. MPR International GmbH – India Certification offers you a complete package for BIS certification, where you will be optimally supported.

If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone at +49-69-271 37 69 261. There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.

If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)

For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

Extension of mandatory BIS certification scheme for electronic products

Last week, on October 01, 2020, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) announced the implementation of the 5th phase of the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS). Within the next six months, the products added in the new phase must be fully BIS certified in order to be exported to India or distributed in the country.

The following products have been added to the certification catalog in Phase 5:

Product Category	Indian Standard
Wireless Microphone	IS 616:2017
Digital Camera	IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010
Video Camera	IS 616:2017
Webcam (finished product)	IS 616:2017
Smart Speakers (with and without display)	IS 616:2017
Dimmers for LED Products	IS 60669-2-1: 2008
Bluetooth Speakers	IS 616:2017

 
In April 2020 the fourth phase of the certification came into effect with a six-month transition period. Due to various factors that led to some delays there was an extension of the deadline until April 2021. Consequently, the 4th and 5th phases will be implemented at the same time.
Since 2012, the BIS has been gradually expanding the certification catalog and continuously adding additional goods. BIS certification mandatory for many electronic products for industrial and consumer uses. Factory inspections are also required for some products.
If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone at +49-69-271 37 69 261. There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

Tightened customs controls delay import of courier shipments

Postal and courier shipments from abroad and declared as gifts have long been suspected by the authorities of using this method to avoid customs duties and import tax. The investigators are particularly interested in e-commerce platforms from China such as Shein or Alibaba. Deliveries from the fashion provider Shein, for example, were confiscated in recent weeks and not delivered to the recipients. Due to stricter controls, customs clearance of all shipments has been delayed. The locations affected were Bengaluru (Bangalore), Delhi and Hyderabad.

The Association of Indian Export Organizations filed a complaint with the Ministry of Taxation and Finance, which is responsible for customs clearance. They fear that the delays could have a negative impact on the export economy. In a statement, an official of the customs authority admitted that there have been delays due to internal restructuring. In this case, the Express Industry Council handed over customs clearance to Indian customs. After now 10 days with intensified customs controls, the situation at ports, airports and logistics centers has returned to normal, according to a spokesman for Indian Customs. Previously, the authorities checked and opened all shipments from China without exception.
MPR International GmbH – has been accompanying market leaders of numerous industries for many years with their certification projects in Asian markets. Thanks to our efficient working methods and our excellent relations in India, our customers can always meet their deadlines for the start of series production or market launch in India. In addition to certifications, we offer a customs service for India. Sometimes a company needs to import a newly developed product for research or a machine for testing or other purposes to India. Should your product actually require a specific certification for import, you can still, under certain circumstances, import your product into India. We are happy to assist you in the import process and in verifying if your products require certification in India.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)

Indian automotive market could recover faster than other markets

The Indian automotive market continues to be robust and could recover faster than other markets, said SS Kim, managing director of Hyundai Motor India in an interview. He sees a short-term upswing during the Indian holidays in autumn, but sales figures will not return to pre-coronavirus levels until the beginning of next year. Only this month Hyundai has resumed production at its Chennai plant. Initially, production will be run in two shifts and an additional shift will be added as needed. Due to the corona virus, there are still restrictions in the supply of components and the corresponding skilled and unskilled labor.

Managing Director Kim sees a change in consumer behavior in India from public transport to own vehicles. He predicts a flourishing trade in used cars and a stronger demand for small cars. “Hyundai India has a long-term product strategy and we will continue to maintain this after the coronavirus crisis. Our goal has always been to make vehicles safer and to provide them with technological innovations that set us apart from our competitors,” Kim said. Hyundai is also hoping to benefit from the recent government stimulus measures for the automotive industry and its suppliers.
The government intends to use the funding to build an improved domestic supplier industry and establish several industrial centers. This is intended to promote economic growth on the one hand and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers on the other. In order to encourage consumers to buy a new car, a reduction in value-added tax or wage and income tax is under discussion. The automotive industry is also calling for a scrapping bonus. The Hyundai managing director praised the support of local governments in the area of logistics and freedom of movement of the workforce with regard to the current coronavirus situation in India.
Vehicles in India are subject to the corresponding technical automotive standards, known as Automotive Industry Standards or AIS for short. These are based on the UNECE standards. The Automotive Industry Standards are issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the ministry responsible for regulating the automotive sector in India. AIS certification is required for automotive components. The process of AIS certification according to the Indian AIS (Automotive Industry Standard) can be challenging and complex. We are happy to support you in the AIS certification process and are always available to answer your questions.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
You can also check out our free AIS-Brochure, which can be downloaded right here as a PDF file.

Nissan plans to launch 8 new models in Africa, the Middle East and India

Car manufacturer Nissan recently unveiled its plans to launch eight new models in Africa, the Middle East and India. This is part of a four-year strategy, taking into account the overall restructuring of the group, a Nissan spokesperson said. The new business plan focusing on these regions is in line with the global strategy of rationalizing and strengthening the core business with successful models. Africa, the Middle East and India together account for approximately 10 percent of the global automotive market.

Part of the restructuring plan is to strengthen the existing presence and cooperate with partners for the production of the vehicles in South Africa, Egypt, India and Nigeria. As part of the four-year plan, Nissan aims to optimize its regional product range and reduce local manufacturing costs by approximately 20 percent. According to Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta, at least one SUV is among the eight new models. According to Gupta, mid-range SUVs are particularly popular in India.
The company is also considering integrating the new production sites for the export of vehicles into the Nissan group strategy. With appropriate capacity utilization and local suppliers, this could also reduce manufacturing costs. Last month, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida presented the group’s global restructuring plans. These plans include sustainable growth, solid finances and a profit at the end of fiscal 2023.
India operations are subject to the relevant technical automotive standards, known as Automotive Industry Standards or AIS for short. These are based on the UNECE standards. The Automotive Industry Standards are issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the ministry responsible for regulating the automotive sector in India. AIS certification is required for automotive components. The process of AIS certification according to the Indian AIS (Automotive Industry Standard) can be challenging and complex. We are happy to support you in the AIS certification process and are always available to answer your questions.

Indian government extends period for duty-free import of diamonds

The Indian government allows the duty-free re-importation of cut diamonds, which are currently abroad for valuation and evaluation, for another three months. The measure is intended to help the gold and jewelry industry in view of the difficult economic situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The relevant authority, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, said importers can import cut diamonds from foreign laboratories with confirmation of their value and quality.

The scheme will make it easier for traders whose diamonds are stuck abroad during the coronavirus pandemic and the usual period for import has expired. Many shipments are also stuck at customs both in India and abroad. In detail, the new scheme allows the re-importation of cut diamonds duty-free for a further three months, which were normally supposed to return to India between February 1 and July 31, 2020, but there were interruptions due to the coronavirus situation. For the re-importation, traders are exempt from Basic Customs Duty and Integrated Goods and Service Tax under certain conditions. In addition to observing the deadline, dealers must provide proof of average annual export sales of the equivalent of USD 680,000 in the past three years.
India is one of the largest centers for the cutting of diamonds and precious stones and the manufacture of all kinds of jewelry. Statistically, 11 out of 12 diamonds that are later set in a piece of jewelry worldwide are cut and polished in India. India is also an important trading center for jewelry made of gold and other precious metals. The industry contributes about 7% of India’s GDP, employs millions of people and is an important source of foreign exchange earnings. The gemstone and jewelry industry generated an economic output of $60 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow to $110 billion by 2022.
The Indian certification landscape is very difficult to understand with its different authorities and processes. Indian certifications such as AIS (ARAI), BIS, WPC, TEC or PESO are part of the portfolio of MPR International – India Certification. We also offer a customs service for India, because sometimes a company has to import a newly developed product for research or a machine for testing or other purposes to India. Should your product actually require a specific certification for import, you can still, under certain circumstances, import your product into India. We will be happy to assist you in verifying that your products require certification in India.
Here you can find more information about the AIS certification, BIS certification, WPC certification and TEC certification.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769150, US: +1 773 654-2673).
You can also download our brochures about the compulsory certifications here.

India: Mandatory BIS certification for vehicle rims planned

The Indian government has drawn up appropriate quality standards for vehicle rims in order to restrict inferior imports and promote the local industry. The draft, entitled “Automobile Wheel Rim Component (Quality Control)”, presented by the Indian Ministry of Industry, Heavy Industry Department, stipulates that from October 1, 2020, all rims and imports offered in India must be certified in accordance with the BIS standard. In addition, the Ministry has sent the draft to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is awaiting comments from member countries within the next 30 days.

The new regulation is intended to improve road safety. In line with this, the government is in the process of revising the technical specifications of another 350 products to increase safety and quality, restrict imports and promote local production. According to a government spokesman, suppliers are to be discouraged from buying imported products and instead use Indian products from the “Make in India” campaign. The draft for quality control of rims includes products for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, electrically powered vehicles, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for the certification and implementation of the new quality standards.
Stricter quality standards have already been introduced in recent months for products such as toys and steel products. The EU rejects the mandatory BIS certification for the import of steel products to India and instead demands that accredited laboratories in the countries of origin can carry out certification in accordance with Indian standards. India replied that the international standards were not sufficient and also not applicable to Indian production processes. In order to promote the production of car rims in the country, the Indian government has issued an ordinance that requires manufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles to purchase their rims or hub motors from local suppliers in order to receive subsidies. BIS stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards and is the national Indian certification body under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food & Public Distribution. It is the central issuing body for BIS certification. We would be pleased to advise you on Indian certification and are always available to answer your questions.