, chaired by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution){kind=link}
May 29: The 9th Governing Council Meeting of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), chaired by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Joshi, outlined an ambitious and forward-looking roadmap for India’s national standardization body.
Held in New Delhi, the meeting reinforced BIS’s expanding role in not just regulating but actively enabling India’s transformation into a quality-driven, globally competitive economy. With Shri Joshi as the ex-officio President of the Governing Council, the session was marked by a comprehensive review of BIS’s achievements and proposals that focus on innovation, inclusivity, and international engagement.
A key highlight was the announcement that 371 districts have already been brought under mandatory hallmarking for jewellery—an important consumer protection measure. Shri Joshi called for expansion into more districts and emphasized awareness generation among industries regarding BIS initiatives. The minister also appreciated BIS’s formulation of 23,798 Indian standards across diverse sectors, positioning it as a leader in product and service quality frameworks.
From 14 in 2014 to 191 today, the exponential increase in Quality Control Orders (QCOs) now covers 774 products and two horizontal sectors, thanks to BIS’s collaboration with multiple ministries. This scale-up is crucial in safeguarding consumer interests and encouraging industries to comply with structured technical standards.
Acknowledging the importance of supporting MSMEs, Shri Joshi urged the BIS to intensify outreach programs like Manak Manthan and Manak Samvaad to facilitate compliance, redress grievances, and remove procedural hurdles. He stressed zero tolerance towards malpractices and advocated for more transparency in sample testing, especially given that over 2.5 lakh samples were processed in 2024-25 alone.
In a major move, the Council approved Rs. 78 crore for enhancing testing infrastructure in critical areas such as aerospace components, solar PV modules, organic food, and high-voltage electrical equipment.
Looking ahead, India will host the 89th IEC General Meeting in New Delhi in September 2025—expected to bring together 1,500+ participants from over 150 countries, further underscoring India’s central role in global standardization dialogue.
The BIS’s 2025-26 roadmap, including the Annual Programme for Standardisation (APS) and Laboratory Modernization Plan, promises to align national standards with strategic priorities while boosting innovation, compliance, and global competitiveness.