The Indian government is prioritizing the formulation, revision, and updating of Indian Standards across various ministries and sectors, significantly expanding the scope of mandatory quality control. This initiative aims to safeguard public interest, protect health and safety, and ensure fair trade practices. A press release on this initiative was issued on March 12, 2025.
Compliance with specific Indian Standards is being made mandatory through Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by relevant government regulators and line ministries. These QCOs direct the compulsory use of the BIS Standard Mark under a valid license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
To date, 187 QCOs, covering 769 products, have been notified for compulsory BIS certification. A comprehensive list of these products is available on the BIS website.
Key Horizontal QCOs:
Two significant horizontal QCOs have recently been introduced:
I. Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2024
Issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, this QCO covers all electrical appliances intended for household, commercial, or similar applications with rated voltages not exceeding 250V single-phase AC or 415V three-phase AC, excluding those covered by other QCOs.
II. Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024
Issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, this QCO covers 20 categories of machinery and electrical equipment and their sub-assemblies/components.
The decision to bring products under mandatory quality control and implement QCOs is driven by the requirements of line ministries and departments.
These ministries, in consultation with BIS, publish QCOs under the BIS Act, 2016, thereby mandating BIS certification for specific products.
Harmonization with International Standards:
Out of the 22,689 Indian Standards currently in force, 10,300 have corresponding ISO/IEC standards.
Notably, 9,616 Indian Standards (93.3%) have been harmonized with existing ISO/IEC standards, aligning Indian quality standards with global benchmarks.
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Electrical Appliance For Domestic Clothes Washing (Quality Control) Order, 2024
