What is an Indian Standard?

An Indian Standard (IS) is a standard developed by the Bureau of Indian Standardization (BIS) and approved as a national standard. BIS relies on input from stakeholders in industry, government, and consumers in the development of IS. Pursuant to its objective of harmonizing IS with international standards, BIS often uses ISO or IEC international standards as a basis in its standards development process. There are currently over 20,000 Indian Standards.

Does the Indian government have oversight over BIS?

Yes. BIS was created by the Indian Parliament by the BIS Act of 1986 as the national standards body, taking over the duties of the Indian Standards Institution. BIS falls under the Ministry for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution in the Indian government, so that the President of BIS is also the Honorable Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution.

Are Indian Standards the only standards in use in India?

No. Standards from ISO, IEC and other international standards developers, as well as regional standards, foreign standards and others are also used in the Indian market.