Electronic goods should have BIS approval

Electronic goods consumption in the country will go up from $45 billion in 2008-09 to $400 billion by 2020. The value of their imports is expected to eclipse that of crude oil

Manufacturers and traders selling electronic goods will now have to get their wares certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012, has 15 consumer electronic goods under its ambit, including computer games, laptops and CD players. The order came into effect from July 3 this year.

Manufacturers who want to sell electronic wares have to get their products tested at BIS-approved labs and get a registration number from the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY), the department’s Director, Anil Chawla, said.

He was addressing manufacturers and traders of electronic items in the city during an awareness programme organised by Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Fapcci), recently.

“The order has been brought forward to control the sale of substandard electronic goods,” DeitY Additional Director Asha Nangia said.

Electronic goods consumption in the country will go up from $45 billion in 2008-09 to $400 billion by 2020.

The amount spent on the import of such goods will exceed that on importing crude oil and this order is the first step towards ensuring their quality, Ms. Nangia said, adding that the number of items under the order would be increased subsequently.

While some manufacturers claim to be currently following global standards, there was a need for India-specific guidelines, she explained.

Those failing to submit their products for verification at the BIS-approved test labs, will have to pay a penalty each month.