Better environment in India for the import of mobile phone components

Between 2016 and 2019, the number of imported smartphones fell by 83 percent from 70.9 to 12.2 million. In the same period, the number of devices sold and registered rose from 252 to around 500 million. These figures speak for solid growth in the local industry. According to the Indian Association for Mobile Communications and Electronic Equipment (ICEA), mobile communications devices, components or individual parts are produced in around 260 production facilities nationwide. Major brands, both from India and abroad, have either set up their own production facilities, are planning to do so, or are commissioning Indian-based subcontractors with production.

In order to support the industry’s development and growth, the Indian government has introduced the following incentives: reduced taxes and subsidies for manufacturers of mobile phones, components and parts, permission for foreign companies or investors to participate fully in companies for the manufacturing of the aforementioned products, and a 0% basic duty on capital goods for the manufacturing of mobile phones. As a result of this support, domestic production of mobile phones increased from 60 to 290 million units in the period 2014 to 2019. A shift from the use of prefabricated components to individual parts was observed in production, which enabled the country to gradually increase its domestic added value.

In a national plan for the electronics industry, the Indian government has set out to develop the country into a hub for the mobile communications industry by 2025. Among other things, the goal includes increasing the production of mobile phones to 1 billion units annually in 2025, of which 600 million are earmarked for export. A further support programme for the settlement of companies is planning the establishment of 20 production clusters distributed over 15 Indian states. In order to facilitate the relocation of production facilities, the import of used plant and machinery with a remaining operational life span of at least 5 years has been considerably simplified. However, WPC Certification or TEC certification is still mandatory for the import of wireless devices and many telecommunications products to India. We would be pleased to advise you if and which India certification is required for your products and accompany you during the whole process of registration and 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 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).

India plans its own standards for air purification systems

Despite all the efforts of the Indian government in recent years, air pollution in India, especially in the greater New Delhi area, remains very high. Nevertheless, most equipment and sensors are still imported from abroad. Instruments for measuring and monitoring air quality as well as air filters and air purification systems are largely designed to European standards. For this reason, the Indian government is now planning to expand its own network of measuring stations to determine the true extent of nationwide air pollution for the first time.

There are currently around 30 measuring stations in Delhi and another 200 in other cities. The cost of building a station ranges from USD 200,000 to 350,000. It is expected that India will need thousands of these stations in the coming years, based on the current urban air pollution levels. Residents who can afford it, buy air filters and air purification systems. Schools, offices and public institutions invest in this technology, which promises clean and healthy air. Various scientific studies on air purifiers in India predict that this market alone will grow from the current $14.14 million to $38.99 million by 2023. Despite an increasing demand and a growing market, a large part of the equipment comes from abroad.

According to a spokesman for the Central Air Pollution Monitoring Bureau of India (CPCB), soot is another local problem. The technology currently in use, both sensors and air filters, are designed for the climate and air quality in Europe. While the AQI index for air quality there is below 100 on average, values of 500 are regularly achieved in Delhi. Therefore, different and more effective technologies are needed for India, said the CPCB spokesperson. The Indian Ministry of Environment is therefore now working with the CPCB and the National Physics Laboratory (NPL) on specific local guidelines for air measurement and purification equipment. In addition, an agreement will soon be signed with a national reference laboratory in the UK to develop and certify the equipment according to international standards. However, it is likely to take another 2 to 3 years before this process is completed, said the head of the NPL, Dr. Aswal. During this time, India is dependent on the import of foreign equipment. Electronic equipment needs to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) before it can be imported into India. We will be happy to advise you whether your products are affected by this and support you with BIS certification.
Here you can find more information about the AIS/TAC 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.

Lecture on BIS Certification at German-Indian Round Table in Osnabrueck

The German-Indian Round Table in Osnabrueck, Germany will take place on March 27, 2020. MPR International GmbH participates in this with a specialized lecture on BIS certification for the Indian market. The event has a special focus on agricultural machinery. The goal of the German-Indian Round Table is to promote economic relations between Germany and India. In addition, there is a regular exchange between German and Indian entrepreneurs and managers.
The German-Indian Round Table (GIRT) is an association of people with economic and personal interest in India. GIRT is represented at twenty locations in Germany and three locations in India.

The Indian market is becoming increasingly interesting for German companies. The question that often arises is whether your products are subject to certification and how to obtain the certification. The focus of this lecture will be the different product groups, their approvals and the current status of the regulations.
There are a number of different certifications in India. There is AIS for automotive products, BIS certification, WPC certification for wireless products, TEC certification for telecommunications and IT and PESO certification for the oil and gas industry.
The most important certification is the BIS certification. BIS stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards and is the national Indian certification body. BIS is mandatory for a wide variety of products including; household appliances, certain foods, valves, gas bottles, steel products, air conditioning, cables, electronics and IT goods.
Since 2005 MPR International GmbH has been helping companies around the world obtain certifications for the Chinese and Indian markets. If you would like more Information regarding the certifications, please visit our website or contact us via email or phone +49692713769150.

“In Compliance Magazine” Publishes an Article About Automotive Product Certifications in India

“In Compliance Magazine” published an English-language article on January 31, 2020 about the necessary certifications for Automotive products to be imported into India. The article was conceived by Julian Busch, Managing Director of MPR International GmbH. The article can be found here.
The Indian import and product quality standard regulations have changed dramatically over the past 30 years and continue to change at an ever-increasing rate. Over the past five years, the government’s “Made in India” campaign and its policies have brought about many new standards for a range of industries, including for the Automotive sector.
The most important product certifications in India are:

• Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) for vehicles and automotive components
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for electrical equipment
• Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) certification for wireless products
• Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) certification for telecommunication and IT

While these different categories are institutionally separated, more than one of them might apply to any given product, depending on the type (e.g. a cordless phone for a car might fall under AIS, WPC and TEC). The article goes into more depth on each of these different certifications.
One of the key conclusions of the article is that the market has developed dramatically, but continues to do so at an ever-increasing pace. Almost on a monthly basis, new items are added to the existing lists of certification mandatory products, so it is vital to observe market development carefully to stay on top of all the changes. We are publishing news every week, so feel free to come back to our site for up-to-date information.
The article also concludes that the government’s policies will improve conditions for foreign manufacturers to import their products into India. With a growing middle class, everything looks set for a strong growth in opportunities as well.
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).
You can also check out our free AIS-Brochure, which can be downloaded right here as a PDF.

The Indian market for gemstones and jewelry could soon grow to 75 billion US$

At the presentation of the 46th Indian Gold and Jewellery Awards in New Delhi in December 2019, Trade and Industry Minister Goyal praised the industry’s efforts, but also urged faster implementation and achievement of the Ministry’s target of $75 billion in annual sales. The Indian gemstone and jewelry industry has enormous growth potential and could create additional jobs, Goyal continued. His Ministry of Trade and Industry will continue to expand the promotion and support of this sector.

New support programs for entrepreneurs will soon be offered for taking out loans and exchanging their money into foreign currencies. Nationwide, four more test centres for gemstones and jewellery will be established in addition to the existing four, where retailers can have their goods tested and certified. The Minister also encouraged the industry’s leaders to introduce a programme for the purchase of scrap gold in order to avoid an increasing and unnecessary import of raw materials, mainly gold. Industry decision makers also discussed the creation of jewellery markets in the style of the Dubai Gold Souk to attract domestic and foreign buyers.

India already cuts and refines 14 out of 15 diamonds mined worldwide, so it is important for the diamond processing sector to train and regularly educate the relevant specialists. Minister Piyush urged the industry to develop further training centres and recruit skilled workers. In addition, India will have higher quality requirements for jewellery and raw materials, especially gold, from 2021 and imports will also be subject to certification. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced a labelling requirement for the purity of gold jewellery, which from 2021 must bear a stamp or hallmark to inform the consumer of the purity of the gold. We will be happy to inform you whether your products are also affected by the mandatory BIS registration or labelling. In addition, we are available as a partner for the application and procedure of a BIS certification.

India introduces mandatory labelling of gold jewellery

A marking, called a hallmark in technical jargon, for the authenticity and purity of gold jewellery and gold artifacts will be obligatory in India from January 2021, according to Consumer Minister Paswan. On 15 January this year it was announced that all jewellers in the country must register with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and after a transitional period of 12 months may only sell pieces with the official mark. The stamp of authenticity serves as proof of the purity of the precious metal and is currently only to be affixed voluntarily. The BIS has already introduced a program for marking since 2004, and in the meantime about 40 percent of all gold jewelry is stamped with the hallmark.

Jewellers and retailers have one year to clear their warehouses or mark existing goods with the hallmark. Minister of Consumer Affairs Paswan emphasized that the decision to make labelling mandatory was in the interest of consumer protection, especially in smaller towns and villages, and to ensure that the goods were genuine gold jewelry. Jewellery and gold already in the customers’ possession does not have to be labelled retrospectively as it is usually tested or melted down when jewellers make a buy. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has established three purity levels for gold jewelry: 14, 18 and 22 carats. The government is also considering making it mandatory to display retail prices per unit of weight (gram or ounce) for these three grades. In order to obtain the certificate of authenticity, the BIS opens inspection offices throughout the country where jewellers can have their jewellery examined and also officially register as gold sellers with the BIS.

India is the world’s largest importer of gold, mainly for the jewellery industry. Each year, the country imports between 700 and 800 tons of gold. The government is also planning to introduce similarly strict quality standards for imported gold jewellery, said Consumer Affairs Minister Paswan. In India, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for the certification of various product groups. BIS certification is intended to guarantee the quality, safety and reliability of products to third parties. For information on the complete list of relevant products as well as further questions regarding the BIS certification, please contact us.

New System for Regulating Organic Products in India

The demand for organic products is increasing worldwide, including in India. A large number of small farmers in India manage about 3.6 million hectares of organic farm land, but also an increasing number of professional farming corporations. According to the World of Organic Agriculture Report 2018, India has the biggest number of organic producers in the world. Several Indian federal states are promoting organic farming.
Due to the interest in organic products, FSSAI published new regulations in the Gazette of India regarding food safety and standards for organic foods. Now, the FSSAI has also announced national standards for organic products.

These standards stipulate that organic food has to comply with the regulations of one of the existing certification systems. These certification systems include the National Program for Organic Production under Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) and the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS) under Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

The Indian authority, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous institution with headquarter in New-Delhi. They are government agency fall under the ministry of Health & Welfare of India. They were established under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, which is a statute related to food safety and regulation in India. The FSSAI is responsible for the regulation of organic food for the domestic market and imports.

Organic food products need to comply, additionally to NPOP and PGS-India, also to the requirements of labelling of FSSAI.

For any question regarding import of organic products to India, please contact us via email.
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.

Indian government to facilitate the regulatory environment for telecommunications

During the India Mobile Congress held in October 2019, Vodafone Idea CEO Birla encouraged the Indian government to modernise existing telecommunications regulations and laws. In India, the number of users of broadband services such as the Internet and mobile communication has risen massively in recent years to 600 million and is only surpassed by China. According to experts, new services such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and robotics will be the driving forces behind future digital growth.

The country’s telecommunications companies are determined to support the growth of the industry, but need a “favourable regulatory environment” to ensure that they have the necessary resources to make appropriate investments and stay on the cutting edge of technology, Birla said on the margins of the congress. After only four years of the “Digital India” project initiated by the Indian government, the country has become the second fastest growing digital economy. The industry’s contribution to India’s total economic output recently exceeded 7.5 percent or 200 billion US dollars. According to the Vodafone boss, however, this is only the beginning of a journey for the country’s economy and population.
The main actor of the rapid digital growth in India is undoubtedly the infrastructure of the mobile service providers. India’s three leading telecommunications companies have invested more than $84 billion over the past four years in mobile networks and infrastructure to build a nationwide 4G network. According to Birla, however, the development is far from complete. New trends and technologies such as automation, virtual reality and blockchain will require further capacity expansion. “The progressive networking of cities, buildings, vehicles and industry will fundamentally change the economy worldwide and also in India”, Birla explained at a presentation of the future plans of his company Vodafone. Benefit from the growth in India. Certain electronic products and telecommunications equipment require certification for the Indian market: BIS registration for electronic products, TEC certification for telecommunications equipment and WPC approval for wireless equipment. We are happy to advise you on Indian certifications with our experienced international team.

Public auction of Radio Frequencies in India

In India many radio frequencies are still restricted by the government, but more frequency bands are being made available for commercial usage. Among the newly available offerings are 30 MHz on the 700 MHz Band which will be auctioned off publicly. 5 MHz of the 35MHz on that spectrum shall be reserved for Indian railways with the goal to improve safety and security to passengers. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has suggested administrative measures to be taken to ensure that these frequencies are not used commercially.
1.6 MHz spectrum is already assigned to Indian Railways in the 900 MHz band may also be taken back upon migration to an LTE based network to be auctioned off later. In 2018 the TRAI has already suggested to free up of 275 MHz in the 3300-3600 MHz frequency range, used for 5G communications, to be auctioned.

By world-wide standards, very little progress in the way of opening up commercially available radio frequencies has been made. Serious public discussion started around 2012 with India’s National Telecom Policy with only a handful of frequencies such as the Citizen’s Band in the 27 MHz range and the WiFi bands in the 2.4 and 5.8 GHz ranges have been made freely usable. Even commonly used frequencies such as the 433 MHz band for RFID systems still require applying for a license with the Department of Telecommunications’ Wireless Planning & Coordination Commission (WPC).
Due to these restrictions, many industries have troubles developing their products for lack of usable frequencies. This problem has been pointed out to the regulators by many companies, including global Automotive powerhouses such as Daimler, who cannot easily provide services such as radar used for onboard navigation due to Indian restrictions. While many governmental bodies in India are coming up with suggestions on how to promote “Ease of Doing Business”, little progress has been made in the actual regulations.
Many wireless devices require the WPC registration in India.
If you are interested to know if the frequencies used in your product require approval in India, don’t hesitate to contact us by email or phone. We will help you meet all your certification needs.

New opportunities for automotive suppliers in India

The new production plant went into operation in April and has already delivered 7,000 new cars. The plant has an area of 700,000 m² and at full capacity 56,000 vehicles can roll off the assembly line each year. For the Shanghai-based SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd., the Gujarat site in the West-India region is the third automobile factory abroad after Thailand and Indonesia. The construction also marks the first investment by a Chinese carmaker in India.

The MG Hector model currently manufactured in India was presented by SAIC Motors in June of this year. Potential customers were able to pre-order their vehicles via the Internet and by the end of September, three months after the start of production, more than 31,000 orders had already been received. The SUV MG Hector is equipped with the i-Smart intelligent mobility system developed by SAIC. It combines remote diagnosis, anti-theft protection, remote control of certain functions and the installation of an electronic fence, a geofencing that sends a message to the owner as soon as the vehicle leaves a predefined radius. i-Smart is integrated into the vehicle as standard and is also available as a smartphone app for Android and Apple. The MG Hector is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers a maximum of 84 kW or 114 hp and 150 Nm of torque. In addition, the basic version already includes assistance systems and safety standards at European level.
SAIC sees enormous market potential in India and already announced in 2017 that it would invest 3.275 billion yuan in automobile production and a supplier park in addition to the recently completed plant. The Halol plant of General Motors, also in Gujarat, was purchased and modernized to carry out this project. The Chinese automotive company was able to create new jobs for the local population and stimulate the local economy by locating here. More than half of the components are manufactured by local suppliers and other service providers in information technology, artificial intelligence and other innovative industries benefit from SAIC Motors’ presence in India. Foreign companies are also welcome in the newly created supplier park. Automotive components manufactured locally are subject to AIS certification. We will be happy to advise you comprehensively on the upcoming certification of your company or your products for India.
If you need assistance with your TAC 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 AIS/TAC certification, please read our free information booklet “AIS/TAC – The Booklet“.
You can find further information regarding the BIS certification for electronical equipment here.
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