Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
Mandate and Legal Framework
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body, established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 (which replaced the BIS Act, 1986). It operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. BIS's primary functions are: formulating Indian Standards (IS), providing product certification (ISI mark), hallmarking of gold and silver jewellery, and managing conformity assessment schemes for regulated products. BIS certification is mandatory for products covered under Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by sector ministries.
- BIS Act, 2016: expanded BIS's mandate from goods to include services and systems; introduced provisions for mandatory standards and penalties for counterfeiting.
- ISI mark (Indian Standards Institute mark): the most visible BIS certification, covering products ranging from LPG cylinders and electrical appliances to cement and steel.
- Hallmark: BIS-administered quality certification for gold (BIS Hallmark) and silver jewellery; hallmarking became mandatory for gold jewellery above a certain purity from 2021.
- Quality Control Orders (QCOs): issued by concerned ministries (DPIIT, MoCI, etc.) under the BIS Act and other laws; mandate BIS certification as a condition for manufacturing, importing, or selling specified products in India.
- As of 2026, QCOs cover 700+ product categories — steel, electronics, chemicals, textiles, toys, footwear, furniture, and more.
● Tracked since March 02, 2026 · last seen April 13, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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