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Importers of electronic products are racing against time as the deadline to comply with the Government’s safety certification norms is fast closing in. Extended twice, the Government officials ruled out another reprieve to the January deadline.
The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) mandated all imported electronic goods should comply with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certifications.
The goods were listed under 15 items, ranging from laptops to tablets and TV sets to microwave ovens. Printers, scanners, set top boxes and wireless keyboards also find place on the list.
Safety hazards
The Department had set July 3 as the deadline but extended it to October 3 and later to January 3, 2014, following repeated requests from the industry.
“A lot of sub-standard electronic products have come in, and if these are not regulated, the market would be flooded with these products. Some of them also pose safety hazards, prompting the Government to issue notifications,” said Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director at Manufacturers’ Association for Information Technology (MAIT).
The Government’s regulations are “much similar” to international standards but this is the first time the Government is taking a stringent stance.
India imported electronic goods worth $16 billion in FY13, ranking third in the overall imports (petroleum tops the charts followed by gold), according to data compiled by Directorate General of Foreign Trade. India imported electronic items from all major suppliers including the US, South Korea, China and Taiwan.
“The Government has no intention to provide another extension as ample time has been given to the importers. Consumers are the beneficiaries as this norm will ensure that batteries don’t explode and sub-standard goods are not sold in India,” said Ajay Kumar, Joint Secretary with the DeitY.
“This would also help in curbing grey market activities,” he added.
LACK OF REGISTRATIONS
Registrations, the process of issuing BIS certifications, have also not been happening for the past 45 days. Adding to the woes is the inadequate speed of registration, said MAIT’s Shirpurwala. “The registration takes 30-36 weeks, by which the fast moving electronic products become obsolete. The Government needs to speed up the process of registration,” he said.
The Government had also permitted hardware manufacturers to bring in goods with self-declaration certificates, stating they are being tested in Government-certified labs.
It has also allowed manufacturers to label their products (post the certification) at their warehouses rather than doing at the port of entry.
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