Indian government extends period for duty-free import of diamonds

The Indian government allows the duty-free re-importation of cut diamonds, which are currently abroad for valuation and evaluation, for another three months. The measure is intended to help the gold and jewelry industry in view of the difficult economic situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. The relevant authority, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, said importers can import cut diamonds from foreign laboratories with confirmation of their value and quality.

The scheme will make it easier for traders whose diamonds are stuck abroad during the coronavirus pandemic and the usual period for import has expired. Many shipments are also stuck at customs both in India and abroad. In detail, the new scheme allows the re-importation of cut diamonds duty-free for a further three months, which were normally supposed to return to India between February 1 and July 31, 2020, but there were interruptions due to the coronavirus situation. For the re-importation, traders are exempt from Basic Customs Duty and Integrated Goods and Service Tax under certain conditions. In addition to observing the deadline, dealers must provide proof of average annual export sales of the equivalent of USD 680,000 in the past three years.
India is one of the largest centers for the cutting of diamonds and precious stones and the manufacture of all kinds of jewelry. Statistically, 11 out of 12 diamonds that are later set in a piece of jewelry worldwide are cut and polished in India. India is also an important trading center for jewelry made of gold and other precious metals. The industry contributes about 7% of India’s GDP, employs millions of people and is an important source of foreign exchange earnings. The gemstone and jewelry industry generated an economic output of $60 billion in 2017 and is expected to grow to $110 billion by 2022.
The Indian certification landscape is very difficult to understand with its different authorities and processes. Indian certifications such as AIS (ARAI), BIS, WPC, TEC or PESO are part of the portfolio of MPR International – India Certification. We also offer a customs service for India, because sometimes a company has to import a newly developed product for research or a machine for testing or other purposes to India. Should your product actually require a specific certification for import, you can still, under certain circumstances, import your product into India. We will be happy to assist you in verifying that your products require certification in India.
Here you can find more information about the AIS certification, BIS certification, WPC certification and TEC certification.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for further details and consultation. You can contact us via e-mail, or call us (UK: +44 2071931135, Rest of Europe: +49 69 2713769150, US: +1 773 654-2673).
You can also download our brochures about the compulsory certifications here.

India: Mandatory BIS certification for vehicle rims planned

The Indian government has drawn up appropriate quality standards for vehicle rims in order to restrict inferior imports and promote the local industry. The draft, entitled “Automobile Wheel Rim Component (Quality Control)”, presented by the Indian Ministry of Industry, Heavy Industry Department, stipulates that from October 1, 2020, all rims and imports offered in India must be certified in accordance with the BIS standard. In addition, the Ministry has sent the draft to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and is awaiting comments from member countries within the next 30 days.

The new regulation is intended to improve road safety. In line with this, the government is in the process of revising the technical specifications of another 350 products to increase safety and quality, restrict imports and promote local production. According to a government spokesman, suppliers are to be discouraged from buying imported products and instead use Indian products from the “Make in India” campaign. The draft for quality control of rims includes products for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, electrically powered vehicles, passenger cars and commercial vehicles. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for the certification and implementation of the new quality standards.
Stricter quality standards have already been introduced in recent months for products such as toys and steel products. The EU rejects the mandatory BIS certification for the import of steel products to India and instead demands that accredited laboratories in the countries of origin can carry out certification in accordance with Indian standards. India replied that the international standards were not sufficient and also not applicable to Indian production processes. In order to promote the production of car rims in the country, the Indian government has issued an ordinance that requires manufacturers of electric and hybrid vehicles to purchase their rims or hub motors from local suppliers in order to receive subsidies. BIS stands for the Bureau of Indian Standards and is the national Indian certification body under the umbrella of the Indian Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food & Public Distribution. It is the central issuing body for BIS certification. We would be pleased to advise you on Indian certification and are always available to answer your questions.

Indian Government will Introduce New Standards for “Non-Essential Imports”

In a move to curb imports of cheaper products such as electrical products, plastics and toys, coming mostly from China, the Indian government has asked its biggest certification body BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) to draft up to 400 new standards for products considered “non-essential”. This is a clear reaction to the current ongoing political and economic tensions going on between the two Asian giants.

Global news outlets have extensively reported on the Cashmere border region dispute that has recently escalated to new heights. In addition to that, there have been on-going licensing disputes of cheap Chinese products without proper Indian quality approvals. Lots of products from China are imported either without any or, even worse, with fake quality certifications, which is hurting Indian consumers and the local economy.
BIS already has more than 25,000 quality standards for a wide range of different products, but most of them are on a voluntary basis. Only about 150 product standards are mandatory, but this number is about to be increased to more than 500, and will affect mostly cheaper products coming from China.
This means that Indian consumers’ demand for quality will rise and this in turn will open up the Indian market to importers from other countries. It also means that some companies in Europe or the US will already be affected by these new standards as well.
Please make sure to keep reading our news to stay informed of these updates whenever they come out and do not hesitate to contact us for any BIS specific certification questions. Many products require a mandatory BIS Certification in India.

Food safety in India highlighted on World Certification Day on 9 June

World Certification Day is celebrated every year on 9 June to highlight and promote the importance of certification in business and trade. The theme this year has been “Certification Improves Food Safety” and has been proposed by the international certification association (IAF) and the international laboratory certification association (ILAC). The competent authorities in India, the National Accreditation Body for Certification Bodies (NABCB) and National Accreditation Body for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), both members of the Quality Council of India (QCI), organised a webinar with the participation of all the executive staff.

At the beginning of the event, Ms. Rita Teaotia, Executive Director of the Indian Food Safety Authority (FSSAI), gave a guest speech. She emphasized the importance of a functioning and credible food certification system and praised the cooperation of Indian institutions in this area. But she also addressed weaknesses in the system. The state laboratories would have to undergo a proficiency test according to international standards, increase the number of reference materials, develop rapid tests for food and create an automatic system for the exchange of information.
The webinar also included two sessions on food technology. They focused on the role of regulatory and approval authorities and the industry’s perspectives on food safety. Representatives of government, authorities and industry discussed the key areas of the food industry. In the end, it was agreed that industry and regulatory authorities should work better together to ensure food quality. About 700 people watched the live stream of the webinar and more than 1500 people watched the recording of it during the day. FSSAI certification is required for all foods distributed on the Indian market. We would be happy to advise you on the process of an India certification and carry it out for you.

Mandatory marking for vehicles according to new BS VI directive

Vehicles that comply with the new BS VI are to be given an additional marking, following an announcement by the Ministry of Transport and Roads. An approximately 1 cm wide green stripe is to be applied to the upper part of a new third number plate. A coloured marking indicating the fuel used by the vehicle is also to be introduced. The colour code is intended to distinguish cars with high pollutant emissions from more environmentally friendly ones. The government stipulates that from October 1, all vehicles that comply with the BS VI standard must have such a marking.

Earlier, the government announced that from April 1, 2019, all motorized vehicles must be equipped with a counterfeit-proof license plate. The so-called HSRP or third license plate is attached to the windscreen inside the vehicle. The HSRP sticker consists of a hologram and a ten-digit identification number engraved by laser. Depending on the fuel used, there is another colour code of the HSRP: light blue for petrol or gas and orange for diesel.
Meanwhile, car manufacturer BMW has adapted its new car fleet for the Indian market to the new BS IV emission standards. According to the company, the gasoline models were already compliant with the new requirements, while the diesel engines had to be adapted. The BWM plant in Chennai is currently producing cars of the 5 and 6 Gran Turismo series, production of the X1 is to start soon. The sales price of BMW India models that meet the BS IV emission standards was increased by six percent at the beginning of 2020. Certification is mandatory for the sale of automotive products in India. AIS stands for Automotive Industry Standards, the technical automotive standards for India, while TAC stands for Type Approval Certificate. Depending on the product category, there are different certification steps. We will be happy to advise you on certification in India and are always available to answer your questions.

India wants to establish itself as a preferred manufacturing base

India’s Foreign Minister Shringla said that his country’s democratic society could be a very attractive destination for foreign investment, and the comparatively high rate of education combined with a continued cheap labour force could be an attractive alternative for other existing markets. Therefore, the country wants to continue to improve conditions. Without naming any particular countries, the Foreign Minister said that the sole reliance on one location or region for investment and the resulting Indian imports or exports would have to be reconsidered. Instead, Shringla plans to develop India into an attractive and leading manufacturing base for investors at low cost.

Recently, political tensions and developments on the world market have put pressure on companies that had relied too heavily on just one foreign location. India could be a good alternative for these companies to expand their product range and secure their supply chain, said Foreign Minister Shringla. India’s functioning democratic system and prevalent transparency of authorities are factors that increase investor confidence. The Minister alluded to China, where the business practices and actions of the authorities have been criticised on several occasions by foreign governments and companies.
India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeks to attract investors with simple rules for setting up a company and easy access to capital. Together with a skilled and large workforce and low production costs, India wants to grow into a leading industrial hub. For production, import and export, in many cases you need a corresponding certification of goods or production processes. We will be happy to advise you which India certification is relevant for you and carry it out for you.

Imports from foreign companies in India are growing faster than exports

Despite the assumption that foreign companies in India would increase exports, their imports are growing faster. According to figures from the Reserve Bank of India and the World Trade Centre (WTC), imports by foreign companies of raw materials and machinery rose by 13.4 percent in the period 2018-19. In the same period, their exports fell by 13.8 percent. For the Indian economy as a whole, however, exports increased by 28 percent.

According to information from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), 8095 foreign companies were registered last year, most of which are active in exports. Of these companies, 63 percent are service businesses, 29 percent are producers and the rest are active in other sectors. Broken down into individual industries, 18 percent are IT companies, 7 percent mechanical engineering and 6 percent wholesale and retail. The countries of origin of the foreign companies are the USA with 22 percent, 12.5 percent Singapore, 9.5 percent Mauritius and 7 percent each Japan and Great Britain.
Last year, exports by these companies fell by 26.5 percent despite rising production. The ratio of exported goods or services to their total production or services in the same period also fell from 5.5 to 3.8 percent. Machinery and tool manufacturers were the only industry to maintain this ratio at the level of 11.5 percent. On the other hand, automobile manufacturers lost drastically in exports compared to their total production. According to figures from the WTC, the figure fell rapidly from 5.6 to 2 percent. The trade of goods in India requires in many cases a corresponding certification of the goods or production processes. We will be happy to advise you on which India certification is relevant for you and carry it out for you.

India introduces stricter guidelines for the import of palm oil

New, stricter guidelines will apply to deliveries of palm oil to India from January. This was announced by the Director General for Foreign Trade (DGTF), who reports to the Ministry of Commerce. Imports of palm oil now require a licence or permit and the consent of the authorities. The import will then be allowed under certain conditions, according to a DGTF announcement. The new rules include, among other things, that importers must submit a purchase contract in advance and details of their imports in the past three years. The validity period for a licence or permit will be reduced from the usual 18 months to six months. If a dealer allows the licence to expire without importing, he will automatically be excluded from the issue of a new licence.

The customs authorities have been instructed to monitor in particular palm oil from the countries of origin Nepal and Bangladesh. The certificate of origin is a key document for countries with which India has concluded trade agreements. An importer must present a corresponding Certificate of Origin (CoO) to the customs authorities at the port of import. Palm oil and other vegetable oils and fats are mainly imported into India by sea. India is the world’s largest importer of vegetable oils and purchases 15 million tons of them annually. Palm oil accounts for the largest share of this, 9 million tonnes, followed by the remaining 6 million tonnes of soya and sunflower oil.
The main producers of palm oil are Indonesia with 43 million tons and Malaysia with 19 million tons annually. Last year, India changed the status of this important commodity from freely tradable to restricted. The background to this were statements by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahatir on India’s new citizenship law and the situation in the Kashmir region. Mahatir expressed concerns about discrimination against Muslim citizens in India. At a session of the UN General Assembly he also said that India had invaded and occupied Kashmir. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the largest of all certification bodies and is playing an increasing role in the standardisation of quality standards for raw materials and food. In this role it is responsible for a number of basic certifications in the Indian market. We would be pleased to assist you with BIS certification and are also available to answer your questions at any time.
If you need assistance with your BIS approval or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 or send us an email.
You can find more information about our BIS Service Package and the BIS Certification Process here.
For more information regarding the BIS certification, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the WPC Registration for wireless products, please click here.

Indian companies in the telecommunications sector demand a faster approval process from the WPC authority

Mobile phone providers as well as manufacturers of infrastructure and end-user devices are demanding intervention by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to speed up the process of equipment type approval (ETA). An improved process should simplify imports, distribution and the introduction of new models. There are currently no immediate shortages of equipment, but given the amount of equipment that will be needed over the next nine to 12 months to upgrade and repair networks and infrastructure, there could be supply difficulties as the equipment has not yet been approved by the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) authority, a telecommunications industry spokesperson said.

The unclear release process by the WPC will affect imports to India and could lead to companies having to pay penalties to customs. Two lobby groups have called for mediation and conciliation from WPC leaders as no applications have been processed for a month, although the whole process is taking place online. “With the current situation through Covid-19, working from home and digitalisation is becoming increasingly important. Stopping the processing of applications to import equipment is a counterproductive measure in this regard,” the lobbying association said in its letter. The lobby association represents mobile phone providers such as Reliance, Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea, as well as manufacturers Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, Cisco and ZTE.
The WPC’s release and regulation department issued a statement saying that they work according to the guidelines of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and that an application is usually processed online and digitally released within a week. The online system for the certification and release process for imports of telecommunications equipment was introduced in September 2018 to make the process easier and faster for all parties involved. The WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination) is the Indian National Broadcasting Authority and is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. However, in most cases, only equipment type approval (ETA) is relevant for foreign producers. The WPC certification process is relatively simple compared to other certification types. We will be happy to assist you with WPC registration and are also available to answer any questions you may have.
For a complete list of all relevant products, please click here.
If you need assistance with your WPC Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 Or send us an email.
Do you have any questions regarding certifications? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings).
For more information regarding the WPC certification, please read our free information booklet “WPC Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the TEC Certification for telecommunication products, please click here.

New requirements for satellite receivers and set-top boxes to be expected

The Indian Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRAI) recommends that all satellite receivers and set-top boxes for cable TV must be compatible with each other and requested the relevant ministry to issue a directive. Currently, set-top boxes for cable TV in particular are tied to a specific provider. If the customer wants to change the provider, he must buy or rent a new device. According to the recommendation of the TRAI, all set-top boxes in India should be interchangeable, a spokesperson said. The TRAI also calls for the mandatory installation of a USB port for all receivers and TV sets in India. The authority proposes the setting-up of a committee with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the TRAI, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and television manufacturers. The committee is to revise and harmonise the current standards for set-top boxes for both satellite reception and cable TV.

The Ministry of Broadcasting (MIB) will also require a clause in the contracts of satellite or cable TV providers to ensure that they only offer compatible equipment or allow customers to use equipment they have purchased themselves from the open market. In cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the Ministry will issue appropriate guidelines for set-top boxes. Within six months, the Indian industry is expected to implement the “DVB CI+ 2.0 Standard” in line with the European ETSI standard. One of the new features is to provide all devices with a manufacturer and system independent USB-based connection, said the TRAI. In addition, manufacturers must from now on equip all new TV sets with receivers for both satellite and cable reception. The national broadcasting authority WPC (Wireless Planning & Coordination), which is part of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, is responsible for the approval of receivers in India. In most cases, only an equipment type approval (ETA) is relevant for foreign producers. The WPC certification is used synonymously with the ETA abroad. We would be pleased to support you with the WPC registration and are also at your disposal for any questions you may have.
For a complete list of all relevant products, please click here.
If you need assistance with your WPC Certification or have any questions, you can contact us any time. Call us directly: EU: +49-69-2713769261, UK:+44-2071931135, US: +1-773-654-2673 Or send us an email.
Do you have any questions regarding certifications? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via chat. You will find the chat window at the bottom right of each page (if this is not visible, please check your browser settings).
For more information regarding the WPC certification, please read our free information booklet “WPC Certification – The Booklet“.
For more information about the TEC Certification for telecommunication products, please click here.