BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS (BIS)

Introduction

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution founded the BIS, stand for Bureau of Indian Standards. It is a national certification authority that establishes detailed standards for goods to be used in India and has oversight and evaluation processes for those standards to guarantee the highest levels of product quality and safety. Manufacturers or importers of specific products are only required to voluntarily register under the BIS certification system. The government has required that certain products must adhere to the criteria established by BIS for other products. Affixed is the Standard mark (ISI).

BIS is a national body that ensures the quality, safety, and reliability of Indian goods. BIS is intended to analyze product samples while they are in the preliminary and surveillance stages. India has 8 centers, 4 regional, and 3 BIS branch laboratories in total. The government, therefore, promotes BIS certification for the following purposes:

• To provide public health protection;
• To provide quality assurance;
• To protect consumers against dangerous products;
• To foster consumer trust.

Mandatory product category which requires BIS certification

In the public interest, to protect public health and safety government of India has listed products that required mandatory BIS certification:

• Cement
• Household electrical goods
• Batteries
• Edible food products
• Cooking stoves
• Cylinders/valve and regulators
• Medical equipment
• Electrical motors
• Transformers
• Capacitor
• Fertilizers and chemicals

Different types of BIS certification scheme

For domestic manufacturers

• Normal procedure- The applicant applies to the approved officer according to the jurisdiction in which the manufacturing unit is located. After the application is recorded, and preliminary factory evaluation is carried out by BIS officers. The BIS license should be obtained within 4-6 months of the registration of the application via this process.

Steps of registration under this scheme

• The applicant has to apply in Form-I along with application fees of INR 1000 and submit it to the branch office of the jurisdiction in which unit is located
• Preliminary testing of the device takes place within 15 days of application registration. Through this inspection the production efficiency, quality, and controls of the company with regard to the Indian standards. Material samples are also produced in separate laboratories for research.
• The License to use the Standard Mark on a product is issued after the BIS has fully checked that the product complies with the applicable Indian Standards and has the potential to continue to conform to the standards. The BIS license's initial validity period is one year and can be extended for a further term of one / two years, subject to satisfactory service.
• Documents required under this scheme registration

-Business registration certificate authenticating the address and purpose of establishment

- A copy of valid Registration Certificate from the Local / State authority or from a Chartered Accountant if applicant is SSI

- Manufacturing Process flow chart

- List of products (in detail), machinery used with their capacity in the format provided

- detail of the outsourced process of manufacturing (if any process is outsourced) and attach the agreement copy

-A full list of test facilities, clearly indicating the name of the equipment, the test for which it is being used (clause No. of the Indian Standard), range / minimum number/accuracy of the test equipment, calibration status and quantity as per format.

- Layout Plan

- QC workers letter of appointment stating the names, experience, credentials, date of appointment and also adding a copy of each certificate of qualification.

- Copy test certificates of each of the test reports/suppliers for each raw material/component.

- Copy (if available) of an in-house or independent test report for the product covering all specifications as per the applicable Indian Standard.

• Simplified Process- This streamlined method was implemented to simplify the licensing process. Through this process, the BIS license is required to be issued within 30 days of the application being submitted for BIS Certification.

The simplified process applies to All India First licensing cases and other goods with the exception of the following:

• Products such as tubes, valves, cement, etc., where a joint inspection or approval from another regulatory authority is required;
• Products for which a BIS license is issued based on factory testing;
• Packaged Drinking Water (PDW) and Packaged Natural Mineral Water (PNMW).

Steps of registration under this scheme:

• The applicant must submit an application along with approved documentation, along with the application fee (Rs. 1000/- plus related fees) and special inspection fee

- One application must be submitted for one product for one manufacturing site.

- The license is issued if BIS is confident that the application form has demonstrated the manufacturing and testing capability

• The verification visit by the BO concerned shall be scheduled within 15 days of the application being submitted to verify the organization's capabilities in support of the Indian Standards.

Sample(s) of product from daily manufacturing was checked and sealed in an independent laboratory for processing during the verification visit.

• The issuance of the license shall be considered by the Competent Authority after the applicant has checked the correct documents. The applicant is advised to deposit the advance minimum marking fee and the annual BIS license fee within 7 days after which the letter of approval of the license is released after the processing of the license request is complete and license will be issued in 30-40 days
• The required documents are as follows:

• Application Form as specified in Annex I
• Self Assessment Report as specified in Annex II
• Undertaking format under simplified procedure as specified in Annex III
• Original test report(s) from the specified laboratory, not being older than 1 month detailing all the specifications in the relevant category

• Eco Mark Scheme- Under a special program-ECO Mark Program-BIS gives a license to environmentally friendly goods. Therefore, environmental goods falling under this category will comply with the basic Indian Standard requirement.

• Steps for registration under this scheme is a similar domestic manufacturer.

• Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme- In the year 2000, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) initiated and has continued the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS). This scheme helps the applicants / foreign producers overseas to use the Standard Label on their goods. Under this method, a BIS license can be issued within around 6 months.

Compulsory registration

On 3 October 2012, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released the Order 'Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Compulsory Registration Requirement), 2012' with a list of 15 categories of electronic items. No person may produce or store the notified goods for sale or import or sell or distribute the notified goods in compliance with the order.

Therefore, by following the prescribed process, the manufacturers of the notified goods must without fail to apply for BIS registration from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

• The Indian Standards Bureau (BIS) then licenses the manufacturers under its registration scheme.
• Registered manufacturers are then required to announce that their product meets the Indian Standards prescribed.
• The licensed manufacturers are then allowed to state on their goods that they adhere to the Indian standards and/or use the Bureau notified Standard Mark.
• The compulsory registration scheme is run in compliance with the guidelines of BIS Rules 1987 Chapter IVA.
• Further categories will be added later with additional orders from MeitY. As of 1 April 2018, 50 products fall into the product category which needs compulsory registration.

Steps of registration:

• Applicants are expected to apply for the BIS Registration grant online, filling in Form VI.
• In first, test reports obtained from laboratories approved by BIS under CRS to be submitted with the order.
• An Authorized Indian Representative shall be named by foreign applicants not having a branch office in India
• Both applicants and the Approved Indian Representatives are required to send an affidavit cum undertaking according to the specified format The fee to be deposited according to the CRS fee structure.
• Physical copies of the application must be submitted electronically within 15 days, during which the application is to be considered as closed.
• BIS will search the data, and BIS will raise online questions on the submission. Applicants will comment electronically. The errors communicated by the applicant, if any, must be rectified without delay.
• BIS Registration is granted, to its satisfaction, by BIS, which is to be submitted to the applicant's portal.
• Initially, BIS registration is granted for 2 years Registered units are free to request to have new versions of the same product and brand included under the same license.
• Usually, the procedure takes about 20 working days.

Several Advantages Of Using The Standard Mark On Products

• Given that such products go through extensive testing to determine whether they adhere to the standards established by BIS, it denotes high standards of safety and quality.
• The standard mark can also be used as a marketing strategy because it boosts consumer awareness of the manufacturer's brand and boosts consumer confidence by attracting new clients.
• Products with such a mark attached to them have an element of legitimacy and authenticity because the mark is given by a national certification agency.
• IS 8144:2018 is the BIS standard that applies to multipurpose dry batteries.
• The multipurpose dry batteries are categorized into High Power or Standard categories and R03, R14, R16, R20 classifications as per the designations. R6 dry batteries are used in hearing aids and flashlights, while R14 and R20 are used in tape recorders and radio receivers.

A BIS ISI Certification for Multipurpose Dry Batteries: Required Tests

According to BIS regulations, specific tests must be performed on the products to determine whether they adhere to the relevant Indian standards. The following tests must be performed on dry multifunctional batteries:

• Leakage test
• Delayed life test
• Initial life test
• Testing the dimensions of the battery
• Testing the terminals of the battery

Necessary Documents to Obtain BIS ISI Certification for Multipurpose Dry Batteries

• Details of the applicant, along with address proof and identity proof
• Name and address of the factory premises and the registered office
• Documents showing proof of establishment of the manufacturing unit
• SSI or MSME certificate
• The whole manufacturing process flow covers all the processes from the raw material processing to the stage of the finished product
• Comprehensive list of manufacturing machinery information
• If the manufacturing is being outsourced, information pertaining to such outsourcing
• A detailed list of testing facilities along with the equipment for such testing and requisite certificates for such equipment.
• Test report from a laboratory as per the applicable ISI standards.
• A map and layout plan of the manufacturing premises and the factory
• Any other independent or internal test report, if any
• An authorization letter by the CEO in case the application is signed by an authorized signatory
• Requisite information on the nomination of the AIR or All-India Representative if the manufacturer is a foreigner or foreign entity. The AIR must all submit an undertaking with the nomination form along with an affidavit.
   

  Validity Of BIS ISI Certification for Multipurpose Dry Batteries

• A BIS ISI Certification for Multipurpose Dry Batteries is valid for two years and may be renewed if the product specifications do not change by paying the required renewal cost.
• The applicant must pay the required fee and the renewed BIS ISI certificate is valid for one to five years.