Inflow of sub-standard electronic products curbed: Govt

The inflow of of sub-standard electronics goods into the country has been curbed after registration of electronic products was made mandatory, a senior government official said today.
"The Compulsory Registration Order, notified by DeitY has ensured registration of products by the manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, thereby curbing inflow of sub-standard goods," Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) Joint Secretary Ajay Kumar said at an event organised by MAIT.
Government had notified the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement for compulsory Registration Order) in 2012 under which products like LCD/LED TV, set top box, tablet and laser printer are required to get certificate from Bureau of India Standards for sale in the country.

Industry has raised concerns that the new rules are leading to delays in launch of new products in Indian market and due to this delay products are becoming obsolete.
BIS Director General Sunil Soni asked companies to start testing procedures of their product early with labs involved in certifying products in India so that the gap between global launch of their product and sale schedule is bridged.
"We now have sufficient labs that can address the concern of industry. We have 13 labs accredited by us and soon we will add 2 more," Soni said.

"All inclusive growth of the ICT sector depends upon voluntary registration of products and how best we can take this forward. Consumers will be the end beneficiary of the process as standard of products will improve once the registration order is implemented fully," Consumer Affairs Secretary Keshav Desiraju said.

Government officials ensured industry that guidelines issued by BIS are in compliance with international standards.
"Standards are important for matters relating to consumer safety and product quality. Implementation of standards framework and its compliance is extremely essential as it will eventually determine the success of the entire process," MAIT President Amar Babu said.