The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was founded on 23rd December 1986 to establish quality standards for precious jewellery like gold and silver. Since then the BIS has notified its standards for various industrial and consumer products. The BIS mark is highly recognised among Indian consumers. BIS certification gives traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways
Did you know? The Bureau of Indian Standard is the National Standard Body of India under the Department of Consumer Affairs.
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How to Get BIS Certification in India?
BIS certification issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in India which is one of the most identified standards in India covering more than 900 products. To identify it, you can check the ISI (Indian Standard Institution) mark on any durable goods to identify the BIS certification on the product. Besides, the BIS Hallmark is developed for jewellery like gold and silver for quality assurance. It is also important to note here that BIS has MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with International Standard Organisation (ISO) which facilitates the domestic manufacturers to export products into the international market once their products are certified with BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) like ISI.
Different types of BIS Certification Schemes
The manufacturers of electronic products listed under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) apply for BIS Certification. The following are the different types of BIS certification schemes that a manufacturer could avail:
1. ISI Mark Scheme Registration for Domestic Manufacturers
The certifications take almost 4 months to get approved. Under this certification, the domestic manufacturers are required to make an application along with the prescribed documents and fees to the BIS official website. Once the application is submitted, a factory inspection will be carried out by the BIS officers. The inspector will collect samples of the product to test for its quality. Then, the samples will be tested in the BIS lab and after due consideration, the BIS certificate will be granted if the samples meet the standard criteria.
2. Registration Under Simplified Procedure for Domestic Manufacturers
It is one of the easiest ways to get a BIS certification for your product. To get the licence, you will be required to get the samples of your products tested for the BIS authorised labs. Once the sample meets the standard criteria, make an application for a grant of certification with BIS along with other documents and fees. Then, a BIS officer will pay a visit to the factory premises for inspection and to the satisfaction of the officer, the BIS certificate will be used after routine paperwork. Under this scheme, the licence will be expected to be granted within 30 days of the application.
3. Tatkal Scheme
Tatkal scheme is for those manufacturers who require a compulsory BIS licence to start the manufacturing process. The government has specified a strict deadline of 30 days to approve the application for this category of BIS licence. Also, the applicant will be prioritised on routine paperwork for fast processing of the application.
4. ECO Mark Scheme
ECO mark BIS licence is for eco-friendly products that satisfy the strict norms of Indian standards. The additional licence for a product requires a mark of eco friendly products.
5. Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
Under this scheme, foreign manufacturers are granted the BIS certification to use ISI marks on their products for Indian consumers. The application process usually takes 6 months period to get approved.
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Products that Require Mandatory BIS Licence or BIS Certificate
There are certain products that require a mandatory BIS licence or BIS certificate in India to produce and sell in the Indian market. These products are consumed at a mass level in India and thus, require BIS standards to have the best quality for consumer safety and health. Here are these products or goods -
- Cement
- Household electrical goods
- Food and health related products
- Diesel engines
- Oil pressure stoves
- Automobile accessories
- Cylinders, valves, and regulators
- Medical equipment
- Steel products
- Electrical transformers
Certification Marks Issued by BIS
There are various certification marks used on products in India which are governed by the Acts of the Parliament. The Bureau of Indian Standard is one such body that has issued certification marks to be used on industrial and consumer goods. Here are a few of them:
1. BIS Hallmark
The BIS hallmark is a hallmarking system for gold and silver jewellery sold in India certifying the purity of the gold or silver used in the jewellery. It certifies that the piece of jewellery conforms to a set of BIS standards, the National Standard Body of India.
The standard was first introduced back in April 2000 to check the purity of gold jewellery. The BIS specifies the international standard for gold alloy as IS 1417, IS 1418, and IS 2790.
From 15th January 2021, with few exceptions, this standard becomes mandatory for gold jewellery sold in India. Any seller who does not sell gold with a BIS hallmark is liable for action under Consumer Protection Act and other statutes.
BIS hallmark for gold jewelry consists of several components:
- The BIS logo
- Purity of Gold is either 22K916 corresponding to 22 Carat, 18K750 corresponding to 18 Carat, and 14K585 corresponding to 14 Carat.
- Logo of the assaying center.
- Logo/code of the jeweller
The India BIS hallmark was introduced for silver in December of 2005. The BIS specifies international standards for silver alloy as IS 2112.
2. ISI Mark
ISI mark also known as Indian Standards Institute and is used for industrial products to certify their purity and safety for the consumers. It is compulsory for certain products in India to be certified with the ISI mark. One can easily find ISI marks on many products like steel, automobile tyres, LPG, etc. Following are certain products that compulsorily require an ISI mark to be sold in the market.
- Electronic switches
- Electric motors
- Electrical wiring cables
- Heaters
- Kitchen appliances like cookers
- Cement
- LPG valves
- LPG cylinders
- Automotive tyres, etc
3. EcoMark
The mark was introduced early in 1991 to increase awareness among consumers about eco-friendly products. The government of India then issued a long list of 17 product categories that qualify for the marking scheme:
- Soaps and detergents
- Paper
- Food items
- Lubricating oils
- Packaging materials
- Architectural paints and powder coatings
- Batteries
- Electrical and electronic goods
- Food additives
- Wood substitutes
- Cosmetics
- Aerosols and propellants
- Plastic products
- Textiles
- Fire-extinguisher
- Leather
- Coir & coir products
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Conclusion:
The Bureau of Indian Standard is the National Standard Body of India with headquarters in New Delhi and 20 other regional branches. Since its inception, the BIS has developed multiple standards for various products and services, some of them are mandatory for certification while others are directives. To get a BIS certification, one needs to follow a couple of steps as mentioned above. However, it is not as easy as it seems. You may have noticed that BIS certification requires physical verification of the factory premise, followed by a few documentation formalities which can be time consuming and costly at the same time.
Nevertheless, the BIS certification has wide acceptability among Indian consumers and that is why the manufacturer prefers to get their products certified from BIS to have larger customer acceptability.
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