Decision made for Indian Greenfield LNG project

Petronet LNG, a major player in India’s liquefied natural gas market, has made a final decision to move forward with its proposed floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) project at Gopalpur. This will be the company’s first facility of its kind on the nation’s east coast. Equipment and machinery relevant for the oil and gas industry often need a PESO certification in order to be approved for the Indian market.

The board of Petronet LNG has approved the 4 million tonnes per annum Gopalpur LNG phase one import project, which carries an estimated cost of around 23 billion Indian rupees (around $278 million). The plan is for the project to be operational by the end of 2025. Site of the operation is Ganjam, Odisha and will be financed through a debt and equity combination.

Additionally, Petronet LNG has stated that the FSRU-based receiving and regasification scheme has the potential to be later on converted into a land-based terminal, with 5 million tons per annum capacity.
The company currently operates two land-based terminals, one in Gujarat with over 17 million tpa capacity and one in Kerala with 5 million tpa. There are current plans to expand the capacity at the Gujarat facility. Petronet LNG has also considered locations such as Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for future import facilities.

Petronet LNG is a consortium made up of India’s state-owned Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, Gail, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, who hold a combined 50% stake, with the remaining 50% being publicly held.

PESO certification is issued by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation of India. Relevant product groups or components include gas and pressure vessels, valves and fittings, or safety equipment. A complete list can be found on the page about PESO certification mandatory 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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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 PESO certification, please refer to our free brochure “PESO Certification Made Easy“.

Indian government and private developers pledge US$6.7 billion for green hydrogen

Indian solar developer Acme Group and the Karnataka state government plan to invest US$6.7 billion in green hydrogen and ammonia production plants. Further details of the project were laid down in the memorandum of understanding signed this summer. Among other things, a production facility for 1.2 million tonnes of green hydrogen and green ammonia annually is to be built by 2027. So far, Acme has not specified how many tonnes of hydrogen and ammonia each will produce annually. Nevertheless, the plant will be one of the largest in the world when completed, according to the industry journal Upstream. The energy for the project will come from a purpose-built solar plant. Relevant product groups or components that require PESO certification in order to be imported and approved in India are, for example, gas and pressure vessels, valves and fittings, or safety equipment.

Acme is currently developing another green ammonia production facility of comparable size in Duqm, Oman. This plant is being built in collaboration with Scatec of Norway. In the first phase of the project, 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia will be produced annually. In the second phase, the operators expect to produce 1.2 million tonnes annually with the help of a 3.5 gigawatt electrolyser, which in turn will be supplied with 5.5 gigawatts of electricity from solar energy. Acme has already built a partially commercial green ammonia plant in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan as a test. For the latest plant in Karnataka, the government there assured Acme of all help with the approval process and plans to become a hub for green hydrogen. India plans to produce around 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030. To this end, the national government in New Delhi has announced that it will be waiving charges for inter-state power transmission for the next 25 years and prioritising the expansion of the power grid.

The planned expansion of renewable energies is also expected to increase the demand for imported products in the power generation sector. Therefore, the Indian power sector offers good opportunities for your company to offer services and products there or to produce locally.

A complete list of products for which the PESO certification is relevant can be found on the page about PESO certification mandatory products. The experts at MPR International GmbH are available to answer your questions about PESO certification or other India certifications without obligation for an initial assessment.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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 PESO certification, please refer to our free brochure “PESO Certification Made Easy“.

Car deliveries up 11 per cent in July due to better supply of semiconductors

Deliveries of passenger cars in India increased by 11 per cent in July, the car dealers’ association SIAM said in mid-August. Reasons cited include improved supply of semiconductors and the upcoming festive season. Compared to the same month last year, when about 264,000 vehicles were delivered, about 294,000 vehicles were sold this year in July. Sales of three-wheelers, motorbikes and scooters also increased by 73 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. Automotive products typically require AIS certification to be approved for sale and operation in India.

Senior Chairman of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Rajesh Menon noted that the market for low-end passenger cars, two-wheelers and three-wheelers still has room to grow and hoped for further growth in the current year. He blamed rising lending rates and high inflation for the reluctance to buy in the aforementioned segments. On the other hand, he praised the improvement in the supply chains of both vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, citing this as the main reason for the increased sales figures. Furthermore, Menon welcomed the Indian government’s decision to offer more domestic gas in the market. As a result, he hopes that gas companies will pass on their lower purchase costs and end consumers will pay a lower gas price.

Cars and their components have to be certified according to the AIS guidelines in India. AIS stands for Automotive Industry Standards, the technical automotive standards for India. MPR International GmbH – India Certification will be pleased to assist you with AIS certification and is also available to answer any questions you may have.

Depending on the product category, there are different certification steps. We will be happy to advise you on certification in India like AIS, BIS, WPC, TEC or PESO 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.

Indian Authorities Closed During New Year

Several Indian authorities and certification institutions will be closed for the New Year Holidays.
This applies to Christmas Day on December 25, 2022, and the New Year’s holiday on January 01, 2023. This year, these days fall on Sundays, so the authorities will resume their work as normal from January 02, 2023, without any major delay. Unlike in previous years, there should therefore be at most only minor delays in the certification process due to the closure at the turn of the year.

MPR International GmbH will continue to support you in your certification processes. If you would like to have products checked for AIS-, BIS-, WPC-, TEC-, PESO- or other certifications, you can call or email us any time.

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)

MPR International GmbH wishes you a succesfull New Year 2023!

Despite inflation, demand for smartwatches and earphones on the rise

In India, the market for smartwatches grew by a record 173 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022, while wireless earphones grew 66 percent, reports market research firm Counterpoint Research. In contrast, demand for cell phones and electronic devices fell due to rising inflation. Analysts attribute the gains in smartwatches and earbuds to the low average prices of these products, as well as pent-up consumer demand in the wake of the ended Covid 19 pandemic. For example, the average market price of a smartwatch dropped from the converted $100 in 2020 to $65 within a year. Anshika Jain, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, even expects prices to fall further this year as market leaders focus on affordable devices between $25 and $35. In addition, analysts noted a shift in consumer buying behavior from smartbands to smartwatches as they become more affordable and offer more features. Smart wearables typically need BIS certification and/ or WPC certification to be approved for sale and use in India.

The decrease in average prices is due to competition among vendors and increase in domestic production, in addition to stronger demand. New brands such as Fire-bolt, Dizo and Boult Audio have been able to increase their market share due to low prices. Furthermore, companies are planning to expand local production of smartwatches and earphones as, according to information from market observers, the Indian government will impose import duties on these product groups from 2023. Thanks to increasing local manufacturing rates of 14 percent, the average price of wireless earphones fell 19 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2022. Market leader Boat expects to produce nearly half of its products in India during the year. Competitors Noise and Realme will enter the market with their first locally manufactured products by the end of the year, according to Counterpoint Research. Smartwatch market leader Noise already produces 10 to 20 percent of its products in India, according to company co-founder Amit Khatri. That figure is expected to expand to as much as 55 percent by the end of the third quarter of 2022, Khatri said.

A large number of different products require BIS certification in order to be imported into India or placed on the market. Depending on the product, a distinction is made between BIS-ISI or BIS-CRS certification. Since the product list is constantly being expanded, we will be pleased to help you with an initial assessment. MPR International GmbH – India Certification supports you with a pending BIS certification and is also available at any time to answer your questions.

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. WPC certification is necessary for wireless products in order to be used and sold in India.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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“.
For more information about WPC certification, please refer to our free brochure “WPC Certification Made Easy“.

Agreements between India and Germany for “Clean Energy” worth 10.5 billion US dollars

India and Germany signed several agreements focused on sustainable development of the subcontinent, industry journal Upstream reports. India could receive about $10.5 billion in economic aid through 2030 as a result. The funds are to be used to promote so-called “clean energies” in particular. The agreements between the two countries were signed back in May during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Germany. Among other things, they include technical assistance, the increased use of renewable energies and hydrogen, and a reduction in greenhouse gases. Shortly after the signing, leading state-owned energy companies Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) unveiled ambitious plans to invest in renewable energy and hydrogen. Industry insiders expect benefits for the two companies from the agreement with Germany. Products from this sector, e.g. gas and pressure vessels, valves and fittings or safety equipment, in many cases require PESO certification to be approved for the Indian market.

The Indian government will now work out the further details, including participation of companies from the power generation and renewable energy sectors. In addition, the agreement envisages cooperation between the two countries at government level for sustainable development and climate change mitigation, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said. State-owned IOC and BPCL, as well as the private sector with Reliance Industries and the Adani Group, announced billions of dollars in investments for hydrogen and renewable energy.

BPCL earlier this year announced an ambitious plan to invest a total of $3.35 billion in a diversified portfolio of sustainable energy generation including solar, wind, small hydro and biomass. IOC last year pledged to build India’s first green hydrogen plant in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. This will involve routing electricity generated by wind energy from Rajasthan to the refinery in Mathura, where hydrogen gas will be produced using electrolysis. Furthermore, major Indian engineering company Larsen & Toubro (L&T), IOC and major power company ReNew Power announced they have formed a joint venture to advance green hydrogen generation projects in the country. IOC and L&T also signed a separate agreement to jointly manufacture and distribute green hydrogen electrolysis equipment.

With the planned expansion of renewable energy, the demand for imported power generation products is also expected to increase. Therefore, the Indian energy sector offers good opportunities for your company to provide services and products there or to produce locally. However, most equipment, plants and facilities have to pass a mandatory PESO certification. Relevant product groups or components are for example gas and pressure vessels, valves and fittings or safety equipment. A complete list can be found under this link. The experts at MPR International GmbH are available to answer your questions about PESO certification or other India certifications without obligation for an initial assessment.

The Indian oil and gas industry is growing and offers good opportunities for your company to provide services and products there or to produce locally. However, most equipment, plants and facilities must undergo mandatory PESO certification. This is issued by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation of India. A complete list of relevant products can be found on the page about PESO certification mandatory products. The experts at MPR International GmbH are available to answer your questions about PESO certification or other India certifications without obligation for an initial assessment.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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 PESO certification, please refer to our free brochure “PESO Certification Made Easy“.

Godi India becomes first Indian company to produce lithium-ion cells since August

Hyderabad-based Godi India became the first Indian company to produce lithium-ion cells in August. Godi India entered into a so-called PPP (public-private partnership) agreement with the CSIR-CECRI institute to do so. The “Central Electrochemical Research Institute” operates and maintains the modern production facility for lithium-ion cells in Taramani, state of Chennai. Together, the two partners plan to invest about $3 billion in the project over the next five years. According to Mahesh Godi, founder and CEO of Godi India, production began Aug. 1, with delivery of the first cells to OEMs 15 days later. Godi said the cells are the first from domestic production for Indian OEMs. Currently, India is largely dependent on imported lithium-ion cells from China and South Korea. Godi is already in negotiations to sell the cells to car and two-wheeler manufacturers. BIS certification must often be considered when manufacturing and launching batteries, as it is mandatory for many products.

In addition to the recently opened factory, Godi is planning to build a gigafactory, which is scheduled to start operations in 2023. It will mainly produce cells for EVs. Godi is the first Indian company whose domestically produced cells have BIS certification. In accordance with BIS guidelines, Godi’s cells have been tested and certified by an independent third party (TÜV). By working with CSIR-CECRI, Godi hopes to produce the next generation of battery cells for India as well as launch new research and development projects.

A large number of diverse products require BIS certification in order to import them into India or bring them to market. Depending on the product, a distinction is made between BIS-ISI or BIS-CRS certification. Since the product list is constantly being expanded, we will be pleased to help you with an initial assessment. MPR International GmbH – India Certification will support you with a pending BIS certification and is also available to answer your questions at any time.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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“.

MPR at the Expert Forum Future Battery 2022 on November 3rd and 4th in Berlin

For the third year in a row, experts in battery solutions from industry and academia came together at Future Battery to talk about the latest issues that are upcoming in battery applications and to participate in various workshops. This year the topic was “Next level: Establishing the battery society”, highlighting five strategic future topics on the role of battery technology for industry and society. Aspects of material and component supply, production scaling, regulatory requirements and sustainability issues such as recyclability or raw material optimization were the focus.

This year, the Future Battery conference was held as a hybrid event at the EstrelConferenceCenter (ECC) Berlin and online with a supporting app. With 80 exhibition booths, visitors could explore the new ideas and technologies of the participating companies on site and obtain valuable information about products and developments. A very agile event format that brought together about 500 participants directly and another 2,500 participants online. This brought together automotive OEMs, manufacturers of battery systems and cells, and their suppliers, so that the complete value-added spectrum of battery technology could be included.

It was a lively and exciting exchange with a view far into the future to technological leaps that are already emerging today. For MPR International there were many insights to current and future opportunities. The massive increase in demand for batteries themselves in the field of e-mobility, as well as the demand for battery testing and approval oand/or registration in countries around the world has increased enormously. For MPR International this means that we have significantly increased our testing capacities therough our partner network. We have been receiving requests for testing from manufacturers who can no longer keep up with their test capacities. We are now able to offer extensive testing in Germany, other EU countries, the UK and the USA for battery testing at short notice and to carry out any necessary certifications. Of particular note here for India is BIS certification and AIS certification, which are mandatory for many components and equipment involved in battery manufacturing.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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.

High demand for cooling appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners in summer 2022

During this year’s heat wave in India, demand for cooling equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, evaporative coolers and fans increased tremendously. Electrical retailer Croma, part of the Tata Group of Companies, reported that sales doubled during the summer season. According to Croma’s own sales report, “Unboxed Summer 2022,” twice as many refrigerators and three times more air conditioners were sold than the previous year. Cheaper evaporative coolers saw 2.5 times more sales than the previous year and sold best in the Pune region. Fans were in demand twice as much as in 2021 and sold most in Bangalore. Many of these products fall under the mandatory BIS certification required for them to be imported and distributed in India.

Air conditioners sold most in cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Kolkata. It was found that consumers are increasingly paying attention to the energy efficiency of the units: More than half of the air conditioners purchased have an energy efficiency rating of three stars or higher. In the greater Delhi area, air conditioners with a heating function are also popular, accounting for around 60 percent of all units sold there. For refrigerators, compressors with inverter function are becoming increasingly popular and their current market share is around 60 percent. In terms of size, refrigerators with around 300 liters are the most frequently sold models, which indicates many first-time buyers.

A large number of different products require BIS certification in order to import them into India or to place them on the market. Depending on the product, a distinction is made between BIS-ISI or BIS-CRS certification. Since the product list is constantly being expanded, we will be pleased to help you with an initial assessment. MPR International GmbH – India Certification supports you with a pending BIS certification and is also available at any time to answer your questions.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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“.

Nokia hopes India will help shape global 6G standards

Finnish telecom equipment supplier Nokia is counting on India to help shape 5G Advanced and 6G network technologies. As a result, the company has increased its efforts and presence in India through Bell Labs, its subsidiary responsible for research. According to Nokia’s CTO and CSO Nishant Batra, India’s expertise and resources are currently underestimated. In doing so, he admitted that standards could not come from India as a country, but stressed that skilled experts and manpower would play their part. That’s why Nokia is expanding Bell Labs’ operations in India right now. Batra expects a rapid increase in the number of users of this network, as well as the upcoming generation 6G, due to the falling prices of 5G-enabled devices. He mentioned that when 5G was launched 18 months ago, device prices were so high that only a small percentage of the population could benefit. Now, however, the technology has reached most users and is well received, he said. Therefore, Batra said, it is important to have a robust plan for the rollout of 5G and the introduction of 6G in India. WPC certification is necessary for wireless products in order to be used and sold in India.

The WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) is the national broadcasting authority in India and is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It was established in 1952 and is headquartered in New Delhi, with additional regional offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati. The WPC’s main tasks are to issue amateur radio licenses and to allocate and monitor the frequency spectrum. In addition, the WPC is responsible for WPC ETA certification (WPC Equipment Type Approval ETA) and other radio approvals. For foreign manufacturers, only the WPC ETA Approval is relevant in most cases. The WPC certification is used synonymously for the ETA (Equipment Type Approval) abroad.

The national broadcasting authority WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) is responsible for this certification, in order to regulate the issuing of issuing of amateur radio licenses and the allocation and monitoring of the frequency spectrum.

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 (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). 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 WPC certification, please refer to our free brochure “WPC Certification Made Easy“.