Indian Standards System: Standards Used in India
Indian Standards
Standards developed or recognized by BIS carry the Indian Standard (IS) designation.
Often, BIS will use ISO/IEC or other National Standards Bodies’ (NSB’s) standards as a base document, and adopt it as an IS.
To date BIS has formulated over 20,000 IS, mainly in the categories of product specifications, test methods, and codes of practice.
Indian Standards are generally voluntary, meaning the government does not require compliance with them in order to place a product in the Indian market.
However, IS are frequently referenced in government regulations and technical specifications, and implemented by public agencies in procurement.
The government implements mandatory regulations to meet the needs of public health and safety, and consumer welfare in products such as drinking water or electrical appliances.
ISO / IEC Standards
India has committed to the
goal of harmonizing IS with International Standards wherever possible, and
participates in both the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC). ISO and IEC standards are examples of standards developed by non-treaty organizations under the "one
country, one vote" process in which each country is represented through a "national body" carrying one vote, regardless
of the size of its economy, population, or the number of technical experts that
participate from each country.
Non-Treaty Organizations are non-governmental bodies in which countries can be represented by either a governmental or private sector organization.
India is represented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in non-treaty organizations including ISO and IEC, and with other fora.
Key Organizations
