India needs more product standards to become a global technology hub

Over the past two years, the pandemic has made it clear that the manufacturing industry must increasingly focus on its own and local suppliers to avoid future failures. In the same wake, India’s piecemeal policy regarding only minimal participation in the global value chain (GVC) was exposed. Mithileshwar Thakur of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry cited the hurdles to fast-track customs clearance of imported and exported goods as the reason for the almost non-existent participation of Indian companies in the GVC. Products from the global value chain account for between 60 and 70 percent of global trade, according to Thakur. He added that many companies have components produced by different manufacturers on multiple continents, preferring easy trade routes. “Any delay in customs clearance is a hindrance for these companies. Therefore, countries with efficient processes such as China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia are more attractive than India as manufacturing locations for technology companies,” Thakur said at the Business Across Borders 2022 event. A solid standards system that can ensure the quality of goods by means of product certification is usually a solution for optimizing the import of goods. An example of certification already required in India for many products is BIS certification.

Yaduvendra Mathur of Consulting Engineers Group Ltd. cites a lack of product standards as another reason for India’s poor showing in the GVC. According to him, a large proportion of Indian companies produce products that do not meet international standards. India does have leading exporters in two-wheelers and electric vehicles, he said. But these tend to focus on the domestic market with low product standards, Mathur said. Despite the establishment of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and introduction of related standards, Indian industry continues to produce simple and low-cost mass-produced goods of low quality that cannot be exported. Mathur believes that industry decision makers should therefore not focus on tariffs, costs and logistics, but instead on norms and standards. Therefore, the Indian government, with the help of BIS and other organizations, plans to strengthen the introduction of more standards as well as compliance with existing standards. Mathur concurs: “This is the only way Indian SMEs can benefit from increasing globalization.”

Since 2012, the BIS has been gradually expanding the certification catalog and continuously adding additional goods. BIS certification mandatory for many electronic products for industrial and consumer uses. Factory inspections are also required for some products.

If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.

If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

Shipments of smartphones to increase in second quarter of 2022

Smartphone and car availability will improve as semiconductor shortages decline in the second quarter of 2022, according to chipmakers. While semiconductors for smartphones are expected to ease as early as the coming months, it will take until the end of the year for the automotive sector to have enough components. “The pandemic impressively showed us how important connectivity is for workplaces,” Rajen Vagadia, president of Qualcomm India, told the Economic Times of India. He relates his statement to the high demand of cameras, audio devices, smartphones and laptops, which have troubled the industry. Smartphones and components in most cases require BIS certification as well as TEC approval to be approved for the Indian market.

As chipmakers are currently revising their production schedules, optimizing capacity and investing in new equipment, semiconductor availability will improve this year. This applies to electronic devices and automotive manufacturers. Nevertheless, rating agency ICRA expects Indian automakers to lose 500,000 vehicles in fiscal year 2022 due to a lack of computer chips. The improved supply situation will allow automakers to equip vehicles with new features of the 5G network, which will be launched in India in fiscal 2023. “With the launch of 4G in the past, audio streaming became possible and vehicles had identical features as smartphones,” Qualcomm’s Vagadia said. “With the introduction of 5G, the connectivity of vehicles will increase further and the demand for computer chips will increase.”

The Indian semiconductor industry expects chip demand to quadruple to $100 billion by 2025 with the advent of IoT technology and the 5G network. Vagadia spoke positively about the government’s PLI incentive program for semiconductor and display manufacturers. Qualcomm Technologies is extremely optimistic about growth opportunities in India, Vagadia said. In addition to customers in the telecommunications industry, the company’s automotive business also saw growth last year. Qualcomm employs about 12,000 people in India, making it its largest location besides its headquarters in San Diego, California. The company is currently developing intelligent cockpit solutions for vehicles that automakers can benefit from due to customization. In India, Qualcomm supplies electronic components to Mahindra for its XUV700 and two-wheeler manufacturer Ola Electric.

If you are interested in understanding if BIS certification, TEC certification or other requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.

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For more information about TEC certification, please refer to our free brochure “TEC Certification Made Easy“.

More information on BIS certification can also be found in the free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

BIS Certification Requirement for Wheel Rims Postponed Again

The Indian Ministry of Heavy Industries announced another delay of the certification for wheel rims. According to the new Automobile Wheel Rim Component (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2022, the BIS certification requirement for wheel rims will be postponed until June 22, 2023.
The order has already been amended multiple times, most recently in March of this year.

Originally, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mandated the BIS-ISI certification requirement for September 2021. Since then, the authorities postponed the introduction of the certification obligation several times. In the beginning, vehicle manufacturers had repeatedly criticized the introduction of the certification obligation. By now, manufacturers have come to terms with the certification obligation. However, now it is the BIS that has struggled with pandemic-related delays in the certification processes.
According to the new regulations, all rims must be BIS certified and marked with the BIS ISI logo before being imported into India starting June 22, 2023.

Rims must be certified under different standards depending on their intended use. For passenger car rims, for example, the IS 9436 standard applies.

Recently, the procedural instructions and test regulations for certification were also adapted. For example, the authority has changed the grouping regulations so that more product tests are now necessary for certification.

If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about BIS certification, please refer to our free brochure “BIS Certification Made Easy“.

India sees around 75 percent growth in TWS headphone market segment

The market for TWS headphones and earphones has seen above-average growth in India in recent years. For example, 2021 sales increased 74.7 percent year-over-year to a total of more than 20 million units. Reasons for the increase included stronger demand due to the pandemic, as well as new launches and discounts from manufacturers. Affordability, availability and appealing design are key criteria for consumers to purchase TWS headphones, according to Ekta Mittal, market analyst at IDC India. She added that consumers are increasingly switching from wired to cordless headphones as they now offer better sound, longer battery life and greater convenience. WPC certification is necessary for wireless products in order to be used and sold in India.

According to IDC market researchers, Indian companies have a market share of over 65 percent in TWS headphones. The “Boat” brand leads the way with a 40 percent market share. The average price of TWS headphones fell to $33, while about 90 percent of the models on offer can be had for under $47. In addition to the market leader Boat, customers are also interested in new brands such as “Nothing” and Google’s devices.

The national broadcasting authority WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) is responsible for this certification, in order to regulate the issuing of issuing of amateur radio licenses and the allocation and monitoring of the frequency spectrum.

If you are interested in understanding what requirements are needed for your product to be imported into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
For more information about WPC certification, please refer to our free brochure “WPC Certification Made Easy“.

India’s demand for oil to rise 8 percent this year

India’s demand for crude oil is expected to increase by 8.2 percent to 5.15 million barrels per day in 2022. This was the estimate of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in its latest monthly report. Due to the recovery of the Indian economy, oil demand from the world’s third-largest energy consumer could increase by 0.39 million barrels per day this year, OPEC said. India’s oil consumption increased by 5.61 percent from 4.51 million barrels per day to 4.76 million barrels per day in 2020 – 2021. However, these figures are still lower than before the outbreak of the corona pandemic. In 2018, oil demand was reported at 4.98 million barrels per day, rising to 4.99 million barrels in the following year, 2019. Most equipment, plants and facilities used in oil processing, transport, etc. must undergo mandatory PESO certification.

According to the OPEC report, oil demand in India will stabilize in 2022 due to economic growth of 7.2 percent. Traffic in India and average traffic activity is increasing due to Corona restrictions being removed. Gasoline and diesel will benefit the most from the increase in GDP, the report said. Increasing industrial activity will also demand diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and naphtha, it said. Kerosene demand, on the other hand, will increase only slightly as business travel remains subdued. Nevertheless, OPEC projects a year-on-year increase of 0.4 million barrels per day in 2022.

OPEC’s estimate is broadly in line with the Indian government’s forecast for this year’s oil demand. The Oil Ministry’s Planning and Analysis Unit projects a 5.5 percent increase in the current fiscal year, which began April 1. About 85 percent of India’s crude oil is imported. Iraq remains the largest trading partner at 27 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia at 17 percent and the United Arab Emirates at 13 percent. Imports of crude oil from the U.S. saw a sharp increase and now rank fourth at nine percent.

With the projected increase in demand for oil to pre-pandemic levels, the demand for imported products from the oil industry is also expected to increase. Therefore, the Indian oil and gas industry offers good opportunities for their company to provide services and products there or to manufacture locally.
Certification relevant product groups or components in the oil and gas industry are, for example, gas and pressure vessels, valves and fittings, or safety equipment. You can find an overview on the page about PESO relevant components.

If you are interested in understanding the PESO certification requirements for your product regarding import into India, please do not hesitate to contact us by email or phone (Europe: +49-69-271 37 69 261, US: +1 773 654-2673). There is no cost or obligation for us to check for you. If a certification need is discovered we can provide a quotation to make sure that all your certification needs are covered.
If you have any questions you can also use our chat-window in the bottom right. (Please check your browser settings if you can’t see the window)
For more information about PESO certification, please refer to our free brochure “PESO Certification Made Easy“.