About BIS

• • The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) came into existence through an Act of Parliament in 1987.
  • BIS is the National Standard Body of India which functions under the BIS Act 2016. 
  • BIS is responsible for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods.

• BIS is involved in various activities like standard formulation, certification of products, hallmarking, testing and calibration scheme, etc.

• BIS works under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

About BIS Certification 

• BIS Product Certification Scheme is one of the largest in the world, with over 26500 licensees covering more than 900 products. 
• BIS Certification in India is provided by the Bureau of Indian Standards. 
• BIS Certification allows the licensees to use the popular ISI mark on their product, which is synonymous with quality products. 
• BIS also operates Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme under which overseas manufacturers can be granted a licence to use the BIS Standard Mark. 

Products that Require Mandatory BIS Certificate

• BIS certification scheme is basically voluntary in nature. However, for a number of products compliance to Indian Standards is made compulsory by the Central Government under various considerations viz. public interest, protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of environment, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security. 
• The following are products that require mandatory BIS License or Certification.
  • Cement
  • Household electrical goods
  • Food and related products
  • Diesel engines
  • Oil pressure stoves
  • Automobile accessories
  • Cylinders, Valves and Regulators
  • Medical Equipment
  • Steel Products
  • Electrical Transformers.

Why in News?

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry through a notification has reiterated its position that imports of certain electronic items including laptops and mobile phones will have to adhere to standards set by Bureau of Indian Standards and that samples will be randomly picked to check compliance failing which the goods would have to be re-exported or scrapped.
• India had ramped up Quality Control Order (QCOs) on numerous items of mass consumption which restricted import, storage or domestic sale of such items largely to prevent cheap quality Chinese goods from entering Indian markets and simultaneously to help build domestic manufacturing through production linked incentive schemes (PLI) in computer hardware.
• Nearly eight out of 10 laptops sold in India came from China and that Beijing has managed to increase its share in laptop exports to India to nearly 90 per cent even after New Delhi’s attempts to discourage laptop and PC imports from China.
• The notification said that about 64 electronic items including laptops, tablets, microwave ovens, set top boxes, mobile phones, digital camera and bluetooth speakers among others, new as well as second hand, is prohibited unless they are registered with the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Related Information

About PLI scheme

• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) aims to give companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units. 
• Apart from inviting foreign companies to set shop in India, the scheme also aims to encourage local companies to set up or expand existing manufacturing units.
• The central government had for the first time notified the PLI scheme for mobile phones and allied component manufacturing in 2020. 
• Later, the government announced expansion of the PLI scheme to include more than 10 sectors including automobile and automobile components, pharmaceutical drugs, textile products, food products, high efficiency solar photo-voltaic modules, white goods such as air conditioners and LED bulbs, speciality steel products, drones and drone components, etc.

Why is the production linked scheme needed?

• The PLI schemes have been introduced as a key element of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat package to transform the manufacturing landscape of the Indian economy and integrate it into the global supply chains. 
• The strategy behind these schemes is to offer companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in India, over the base year. 
• They have been specifically designed to boost domestic manufacturing in sunrise and strategic sectors, curb cheaper imports and reduce import bills, improve cost competitiveness of domestically manufactured goods, and enhance domestic capacity and exports.
• PLI Scheme is designed to create a complete component ecosystem in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains. 
• The PLI scheme is expected to boost production worth an estimated $500 billion in five years since its introduction.

https://indianexpress.com/article/business/commodities/govt-reaffirms-quality-related-restrictions-on-laptops-mobile-phones-other-electronic-items-9343652/