BIS search at Metro wholesale store in Mumbai uncovers large quantity of uncertified toys

An unannounced search by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has unearthed a substantial quantity of uncertified toys at a Metro ‘cash-and-carry’ wholesale store. A team of BIS Mumbai personnel conducted the raid on 13 January 2021 to search for fake ISI test seals as well as non-BIS certified toys. Both offences are violations of the quality control laws of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. The Metro wholesale store is accused of selling electronic and non-electronic toys without the BIS certificate.

To protect the health and safety for children, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification on 1 January 2021 that all toys offered for sale from that date must have a mandatory BIS certificate. Violation of this government quality control scheme is an offence punishable with imprisonment up to two years or a minimum fine of Rs 200,000 under the BIS Act, 2016. Manufacturers, traders and retailers are warned against manufacturing or selling toys without a BIS certificate.

Toys require BIS certification to import or market them in India. Depending on the product, a distinction is made between BIS-ISI or BIS-CRS certification. As 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 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“.

BIS continues to monitor non-compliant motorbike helmets

Six months after the introduction of mandatory certification for the production and sale of motorbike helmets, the Indian Bureau of Standards (BIS) continues to conduct inspections at producers and markets. Motorbike helmets have been required to carry an ISI test mark since 1 June 2021, and the BIS has now received around 20 complaints about non-compliance or misuse of the test mark. The law enables the BIS and authorised authorities to carry out random checks on producers and dealers of motorbike helmets.

Although the BIS has already received complaints or tips regarding non-certified helmets, a spokesperson had to admit to omissions and delays on the part of the authority. Due to the continuing Covid 19 situation, on-site inspections are not possible, the spokesperson explained. These would begin immediately as soon as the situation permits, he added. Meanwhile, Rajeev Kapoor, president of the Motorcycle Helmet Manufacturers Association, supports the recently introduced scheme. “Manufacturing substandard helmets is like manufacturing fake medicines: Both can be fatal,” Kapoor said. The BIS enforced clear marking and identification with a verification number on gold and jewellery some time ago. Kapoor would like to see the same for motorbike helmets: “In Europe, the test and quality seals will be attached to helmets in a tamper-proof manner so that consumers can trace authenticity and the manufacturer.” Unworn or substandard helmets are the leading cause of death from motorbike accidents in India, accounting for 78 per cent. In 2019, 56,000 motorcyclists were killed in road accidents, 43,600 of them were not wearing a helmet. The number of fatalities due to a substandard helmet is not known due to lack of data.
In India, many product groups are subject to BIS certification, similar to DIN/ISO/EN standards. The specifications are defined by the BIS standards, and the product list is continuously expanded or adapted. BIS stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards and is the Indian national certification body under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. It is the central awarding body for BIS certification.
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“.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) tightens measures to monitor quality seals

The Hubballi branch of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is tightening its measures against the misuse of the BIS quality mark in the North Karnataka region. Certain products such as cement, bottled drinking water and healthcare items are required to carry an ISI mark or seal as per the state-regulated BIS guidelines. BIS staff raided a company in August that was improperly stamping the BIS seal of approval on gold products without first going through proper certification. In addition, BIS found that many drinking water factories in North Karnataka were not licensed to bottle and sell their products.

Scientist and head of BIS’s Hubballi branch, DP Kumar, explained his agency’s approach and responsibilities to the Times of India. BIS is the national standards body of India, operating under the BIS Act of 2016. BIS formulates Indian standards for products, processes and services covering various sectors of the economy. In addition, it is also responsible for the development and implementation of conformity and assessment systems. Certification and monitoring of factories and markets, as well as a quality seal system for the implementation of standards, are among the agency’s other tasks. Finally, BIS branch manager Kumar mentioned a new app “BIS Care”, which consumers can use to check the authenticity of ISI seals on products.

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“.

Industry association calls for revision of timeline for new tire standards

The Indian Association of Automotive Tire Manufacturers (ATMA) said in late May that they are calling for a revision of the timeline for the introduction of new tire standards. The relevant guidelines relate to rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling noise. The industry association justifies the demand by saying that many companies have yet to test their stockpiles of tires in accordance with the latest standards. Vehicle tires in India must be certified according to AIS guidelines. AIS stands for Automotive Industry Standards, the technical automotive standards for India.
 

 
According to the draft submitted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the planned standards are to apply to all newly designed and produced tires from October 1, 2021, with the regulation becoming binding for stocks one year later. The tires affected are those for passenger cars as well as light and heavy commercial vehicles. Tire industry representatives said that effective implementation of the proposed draft also depends on the availability of appropriate infrastructure for testing tires. Among other things, the tires must be tested on special test tracks for their grip in wet conditions and rolling noise while other parameters can be determined in the laboratory or test rig.

The ATMA wrote in its own statement that the timetable for implementing the standards needs a revision that is realistic for the industry in terms of deadlines. The companies represented by the association would need time to adapt their supply inventories and tools and machines to the new situation. In addition, certain details of the standards should be adapted to circumstances in India. According to ATMA, the Indian tire industry produces one of the world’s largest ranges of tires.

ATMA’s technical wing, the Indian Tire Technical Advisory Committee (ITTAC) presented a detailed response to the ministry’s recent draft. In doing so, ATMA Director Rajiv Budhraja made it clear that the industry is willing to comply with the government and introduce the new standards, albeit with a modified timetable. As an example, he cited the good cooperation between ATMA and the government for the introduction of the AIS 142 tire standard. The introduction of new and internationally coordinated tire standards only benefits the Indian tire industry, Budhraja said. It would also allow the tires to be exported, and for the domestic market, new types of tires will increase road safety and save fuel, he said.
AIS certification, as needed by vehicle tyres, is conducted by authorities like the International Center for Automotive Technology (iCAT).
For each 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 RDSO and BIS develop joint standards for the railroad sector

A department of the Indian Railways, the Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is responsible for standards, plan to work together on railroad standards in the future to ensure safe rolling stock and reliable operations. The collaboration came about under an overarching BIS project called “One Nation – One Standard.” Under this project, BIS is to collect and unify the various standards and regulations. The RDSO is the first agency selected within the project as an organization to develop new standards.
 

 
During the implementation of the project, the RDSO revised its specifications for drafting standards in the railroad sector and adapted them in accordance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Consumer Affairs informed. The standards, revised in cooperation and consultation with the BIS, apply to products, operations and services in India’s rail sector. For a period of three years, the RDSO was granted the authority to amend and create standards. After that, renewal of the authority is required. A BIS publication indicated that under the objective of the “One Nation – One Standard” project, numerous other standardization authorities could cooperate under one umbrella. Therefore, further such collaborations as that between the RDSO and BIS are planned for the future.
Parts and components for the railroad sector 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 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“.

India introduces mandatory registration for computer chip imports

The Indian government announced in mid-May that imports of integrated circuits (ICs) and computer chips must be mandatorily registered with the Chip Import Monitoring System, or CHIMS, beginning Aug. 1. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that under the import monitoring system, importers must enter the relevant data on imported products into an online system in advance and receive an automatically generated registration number after paying a fee. Electronic components or finished electronic devices require BIS certification in order to import them into India or place them on the market.

 

Affected product groups are processors and controllers, memory, and amplifiers. In a related announcement, the DGFT said the aforementioned products must be registered through CHIMS starting Aug. 1. The Ministry of Foreign Trade had previously introduced similar procedures for certain iron and steel products, coal, and aluminum and copper products to reduce unnecessary imports of these goods and strengthen domestic production.

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. 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 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“.

Automotive sector suppliers demand long-term planning certainty for legislative changes

In India, suppliers in the automotive sector are demanding a short-term pause in the introduction of new laws and regulations. They are also demanding long-term planning certainty in order to prepare appropriate investments. The president of the industry association ACMA, Deepak Jain, indicated that in the event of a recovery of the Indian economy, automotive suppliers will play an important role. He further said that during the transition of India’s emission standards from BS4 to BS6, the auto industry invested around $10.7 billion to implement the guidelines accordingly. It is estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of this was shouldered by suppliers. As a result, his association, ACMA, which represents India’s major automotive suppliers, is calling for a temporary suspension or postponement of further new regulations.

The financial situation is tight at many companies, leaving no scope for new investments. This is due to a general downturn in the auto industry as well as supply disruptions and production outages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ACMA President Jain, supply chains are currently already overwhelmed even with the lower demand. He suggested a possible solution would be a meeting of other industry associations and the government to come up with a long-term plan. According to his information, companies are also expecting direct support and subsidies from the government during this difficult period. In the last fiscal year, the Indian supplier industry generated a turnover of 49.2 billion US dollars and reported a decrease of 11.7 percent compared to the previous year.

In addition to vehicles as a whole, an increasing number of components in the automotive sector in India must undergo certification before they can be imported or marketed. Recently, some product categories such as rims, tires, automotive glass and electronic components have been added to this mandatory certification. The relevant automotive technical standards, called Automotive Industry Standards or AIS for short, apply to India as a manufacturing location.

AIS stands for Automotive Industry Standards, the technical automotive standards for India, while TAC stands for Type Approval Certificate. This kind of automotive product certifiation is conducted by authorities like the International Center for Automotive Technology (iCAT).
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.

Certification for Helmets will now be Mandatory

The Indian Standard IS4151:2015 applying to Helmets for riders of two-wheel motor vehicles has been changed to compulsory certification status. Until now, the respective helmets could be certified voluntarily. However, after consultation with the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) the Indian government is of the opinion that it is in the public’s interest to change this.
 

 
The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) will stay the certifying and enforcing authority for the applicable products and standard. The mandatory certification requires multiple steps before a product can be imported, including product tests in India as well as a factory audit.
The change will go into effect in June 2021 and applies to the following product types:

Goods or Articles	Indian Standard	Title of Indian Standard
(2)	(3)	(4)
Helmet for riders of two-wheeler motor vehicles	IS 4151: 2015	Protective Helmet for two-wheeler Riders

 
Since the list is constantly changing and expanding, it is often not clear whether a product is subject to certification or not.
We can help you here and provide reliable information about the regulations for your product.

We are happy to support you with BIS Certification and are available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Write us an email or call us at +49-69-2713769261.
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)

New requirements for BIS-certification chemicals in India starting in 2021

As of April 11 and November 11, 2021, Acrylonitrile and 29 other chemicals will fall under the mandatory BIS-CRS certification of India. These include, next to Acrylonitrile, Caustic soda, boric acid, acetic acid, aniline, methanol, toluene and acetone.
 

All affected substances and the relevant standards in each case are listed below:

Product category	Indian Standard (IS)
Caustic Soda -Specification	IS 252:2013
Boric Acid – Specification	IS 10116: 2015
Poly Aluminium Chloride	IS 15573
Acetic Acid	IS 695
Aniline	IS 2833
Methanol	IS 517
Specification for Phthalic Anhydride, Technical	IS 5158: 1987
Pyridine	IS 8058:2018
Gamma Picoline	IS 16113:2013
Beta Picoline	IS 16112:2013
Morpholine	IS 12084: 2018
Sodium Sulphide, Technical	IS 297:2001
Potassium Carbonate, Anhydrous	IS 7129:1992
Acetone	IS 170:2004
Phosphorous Trichloride, pure and Analytical Reagent	IS 4581:1978
Phosphorous Pentachloride, Technical	IS 11744:1986
Phosphorous Oxychloride, Technical	IS 11657:1986
Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide	IS 2080:1980
Precipitated Barium Carbonate, Technical	IS 3205:1984
Precipitated Barium for Ceramic and Glass Industry	IS 12928:1990
Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate	IS 4505:2015
Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Anhydrous, Technical	IS 6100:1984
n- Butyl Acrylate	IS 14709:1999
Ether	IS 336:1973
Ethylene Glycol	IS 5295:1985
Toluene	IS 537:2011
Terephthalic Acid	IS 15030:2001
Methyl Acrylate	IS 14707: 1999
Ethyl Acrylate	IS 14708:1999
Vinyl Acetate Monomer	IS 12345:1988
Styrene (Vinyl Benzene)	IS 4105:2020
Maleic Anhydride, Technical	IS 5149:2020
Acrylonitrile	IS 12540:1988

The extension of the scope of mandatory certification for chemicals is in line with the so-called “2023 Plan” of the Indian Prime Minister Modi. Based on this plan, the Indian government since 2019 has already been pursuing the goal of ensuring the quality, safety and reliability of the products available on the market through strong expansions of the certification regulations. Therefore, it is expected that more and more products will fall under a mandatory certification in the coming years.
BIS-ISI certification includes testing in India as well as inspections of manufacturing factories. Requirements for in-house testing capabilities are also typically high.
To find out if your products have now been added to the mandatory certification list, please contact us. Since the list is constantly changing and expanding, it is often not clear whether a product falls under the certification obligation or not.
We can assist you and provide reliable information about the regulations for your product.
 
We will be happy to assist you with the BIS certification and are available to answer any questions you may have. Please send us an e-mail or call us at +49-69-2713769261.
You can also take a look at our free India Certification brochure, which you can download here as a PDF file.

Certification requirement for Automotive Glass is moved from AIS to BIS

IS2553 used to be under the responsibility of the individual Automotive certification agencies such as ARAI or iCAT, but starting August 2021 BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) will be responsible for the products applying to this standard. Therefore, certification from then on is no longer voluntary, but mandatory.
 

 
The certification process is now to be carried out by all importers with BIS. This process consists, among other steps, of product tests in India as well as a factory audit. In addition, some test requirements are changing such as abrasion tests or moisture tests.
The change applies to the following product types:

SI. No.	Goods or Articles	Indian Standard	Title of Indian Standard
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
1.	Safety Glass (Architectural, Building and General uses)	IS: 2553 (Part 1):2018	Safety Glass – Specification Part 1 Architectural, Building and General uses
2.	Safety Glass (For Road Transport)	IS: 2553 (Part 2): 2019	Safety lass – Specification Part 2 For Road transport

 
Since the list is constantly changing and expanding, it is often not clear whether a product is subject to certification or not.
We can help you here and provide reliable information about the regulations for your product.

We are happy to support you with BIS Certification and are available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Write us an email or call us at +49-69-2713769150.
You can also view our free India Certification Brochure, which you can download as a PDF file here.