India extends timeline of new regulations for electrical equipment and automotive wheel rims
India
The QCO for Electrical Equipment was officially published by the Department of Heavy Industry in November 2020. The technical regulation affects a number of different products and devices widely used in industrial applications, for example circuit-breakers, switches and starters. To comply with the regulation, it is mandatory for manufacturers to obtain a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) based on the Indian standards referenced in the QCO. Find out more about the regulation here: India introduces new technical regulation for electrical equipment.
The QCO for Automotive Wheel Rims was published by MoHI & PD in September 2020. It makes the labelling of affected automotive components with an India-specific marking by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mandatory.
Extending timelines saves costs for the industry
The new regulations intend to improve the safety and quality of the products on the Indian market. However, they can also pose challenges to foreign manufacturers operating in India in the form of technical barriers to trade. To ensure continued free and efficient trade with India, the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) team in India informed its German stakeholders about the new QCOs in draft stage. It also coordinated feedback from members of the German industry. In close collaboration with the German Association of the Automotive Industry (Verband der Automobilindustrie – VDA), the GPQI team in India submitted requests for consideration on specific issues faced by the German automotive industry with regard to the QCO for wheel rims.
The extended timelines for implementation are favourable for the industry. Granting additional time helps manufacturers adjust to the changed requirements. Above all, expanding the timeline helps avoid time and costs for transitional solutions and ensures a plannable framework for continued prosperous business exchange. Beyond this, the industry considers internationally aligned standards as an even more beneficial and long-term solution. This is also addressed by GPQI in India as part of the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue.
The official notifications of the extended timelines can be found here:
In case you have any questions or challenges with regard to the extended timelines or the implementation of the QCOs, please contact us at qi-india@giz.de.