'BIS labelling order to affect supply of electronic goods'

The latest notification by Bureau of Indian Standards on labelling of electronics products will lead to shortages and raise operational cost of firms, IT hardware industry body MAIT said today.
On March 25, BIS in a notification asked electronic product makers to change the font size of the brand name on the product and the packaging. The companies have been asked to comply with the revised guidelines by tomorrow.
The notification affects products such as video games, laptop/notebook/tablet, Plasma/LCD/LED televisions, microwave ovens, printers and scanners, telephone answering machines, electronic musical systems and so on.
The Manufacturers Association for Information Technology has approached the government on the issue saying that it will lead to shortage of products across the country and add to the costs for the electronic product makers.

"The sudden changes in the scheme by BIS is not smooth in terms of implementation. We welcome the intent of the whole process, but execution has been inconsistent. Sometimes the changes are done not with too much consultation with the industry and looking at the practical aspects" MAIT President Amar Babu told PTI.
The change of the guidelines on labelling and timeframe for approval of registration will impact the industry, he said, adding that lot of products are imported and the factory shipment to planning and manufacturing time takes about 8-12 weeks so it will become

impossible to comply with in this time frame, he added.

"Even if the framework is postponed to July, it is impossible to meet such deadlines, If an ISI mark on a water bottle goes well with a label sticker, why does BIS want an IT product embossed," Babu, who is also the Lenovo India Managing Director, said.
On the cost escalation, Babu said earlier the industry had spent over Rs 1,000 crore on testing and other related issues and with this new notification a similar impact could be expected.
He said: "We have approached the government on this issue and I'm told that it is looking at changing the effective date. We are waiting for the feedback. Otherwise, with the old date, it will lead to shortage."

BIS wants the font size of letters of statement to be 12 or 1/4th the size of the brand name. However, MAIT said the size requirements are impractical, especially for smaller products.
The labelling notification is part of the government's Requirement for Compulsory Registration Order, 2012, which enforces a mandatory regime of registration of 15 identified electronic products so that they meet specified safety standards.