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.

India reforms tax system to boost investment

While the trade dispute between the US and China continues to weaken the global economy and investors are reluctant to react, India has created facts with the surprising adoption of a comprehensive reform package and plans to boost the country’s economy massively. Analysts and economists even expect India to overtake China in terms of growth rates from 2021. In detail, the reform will reduce VAT retroactively to 1 April 2019 and relieve companies of almost 1.5 trillion Rupees annually. The basic tax rate will be reduced from 30 to 22 percent, and the effective tax rate will fall by around ten percentage points to an average of 25 percent due to local surcharges and industry differences.

In addition, young companies will receive a reduced tax rate of 15 percent for certain investments. There have also been changes on the capital market, with share buybacks now exempt from taxation. Converted to India’s gross domestic product, the package of measures adopted represents around 0.7 percent and 30 percent respectively of total tax revenue.

In the long term, the tax reform should sustainably strengthen the willingness of Indian industry to invest. Although investments grew by an average of 15 percent between 2000 and 2008, the financial and economic crisis caused a slump to 8 percent per year and the past year 2018 saw a low of seven percent. In addition to the hoped-for increase in investments as a result of the reform, further interest rate cuts by the central bank are expected as an incentive. The Indian government under President Modi is continuously working on the country’s competitiveness. India’s numerous and young population offers very good conditions for high growth rates and economic productivity. Products manufactured in India are also subject to approval by Indian certifications such as AIS (ARAI), BIS, WPC, TEC or PESO. Find out in good time whether your product requires 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 2713769150, US: +1 773 654-2673).
You can also download our brochures about the compulsory certifications here.

Indian Ministry of Telecommunications works on permitted frequencies for 5G network

The Ministry of Telecommunications is currently working on the spectrum of permitted frequencies and the corresponding 5G devices will soon be available on the Indian market. The future frequencies will be allocated as a harmonised and coherent spectrum necessary for the deployment of next generation access technologies, the Ministry said. To operate so-called Multi-Gigabit Broadband (MBB) services in a 5G network, operators must be allocated larger and coherent frequency bands. This strategy is supported by a publication of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and endorsed in the Digital Communications Guidelines of the relevant ministry.

For the new 5G network, the Committee of the Ministry of Telecommunications proposes the auctioning of a total of 11 frequency bands, four of which would be immediately available for use. The 700 MHz band was offered at the last auction but not sold. Its 35 MHz spectrum is still available for 4G and 5G services. The 3.5 Ghz band is intended for IMT services in India. The worldwide introduction of 5G networks is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 or the beginning of 2020. Successful pilot projects are already in operation and thus the timetable for India in the context of global adaptation is also on schedule.

Companies wishing to market products in the 5G sector must obtain information in good time and apply for the appropriate permission (WPC registration) for their products. In India, the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) department of the Ministry of Communications is responsible for wireless devices and broadcasting and telecommunications licensing.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information on WPC certification. In addition, we offer you a comprehensive service package within the scope of WPC registration.

A Range of New Products will be BIS Mandatory Soon

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently published a notice explaining which products will require a mandatory BIS certification soon. The BIS is responsible for a multitude of voluntary and mandatory certifications for industry products. The most important ones are the BIS CRS Scheme for Electronics & IT Goods (BIS CRS) and the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS).

So far, they have 136 products in their catalogue which require a mandatory certification and 50 products which require a mandatory registration.
The BIS certification provides a third-party guarantee of quality, safety and reliability.
The following products will require a certification in the future:

• Electric cables, plugs, sockets, switchgear
• Air conditioner, compressor, thermostat, heat exchanger
• Domestic cooker, gas stove, rubber hose for liquid petroleum gas (LPG)
• Toys
• Protective helmet
• Butterfly valves
• Transparent float glass, sheet glass and safety glass
• Prepaid energy meter, smart meter
• Chemicals: acetic acid, aniline, methanol, orthophosphoric acid etc.
• Medical devices
• Cranes (electric, overhead, gantry)
• Wheel-loader
• Retroreflector devices for bicycles
• Cotton bales

Up to this point there are few technical regulations compared to that of the EU market requirements. However, India has been in ongoing discussion forums with regulatory experts and are eager to close the gap to be more in line with the EU. It is expected that here will be more regulations published in the near future.
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.

New product list for mandatory BIS certification

The mandatory BIS certification is now mandatory for a further 13 products. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the equivalent of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) or the International Standards Organization (ISO). Until now, certification according to the BIS standard was voluntary; with the announcement of the new, third product list, this is now mandatory for other products. The newly announced products include LED lighting, UPS and inverters with less than 10 kVA, televisions and monitors up to 32 inches, surveillance cameras, adapters and sockets for the household, barcode and fingerprint scanners, smartwatches.

Foreign manufacturers wishing to export their products to India require BIS certification. For some product categories this certification is still voluntary, but not for products on the so-called List 1 and 2 and the newly published third list. Foreign manufacturers seeking certification will need an authorised Indian representative to act as an intermediary between BIS and the manufacturer.
For any questions regarding the BIS certification, please contact us.
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.

Trends in the Indian automotive market

In 2018, the Indian automotive market and the local automotive industry achieved one of the best results in history. A total of 29 million vehicles were produced, an increase of 14 percent over the previous year. The front runners were two-wheelers with around 23 million units produced, followed by 4 million passenger cars, 1 million tricycles and 900,000 commercial vehicles. In the two-wheeled segment, the share of scooters in particular grew to over 7 million, testifying to their growing popularity. SUVs were able to exceed the limit of 1 million produced vehicles, so that every third passenger vehicle was an off-road vehicle.

The sales figures showed that India is currently one of the largest sales markets. The 2017 to 2018 fiscal year was one of the best years for automobile manufacturers in terms of sales figures. Growth was in the double-digit range and the Indian market surpassed Germany and is now in fourth place worldwide, just behind China, the USA and Japan. Annual car sales now stand at 3.28 million units, an increase of 9.23 percent. Two-wheelers have set a new record of 20 million units sold, with growth of 15 percent. Electric vehicles continue to have a difficult environment in India. Although there has been a doubling of the number of electric vehicles sold, from 25,000 in 2017 to around 56,000 in 2018, the share of total cars sold is less than 1 percent.
Exports by the Indian automotive industry also increased last year, rising by 16 percent. A total of 40 million units were registered for export. Exports of two-wheeled vehicles, of which 2.8 million were exported abroad, are leading the way. Both product groups, motorcycles and scooters, were able to set new records. At 380,000 units, tricycles jumped to over 40 percent more exported units than last year. The automotive sector in India can also be an opportunity for growth and globalisation for your company. The export of products to India often requires an obligatory India certification according to the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS). We will be happy to advise you comprehensively on AIS/TAC certification for India.
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 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).
You can also download our brochures about the compulsory certifications here.

Good prospects for the Indian automotive industry

According to analyses by experts, there are good prospects for the Indian automotive industry in the period 2020 to 2026. In the scenario, the industry’s turnover is expected to reach 135 billion in 2020 and rise to 300 billion by 2026, with an average annual growth rate of 15 percent.
The individual sectors of the automotive industry contributed to the growth of the market in the period from 2017 to 2018 with the following figures: Two-wheelers 81 percent, cars 13 percent, tricycles and commercial vehicles 3 percent each. Exports in the same period grew by 16 percent for passenger cars, 20 percent for two-wheelers and 40 percent for tricycles.

Looking at the market development for automobiles in India between 2018 and 2019, both local sales figures and exports increased. The highest growth was recorded in exports of two and three-wheelers at 20 percent, commercial vehicles for the Indian market at 16 percent and export of passenger cars at 9.3 percent.

German automobile manufacturers were able to establish themselves well on the Indian market in the luxury vehicle segment. Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW, for example, have a combined market share of 82 percent and plan to increase their involvement in the Indian market. Profit from the growth and development of the automotive market and export your products to India. In many cases you will need an obligatory India certification according to the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS). We will be happy to provide you with comprehensive advice on AIS/TAC certification for India.
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 2713769261, US: +1 773 654-2673).
You can also download our brochures about the compulsory certifications here.