BIS withdraws outdated standards as govt pushes alignment with global norms | Today News

NEW DELHI: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has withdrawn nine Indian standards across sectors including reference materials, risk management, supply-chain security, machinery safety, and household electrical appliances, according to a 7 January notification.

This is part of an effort to ensure Indian standards remain current and aligned with international rules, and is aimed at supporting exports and improving product quality and safety.

A government official said the withdrawn standards were outdated and no longer in sync with global practices, and that their removal is part of a broader exercise to streamline the standards framework. BIS is expected to replace them with updated standards reflecting technological advances, revised global rules, and evolving regulatory requirements.

According to the notification, the withdrawn standards include three ISO guides on reference materials, two standards on statistical quality control during production, a 1994 safety standard for electric coffee makers, and guidance documents related to machinery control systems, supply-chain resilience, and risk management.

With the withdrawal, these standards will no longer be valid for reference, certification, or compliance purposes, and industry will need to shift to newer international standards, revised Indian standards, or alternative frameworks, the official added.

The move comes after the government rolled back some critical quality control orders (QCOs) in November and December, reducing the total number of products covered under QCOs to 736 from 761. Mint reported on 30 December that a new set of 30 standards had been notified in a single move to align Indian products with global quality benchmarks across textiles, aerospace materials, smart mobility, mining safety, and agro-textiles.

Industry welcomed the move as a step toward modernizing India’s appliance safety framework.

“The withdrawal of the 1994 safety standard for electric coffee makers signals a much-needed step toward modernizing India’s appliance safety framework,” said Ravi Saxena, chief executive and founder, Wonderchef.

“Over the past three decades, technology, materials, and design practices have evolved significantly. The 1994 standard was based on older product architectures and no longer reflects the sophistication of today’s appliances, which often include advanced heating systems, digital controls, and multiple safety layers,” Saxena added.

For the industry, the change presents an opportunity to align with updated, globally harmonized safety norms that prioritize energy efficiency, user safety, and sustainability. For consumers, it means greater assurance of performance and safety from brands that proactively adhere to modern quality benchmarks.

On 6 January, food and consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi asked BIS to fast-track the development of new standards and modernize testing laboratories to ensure the delivery of quality products and services. Speaking at BIS’s 79th foundation day, Joshi said that while the regulator has been effective in enforcing quality norms, it must now focus on creating an ecosystem where industry itself refrains from producing substandard goods.

Quality is central to India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Joshi said. He noted that the BIS mark has emerged as a symbol of trust across agriculture, manufacturing, and technology, and stressed that quality standards should be seen as a competitive advantage rather than a compliance burden.

Referring to the BIS Act, 2016, he said the legislation strengthened the bureau’s role as the national standards body and helped curb the manufacture and import of substandard products.

Currently, around 23,700 Indian standards are in force, with nearly 94% harmonized with global ISO and IEC norms. As of November 2025, manufacturers had obtained 26,793 certifications for notified products and 24,330 voluntary certifications, indicating growing acceptance of BIS standards, particularly among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).