Extension Order for Steel Wires or Strands, Nylon or Wire Ropes, and Wire Mesh

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has released a new notification pertaining to products classified under Steel Wires or Strands, Nylon or Wire Ropes, and Wire Mesh. As per the Indian IS norms, BIS certification is mandatory for these products to be exported and distributed in India. The notification, titled the Steel Wires or Strands, Nylon or Wire Ropes, and Wire Mesh (Quality Control) Order, 2024, stipulates that the following Indian Standards must be adhered to for these products.

Previously, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry had issued the Steel Wires or Strands, Nylon or Wire Ropes, and Wire Mesh (Quality Control) Order, 2023, on November 21, 2023. This order was set to take effect six months after its publication, on May 21, 2024. However, a new Quality Control Order (QCO) was published on July 3, 2024, extending the enforcement dates for different categories of enterprises:

• Micro Enterprises: Until June 1, 2025
• Small Enterprises: Until March 1, 2025
• General (Other than Micro and Small Enterprises): Until December 1, 2024

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“.

Key Updates in the 2024 MTCTE Procedures for Telecommunication Equipment Certification

The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) of India has issued a new version of the procedures for mandatory testing and certification of telecommunication equipment. This updated document, known as “Procedure for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE)” version 3.0, was released in April 2024 and replaces the previous TEC 93009:2021 guidelines. Telecommunications products generally require TEC certification in order to be approved for import and sale in India.

A summary of some of the most notable changes in the document “Procedure for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE)” version 3.0:

1. Acceptance of BIS Certifications: Valid certificates or test reports issued by BIS or BIS-recognized labs against safety requirements are now accepted under MTCTE.
2. Certificate Validity Extension: The validity of the regular MTCTE certificate has been extended from 5 years to 10 years.
3. Revised labelling requirements
4. Updated Definitions
5. Source Approval Certificates: Acceptance of Source Approval Certificates (SAC) under MTCTE is now formalized.
6. End of Life/End of Sale Clarifications: Clarifications regarding end-of-life and end-of-sale for whole unit warranty replacement products are provided.
7. Test Reports from CABs: Acceptance of test reports from Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) designated for Generic Requirements (GR) and Interface Requirements (IR) for the parameters of Essential Requirements (ER) under MTCTE.
8. Witness Testing Requirements: The mandate for NABL accreditation for witness testing by RTEC has been removed.
9. Provisional Certificates: Issuance of provisional certificates has been removed from the procedures.

These changes aim to streamline the certification process, extend the validity period of certificates, reduce costs for government institutions, and update various procedural and technical requirements.

The TEC certification has been mandatory since April 2019. Every year the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) expands the certification catalog and adds more telecom products. See the list of TEC standards here.

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).

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

DPIIT Mandates ISI Mark on Precision Roller and Bush Chains

Late 2023, the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued an important order requiring the ISI Mark on Precision Roller and Bush Chains, along with attachments and associated chain sprockets. This mandate will take full effect on March 25, 2024.

For Small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs), the implementation dates are staggered:

Small Enterprises: June 25, 2024

Micro Enterprises: September 25, 2024

This move highlights DPIIT’s dedication to enhancing industry standards and ensuring a more secure and reliable market.

The BIS Certification in India aims to ensure the quality, safety, and reliability of products available to consumers. It provides a third-party guarantee of product conformity to established standards, thereby fostering consumer trust and market competitiveness.

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“.

New Procedures for Telecom Equipment Testing and Certification in India

India’s Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) has launched an updated set of guidelines for the mandatory testing and certification of telecommunication equipment (MTCTE). The new “Procedure for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment (MTCTE)” version 3.0, issued in April 2024, replaces the previous TEC 93009:2021 document. Telecommunications products generally require TEC certification in order to be approved for import and sale in India.

Key changes include:

• Extended Validity: MTCTE certificates are now valid for 10 years, up from 5 years.

• Revised Equipment Lists: Annex A contains the updated equipment lists.

• Quicker Approvals: The test report upload process under SCS has been streamlined.

• Expanded Acceptance: BIS certificates, SACs, and specific test reports are now recognized.

• Less Stringent Requirements: NABL witness testing by RTEC is no longer mandatory.

• Additional Clarifications: Information on end-of-life, part codes, split units, and ITSAR certification has been updated.

The TEC certification has been mandatory since April 2019. Every year the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) expands the certification catalog and adds more telecom products. See the list of TEC standards here.

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).

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

Amendment to the Quality Control Order for Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Products

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued the “Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Products (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2024,” which will take effect on September 26, 2024. This amendment requires aluminium and aluminium alloy products within its scope to meet Indian Standard specifications and carry the ISI Mark. This is obtainable through licensing from the Bureau of Indian Standards under Scheme-1 of Schedule-II of the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.

As with other products which fall under one of the various Indian certification schemes, the main objective is to maintain quality standards for products being sold and used on the Indian market.

Small enterprises are exempt from these requirements until December 26, 2024, and micro enterprises until March 26, 2025, as per the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006.

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“.

ISI Mark made compulsory for various Steel Products

End of 2023, the DPIIT issued a Quality Control Order (QCO) for miscellaneous steel products, which took effect on March 2024 and makes BIS ISI Mark mandatory for several products, including steel pipe flanges, steel cylinders for pipes with mortar lining and coating, stainless steel tubes for food and beverages, and high-strength stainless steel bars and wires for concrete reinforcement.

Implementation dates for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are set as follows: small enterprises by 25 June 2024 and micro enterprises by 25 September 2024.

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“.

FAQ Update and Extension Notice for Implementation of Footwear Products

The Bureau of Indian Standards has published an updated version of the FAQ on the Quality Control Order (QCO) for Footwear products for 2024. Many footwear products usually require BIS certification to be approved for import and use in India.

The FAQ contains a number of detailed clarifications on several questions, for example:

• Which are the footwear products for which the Government has issued Quality Control Orders?
• Do these QCOs apply only to finished footwear or footwear components/materials as well?
• Impact of recent Standard changes for certain footwear categories and more.

Feel free to contact us for information on the FAQ.

Furthermore, the Regulatory Authority of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has announced a new effective date for the QCO 2024 for Footwear made from Leather and other Materials. The order will now be enforced starting August 1, 2024.

An overview of the relevant footwear products and their corresponding Indian Standards:

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“.

Extension of Product Coverage in Phases 3 and 4

Since April 1, 2024, TEC certification has become mandatory for a list of telecommunications and wireless products that fall under Phase 3 and Phase 4. This is an extension of the original deadline of January 1, 2024, in order to provide further relieve to stakeholders. Telecom equipment generally requires TEC certification to be approved for import and distribution in India.

Overview of product falling under Phase-3 and Phase-4

Additionally, the period for accepting ILAC test reports from non-border sharing countries for certain technical parameters of 8 specific products (see table below) had been prolonged by three months, from December 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

Overview of Phase-3 and Phase-4 products, with deadline 31^st March 2024:

It’s also noted that the validity of these ILAC test reports will last up to two years from their submission date.

The TEC certification has been mandatory since April 2019. Every year the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) expands the certification catalog and adds more telecom products. See the list of TEC standards here.

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).

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

Designated Products reclassified into GCS and SCS Categories

The Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC) has updated its categorization for certain telecom products under the Mandatory Testing & Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) framework to streamline business processes. Effective January 1, 2024, various notified products will now be classified under either the Generalized Certificate Scheme (GCS) or the Simplified Certification Scheme (SCS). The newly defined GCS categories include a range of equipment such as cellular network base stations, including those for 5G, various radio systems (HF, VHF/UHF, mobile radio trunking), and satellite communication equipment among others. Telecommunication products usually require TEC certification to be approved for import and sale on the Indian market.

Additionally, 49 other product categories have been shifted to the SCS category. For applications processed under MTCTE, only administrative fees will apply regardless of whether the product falls under GCS or SCS. The procedures and additional terms for submitting applications remain the same.

The TEC certification has been mandatory since April 2019. Every year the Telecommunication Engineering Center (TEC) expands the certification catalog and adds more telecom products. See the list of TEC standards here.

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).

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

BIS Stakeholders Consultation Meeting on Implementation of Parallel Testing

In January 2024, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) officially transitioned its parallel testing process from a pilot project to a permanent feature within the BIS-CRS certification scheme. This decision came after a stakeholder consultation involving industry representatives and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). Parallel testing, initially introduced in January 2023 for mobile phones, allows critical components and host products to be tested simultaneously at laboratories, although their registration still follows a sequential process.

Despite the scheme’s initial six-month duration witnessing limited industry participation, BIS extended the pilot for an additional six months and included new product categories such as wireless headphones/earphones and laptops/notebooks/tablets. By December 2023, the industry feedback suggested strong support for making parallel testing a permanent option, emphasizing the need for predictability in planning product launches. Laboratories also indicated their readiness to implement parallel testing across all product categories without any challenges.

Key points from the discussions included:

• The initial phases of the pilot saw low application rates from industry participants.
• Industry stakeholders are in favor of permanent implementation of parallel testing for better planning of product launches.
• Laboratories are well-prepared and supportive of extending parallel testing to all products.

The new policy stipulates that parallel testing is optional, allowing manufacturers to choose this method while applying for BIS certification. However, manufacturers are responsible for all risks and costs involved if the certification application is ultimately rejected or not processed. Upon successful registration, manufacturers can expect immediate updates to their Conformity Certificate Lists (CCL).

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“.