Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Role, Functions, and Legal Basis
The Bureau of Indian Standards is India's national standards body, established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 (replacing the earlier 1986 Act). BIS operates under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It formulates national standards (IS standards), operates product certification (ISI mark), manages the Hallmarking scheme for gold jewellery, and grants Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) certification for electronics. The BIS Act 2016 expanded BIS's mandate to cover services and systems (beyond just physical products), enabling it to set standards for digital services including financial technology.
- BIS Act 2016 replaced the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986; significantly expanded scope to cover services, systems, and processes
- BIS is a member of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and aligns Indian standards with international norms
- BIS standards are designated "IS" (Indian Standard) followed by a number; compliance can be voluntary or mandatory (when notified under the relevant Acts)
- The BIS Conformity Assessment (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (February 2026) introduced significant changes to fee structures and licence validity for product certifications
- BIS also runs the Standards Portal (standardsbis.in) for public access to Indian standards
● Tracked since March 02, 2026 · last seen April 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes