The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to address the policy issues related to product certification, testing and import duties.
The DoT has stated that it will accept international security certificates coupled with some India specific testing. However, due to lack of specific notified guidelines regarding the local testing of telecom equipment, companies are facing business uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the IT department has said that all imported electronic goods should hold Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification. The aim is to curb the flow of substandard electronic products into the country, some of which pose safety hazards. The goods requiring such certification were listed under 15 categories including laptops, tablets and TVs. However, frequent and inconsistent changes in BIS regulations are not in line with global best practices, thus involving additional compliance issues.
Consequently, DIPP has asked telecom and the IT departments to provide clarity on regulations mandating electronic products to be certified by the BIS and testing of telecom equipment before deploying.
