Standardizing Products In India Through Bureau Of Indian Standards

#India

While importing, selling, distributing in India products made in foreign countries, it is fundamental keeping in mind that products shall comply with Indian standards and certifications. Said standards are issued by the Bureau of Indian Standard, commonly known as BIS, that is the organization established by the Government of India to promote the harmonious development of activities related to standardization, marking, and quality certification of goods in India.

Since 1947 the need to standardize goods and to ensure quality control was first recognized, right when the government of India announced the setting of an organization called the “Indian Standards Institution”. This organization led to the promotion and enactment of the very first law on standardization and certification activity called as the Indian Standards Institution (Certification Marks) Act, 1952.

However, due to lack concrete legislations governing the standardization process during all these years, this Act was replaced around one decade ago by the current Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, which came into effect from 12^th October, 2017 so as to reinforce the activities of BIS in respect to standardization and certification of goods, articles, processes, systems and services.

In the latest years, the BIS has turned its approach into a more proactive one, framing the needs of the national standardization into the Standards National Action Plan (SNAP) 2022, which has outlined a clear roadmap on the standardization priorities and most important future steps to be taken for a more innovative and regular standardization in India.

The government of India from time to time issues Orders that make it mandatory for products compulsorily obtain the BIS certification. At present there are total of 187 Quality Control Order’s covering 769 products that have been notified for compulsory certification of BIS.

At an international level, BIS is a founder member of International Organization for Standards (ISO) and at present, 87% of the Indian standards are harmonized with ISO.

The Process For Certification

The BIS organization makes it mandatory for companies/manufacturers to apply to the BIS Product Certification System which requires having the BIS certifications for certain products sold in India to ensure their quality, safety, and reliability. The certification process involves testing and evaluation of products to ensure that they meet the specified standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Within the BIS Product Certification System, there are four different ways or ‘schemes’ by which manufacturers can apply for registration, depending on their product type. The Main two schemes for certification are the products listed under mandatory certification under Scheme I – Indian Standards Institution (ISI mark) which requires quality and assurance certification and Scheme II – Compulsory registration scheme (CRS mark) is a self conformity scheme.

ISI Mark Scheme Registration for Domestic Manufacturers (also known as the “Normal Procedure”) – The manufacturer of the product where the BIS certification is compulsory shall submit the normal application and thereafter BIS officers will conduct a preliminary factory evaluation, collect and test the samples and obtain an independent testing report. It takes about 4 months from the time of application to receive the certification.

Simpler Domestic Manufacturing Procedure: – Under this procedure manufacturer must submit the BIS registration application along with self-evaluation reports and test reports from the approved lab to the respective BIS officer for their verification. Upon the verification by the BIS officer, the BIS certification is granted within 30 days.

Eco Mark Scheme Registration – This Eco Mark is given for environment friendly products after meeting additional requirements as granted under scheme.

Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) – This scheme essentially mandates foreign manufacturers to certify their products to conform to the Indian quality standards. It ensures the quality of imported goods to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers.

The last Scheme is the one that may be of more interest for foreign manufacturers. To mention a few, mandatory products under the FMCS are medical equipment, aluminum foil, batteries, food and food-related products, kitchen appliance, electric motors, chemicals and fertilizers, cables, electric transformers, cattle Feeds..

For Foreign Manufacturers, to obtain the BIS certification it is essential to set up a liaison or branch office in India or appointing an agent in India. For the purpose of making the application to the BIS authorities, it is essential that the Foreign Manufacturer provides all the required documents for the application to be registered. After the application, there would be the possibility that the BIS official would make a special visit to the factory in order to obtain samples that shall be tested at the Indian testing laboratory.

All application for BIS Certification are filed online through the Portal of Indian Bureau Standards and shall be filed at the beginning of exporting any goods to India. Please note that the process of obtaining the BIS Certification is lengthy therefore it is suggested to obtain the Certificate well in advance before making any export.

Once the regulatory body is satisfied that a product meets with the applicable standards, the BIS issues a certificate for the product within 6 months from the date of application. If a BIS certificate is issued to a foreign producer or foreign applicants, they must pay an annual minimum registration fee and an annual license fee.

maximum of 5 years.

Conclusion

The Indian government mandates obtaining of the BIS certification for certain products due to considerations like public interest, protection of human and animal health, environmental safety, preventing unfair trade practices, and ensuring national security. Obtaining BIS, specifically the Indian Standards Institution (ISI mark for domestic companies and CRS mark through the FMCS), offers domestic and foreign companies several key benefits such as enhanced consumer trust, legal compliance, market access, and a competitive edge when entering the Indian market.