Overview of BIS Certification
The process of getting a quality standard certificate for producing and selling different items in India from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is known as BIS Certification. Getting a BIS certificate is mostly optional, giving companies the choice to either obtain a certification or not. To guarantee adherence to Indian standards, the central government does, however, require obligatory certification for a few of the items.
Protecting the public, guaranteeing the safety of humans, animals, and plants, encouraging environmental conservation, stopping unfair commercial practices, and upholding national security are just a few of the significant objectives of BIS certification. The Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, is India's national standards body. It was created by the BIS Act of 2016. In certain situations, the Bureau of Indian Standards license or certificate of conformity issued by the central government is required to be used.
Understanding Bureau of Indian Standards
Under the Indian government's Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and
Public
Distribution, the Bureau of Indian
Standards is an Indian Standard Organization. BIS bears the
responsibility
of guaranteeing end users the quality,
stability, and dependability of products. Numerous quality certificates
have
been issued in support of this, and the
company is actively involved in controlling, grading, setting industry
standards, and performing testing for items that
are marketed and distributed in India.
A statute that gave the Bureau of Indian Standards authority to provide
manufacturers with a voluntary product
certification program was enacted in 1986. With this certification,
producers may use the standard mark as a way to
demonstrate their commitment to the established quality standards and
their
product's conformity with Indian norms.
It is noteworthy that compliance with relevant Indian standards and the
use
of the standard mark are prerequisites for
the domestic sale of BIS mandatory products. If these requirements are
not
met, the sale of such items within India is
prohibited.
Major Activities of BIS
- Information Services
- Laboratory Services
- Hallmarking Scheme
- Promotional Activities
- Standards Formulation
- Sale of Indian Standards
- Consumer Affairs Activities
- Product Certification Scheme
- Laboratory Recognition Scheme
- Compulsory Registration Scheme
- Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
- Training Services, National & International level
Types of BIS Certification Scheme
Below are the different types of BIS certification schemes:
-
1. Compulsory Registration Scheme:
For the product categories that the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced, BIS also has a Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) for Electronics and Information Technology Goods. The Department of Electronics and Information Technology and the Bureau of Indian Standards launched this program in 2012 to protect Indian customers against counterfeit and subpar products.
No one is allowed to produce, store for sale, import, sell, or distribute items that do not meet the Indian standards outlined in the order and do not bear the Standard Mark, which is a unique registration number acquired from BIS, in accordance with Compulsory Registration Scheme Orders. A BIS certificate is required prior to the release of information technology and electronic products into the market. After having their product evaluated in a laboratory certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards, manufacturers of goods covered by the compulsory registration scheme are required to apply for BIS certificates. -
2. ISI Mark Certification for Domestic Manufacturers:
The Bureau of Indian Standards grants the ISI Mark Certificate, a standard mark. When a product bears the ISI mark, it guarantees that it complies with relevant Indian standards. For purchasers, the ISI label is a sign of confidence. The maker must receive a BIS certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards in order to use the ISI Mark on the product. The producer must guarantee that their product complies with all relevant Indian requirements in order to obtain a certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards. Only producers whose goods satisfy all applicable Indian requirements are granted BIS certification -
3. Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme:
Under this program, foreign manufacturers are able to sell their goods in India while using the standard ISI mark on their goods. Under the FMCS Certification Scheme, foreign manufacturers that produce goods that meet applicable Indian standards are granted a BIS license by the Bureau of Indian Standards to use the ISI mark on their products. The only body qualified to provide manufacturing permits to foreign entities is the Foreign Manufacturer Certification Department (FMCD). Providing foreign producers with quality certificates is primarily done by BIS to guarantee that the public is receiving high-quality, risk-free products. -
4. Hallmark Registration for Gold and Silver:
BIS launched a gold Hallmark Registration program in 2000 and a silver hallmarking program in 2005 to safeguard consumers from adulteration and require jewelers to uphold a legal level of purity. Hallmarking is the exact measurement and formal recording of the proportional amount of precious metal in precious metal objects. Consequently, a hallmark is an official mark used to guarantee the purity or fineness of precious metal products in many different nations.
It is required for jewelers to be registered with the BIS in order to produce or market gold or silver jewelry. Jewellers are granted registration by BIS to manufacture and sell hallmark jewelry as part of the hallmarking program. Jewellers can register with BIS for the designated area under the hallmarking process. Centers for hallmarking and assaying must also have BIS approval. For the purpose of assaying and hallmarking jewelry in compliance with ISO 15820:2009, the assaying and hallmarking center must also be approved by BIS. -
5. Eco-Mark Certification:
The Bureau of Indian Standards manages the ECO Mark Scheme, which identifies environmentally friendly products. This scheme covers a wide range of product categories, such as paints, food items, soaps, detergents, batteries, packaging materials, architectural paints, food additives, wood substitutes, cosmetics, aerosols, plastic products, textiles, leather, fire extinguishers, and coir products. When a product displays the ECO Logo alongside the ISI Mark, it means the product meets both quality standards and specific environmental criteria outlined in the relevant Indian Standard.
Implementing the scheme, which includes reiterating, suspending, and canceling permits; conducting inspections; and gathering samples for examination of any commodity or substance to which the ECO Mark has been applied, is under the purview of BIS.