Introduction of quality standards for Indian companies from the gig and shared economy
6. April 2023The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the authority responsible for BIS certification, is planning to introduce quality standards for companies from the so-called gig and shared economy. This was confirmed by high-ranking government officials from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. In addition, the BIS is considering the application of International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) standards in India. The standards are to be continuously extended to industries such as taxi providers, food delivery services and online health services.
The gig economy describes a labour market in which mainly temporary and part-time jobs are filled by independent contractors and freelancers. Shared economy extends to mobility service providers (Uber, Rapido), co-working (Awfis, WeWork), housing (Stanzaliving, OYO) and furniture rental (Furlenco). ISO/TC 324 certification is used in shared economy companies. Here, the quality of products and the time frame of delivery are assessed. Data protection, fraud, complaints and compensation are also part of this certification. In India, a sub-group of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs is currently involved in updating the ISO/TC 324 standard and is passing on corresponding proposals to ISO.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced that an expert group for the introduction of “Right to Repair” legislation has been established. According to a survey by LocalCircles, 43 per cent of Indian households had three or more appliances at home that were less than five years old and needed repair. When asked, survey respondents said that often customer service representatives did not show up to repair them or the cost of repair was too high. The founder of LocalCircles, Sachin Taparia, hopes that standards will soon be introduced for India in this area and expects a signal effect for other countries.
A large number of different products require BIS certification in order to import them into India or bring them onto the market. Depending on the product, a distinction is made between BIS-ISI or BIS-CRS certification. As the product list is constantly being expanded, we will be pleased to help you with an initial assessment. MPR International GmbH – India Certification supports you with a pending BIS certification and is also available at any time to answer any questions you may have.
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