ISI certification is granted to corporations and products by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), which is the standardization authority of India. ISI Certification ensures that the products that are delivered to the customers are safe are in adherence with all the quality and safety standards set by them.
ISI mark or the Indian Standard Institute, which is known as BIS, is a standard body in India that checks the quality and the efficiency of different products in India and hence keeps in check if the company is following the laid out standards given by the Institute. Now there is a very common misconception amongst the general public that ISI Certification and ISO Certification are one and the same thing. However, this is not at all true, even though both certifications work on laying out different standards and aim for one thing that is high-quality products and services to be given out they are still very much different.
Whereas ISO Certification is provided to a company and the way it works, the internal working system (in accordance with the International Standards laid out by the ISO), ISI Certification is given out to products also, more commonly known as ISI mark.
The objectives of ISI Certification in India are as follows:
- Ensuring delivery of high-quality products to customers;
- Reducing wastage of resources and thereby minimising the production costs;
- Mitigating product rejections;
- Enhancing customer satisfaction and increasing the goodwill of the business;
- Providing better growth prospects to the business;
- Guaranteeing the quality and safety of products.
Who grants ISI Certification in India?
The National Standard Body, i.e., BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), has the autonomy to grant ISI certificates or mark in India. Further, once an application for the ISI Certificate is received, the BIS officer starts a preliminary examination and verification of the factory premise. The same is done to ensure that the product not only complies with the Indian Standards but is also safe to use and is not hazardous to the health of citizens in any form.
The following are the benefits of an ISI Marked Product:
- An ISI marked products certifies its quality to its customers;
- An ISI marked product reduces the business’s losses as well as product rejection;
- An ISI marked product guarantees both better performance and longer shelf life.
Which products require Mandatory ISI Certification?
At present, the Indian Government has implemented numerous changes to the manufacturing and trading sector. These changes include specifying higher standards by the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) which must comply with by every manufacturer who wants to sell their product in the market. The following products require compulsory ISI Certification:
- Household Electrical Appliances
- Food Related Items
- Cement
- Medical Equipment
- Oil Pressure Stoves and Cylinders
- Automobile Components
- Electrical Transformers
- Steel Products
- Milk Powder
- Kitchen Appliance
- Iron
- LPG
The key pointers to consider about ISI Mark certification in India are as follows:
- Details of the ISI mark certification must be specified by the seller on every invoice.
- Anyone can file a complaint to BIS if the product is not of good quality.
- All the manufacturers are regularly monitored by the BIS.
- The BIS Officer requires three months’ time to investigate a complaint filed against a manufacturer.
What are the Documents required for obtaining ISI Certification?
The documents required for obtaining an ISI Certification are listed below:
- Registered address of the manufacturing unit; Plant
- A copy of the Certification of Registrations;(COI, in case of company, pan card in case of propriertor, Partnership deed in case of partnership )
- A copy of the Test Report by a BSI (Bureau Standards of India) authorized internal laboratory;
- Details of all the equipment used for testing;
- Packaging details like the size of the product, storage facility, quantity, etc.;
- Flow chart followed in the process of manufacturing;
- Proof of Indian Residency;
- A copy of the Trademark Registration;
- The disposing technique of the inferior product;
- All the details regarding the quality control staff like Name, Experience, Designation, and Qualification;
- Layout Plan of the Factory;
- Particulars about the raw material being used;
- All the details regarding machinery installed;
- A copy of Certificate from the Regulatory Authority;
- Product drawing;
- A copy of the Company’s bank statement;
- Utility bills like electricity bills, water, tax receipt.
Validity Of Certificate
The issued ISI Certificate is valid for a time span of one year and the same is qualified to get renewed after the expiry.
How to apply for the Renewal of ISI Certification?
An ISI Mark Certification is valid for one year. However, the same can be renewed further by filing an application for the renewal and paying the renewal fees prescribed.
What is the Penalty for misusing an ISI mark?
If a manufacturer/ producer of any goods counterfeits or imitates a registered mark, the manufacturer will be subjected to a penalty of Rs 50000 and imprisonment for up to one year.