How Indian Standards are Established and Promoted by BIS

Every time you pick up a packaged food item, check an electrical appliance for the ISI mark, or buy gold jewellery with a hallmark, you’re interacting with the work of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). But how do these standards come into existence? The process is far more democratic and collaborative than most people realize. BIS has created a systematic framework that brings together diverse voices-from scientists and manufacturers to consumers and government officials-to develop standards that protect public interest while enabling industrial growth.

What is BIS and why does standard formulation matter? 🔗

The Bureau of Indian Standards is India’s National Standards Body, operating under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. Established under the BIS Act, 2016, the Bureau is responsible for developing and maintaining Indian Standards, implementing conformity assessment schemes, running testing laboratories, and representing India in international standards organizations like ISO and IEC.

Currently, approximately 23,000 Indian Standards are in force across various sectors. These standards cover everything from food products and chemicals to electrical equipment and construction materials. The significance of proper standard formulation cannot be overstated-poorly designed standards can stifle innovation or fail to protect consumers, while well-crafted ones drive quality improvements across entire industries.

The technical committee structure 🔗

BIS doesn’t create standards through a centralized bureaucratic process. Instead, it operates through an elaborate technical committee structure designed to bring together expertise from multiple domains. This structure ensures that standards reflect practical realities and diverse perspectives.

Division Councils 🔗

At the top of the hierarchy sit the Division Councils. BIS has identified 15 key economic and technological sectors, each overseen by a Division Council. These sectors include Food and Agriculture, Chemicals, Electronics and IT, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Textiles, and others. Each Division Council supervises the standardization activities in its sector, approves new standard proposals, and ensures alignment with national priorities. The councils are reconstituted every three years to maintain fresh perspectives.

Sectional Committees 🔗

The actual drafting of standards happens at the Sectional Committee level. BIS operates through 394 sectional committees comprising over 14,000 domain experts drawn from industry, academic institutions, research organizations, government departments, and consumer groups. The composition of these committees is carefully balanced-non-industry representation should ideally constitute at least two-thirds of the committee to prevent commercial interests from dominating the process.

Subcommittees, panels, and working groups 🔗

Sectional Committees can create subcommittees, panels, and working groups to handle specific aspects of a standard. For instance, a committee working on standards for packaged drinking water might have separate working groups focusing on microbiological parameters, chemical limits, packaging requirements, and testing methods. This layered structure allows for detailed technical work while maintaining coordination at higher levels.

The standard formulation process 🔗

Creating an Indian Standard follows a systematic, multi-stage process that prioritizes consultation and consensus-building.

Proposal and need assessment 🔗

Any Central or State Government Ministry, consumer organization, industrial unit, professional body, or even individual members of BIS committees can propose a new standard or revision of an existing one. The Division Council investigates the proposal to determine whether standardization is genuinely needed for that subject. If the need is established, the Council assigns the task to an appropriate Sectional Committee or creates a new one specifically for that purpose.

Draft preparation 🔗

Once a subject is accepted, the Sectional Committee begins drafting the standard. This involves technical research, analysis of existing international standards, review of industry practices, and extensive deliberation among committee members. Members contribute their specialized knowledge about the product or process being standardized, debating specifications, testing methods, sampling procedures, and other technical details.

Wide circulation 🔗

After the committee reaches preliminary consensus, the draft standard enters wide circulation. This is a critical transparency mechanism-the draft is published in BIS’s journal Standards India, made available on the BIS website, and sent to identified stakeholders. The public comment period typically lasts at least 60 days, during which anyone can submit feedback. The wide circulation phase can be shortened or waived only if the Sectional Committee decides the matter is urgent or non-controversial.

Finalization and approval 🔗

The Sectional Committee reviews all comments received during wide circulation, addresses technical concerns, resolves disagreements, and finalizes the draft. The finalized draft is then submitted to the Division Council Chairman for adoption. Once approved, the standard is officially published with a unique identification number-for example, IS 1234:2023, where 1234 is the standard number and 2023 indicates the publication year.

Periodic review and updates 🔗

Standards aren’t static documents. BIS reviews all established standards periodically-at least once every five years-to determine whether revision, amendment, or withdrawal is necessary. Standards that the Sectional Committee finds still relevant and accurate are reaffirmed. This regular review ensures that Indian Standards keep pace with technological developments, changing market conditions, and evolving safety requirements.

Voluntary standards becoming mandatory 🔗

An important aspect of Indian Standards is their default voluntary nature. Rule 15 of the BIS Rules, 2018 establishes that compliance with Indian Standards is generally voluntary but becomes binding when stipulated in a contract, referenced in legislation, or made mandatory by specific government orders.

Quality Control Orders (QCOs) 🔗

The mechanism for making standards mandatory is the Quality Control Order. Under Section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016, various Line Ministries can issue QCOs requiring specific products to conform to Indian Standards. These orders are typically issued to protect public health, ensure environmental safety, prevent unfair trade practices, or address national security concerns.

Currently, 187 QCOs covering 769 products have been notified for compulsory BIS certification. Products under mandatory certification must bear the ISI Standard Mark under a valid license from BIS. This applies equally to domestic manufacturers and foreign manufacturers importing goods into India-foreign manufacturers must obtain certification under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS).

Harmonization with international standards 🔗

BIS actively harmonizes Indian Standards with international benchmarks. Of the 22,689 Indian Standards currently in force, corresponding ISO/IEC standards exist for 10,300. Notably, 93.3% of these-9,616 standards-have been harmonized with existing ISO/IEC standards. This harmonization facilitates international trade by ensuring Indian products meet globally recognized quality benchmarks while maintaining flexibility to address local conditions and requirements.

BIS represents India in international standards bodies, participating actively in the development of ISO and IEC standards. This engagement allows Indian experts to present national viewpoints during international standard development and helps align domestic standards with global trends.

Promoting standards adoption 🔗

Creating standards is only half the challenge-ensuring their adoption is equally important. BIS employs multiple strategies for promotion. Standards are published in both print and electronic formats and made available through the BIS e-Portal. The Bureau conducts training programs, workshops, and seminars to educate manufacturers about compliance requirements. Consumer awareness campaigns highlight the significance of looking for certification marks when purchasing products.

BIS also operates a network of testing laboratories across India to support conformity assessment. These laboratories test products for compliance with relevant standards, and manufacturers can apply for licenses to use the ISI Mark on conforming products.

The significance of stakeholder participation 🔗

What makes the Indian standard formulation process distinctive is its emphasis on consensus-building among diverse stakeholders. The committee structure deliberately includes consumers, scientists, technologists, industry representatives, and government officials. This balanced representation helps prevent standards from being captured by any single interest group and ensures that the final standards serve broader public interests.

For businesses, participating in standard-setting committees offers strategic advantages-early insight into upcoming requirements, the opportunity to contribute technical expertise, and influence over specifications that will affect their industry. For consumers and civil society, participation ensures that safety and quality concerns receive adequate attention.

What do you think? Have you ever checked for the ISI mark before purchasing a product? As consumers become more quality-conscious, how might this influence the standards that BIS prioritizes for mandatory certification?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Indian_Standards
2. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2110935
3. https://www.bis.gov.in/standards/technical-department/standardization-products-methods/
4. https://www.services.bis.gov.in/php/BIS_2.0/eBIS/wp-content/uploads/Handbook_for_TC_Members.pdf
5. https://www.bis.gov.in/standards/standard-formulation/process-of-setting-standards/
6. https://www.lakshmisri.com/insights/articles/standards-and-quality-control-orders-the-backbone-of-india-s-quality-revolution/
7. https://chemicals.gov.in/chemicals-quality-control-orders