Tag: BIS

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Technology

BIS tag mandatory for phone screen protectors

Buying a screen protector for a smartphone could soon become a more regulated process in India. The government has brought smartphone screen protectors under mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, with the new rules coming into effect from April 1, 2027.

The move is aimed at improving the quality of screen guards and tempered glass products sold in the country and reducing the presence of substandard products. Manufacturers and importers will have to ensure their products meet the prescribed Indian Standard before they can be legally sold in India.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) added “Screen Protectors for smartphones” to the compulsory registration framework through a notification dated September 21. The products will have to comply with IS 19348:2025, the Indian Standard for glass screen protectors.

Companies have been given more than six months to prepare for the new requirement. From April 1 next year, screen protectors that do not meet the standard will not be allowed to be manufactured, imported, stored for sale, sold or distributed in India.

The new rules are expected to bring greater consistency to a market that currently has products ranging from branded tempered glass to very low-cost and unbranded screen guards.

For consumers, the biggest change may be the quality of the product rather than the way it is bought. The new Indian Standard covers several aspects of a screen protector, including its dimensions, thickness, strength, optical clarity and visible defects. Products will also have to meet requirements related to features such as adhesives, coatings and protective layers.

The BIS framework is particularly relevant because a screen protector is often the first layer of protection for a smartphone display. Poor-quality products can affect touch sensitivity, clarity and the overall viewing experience, while weak glass may fail to provide adequate protection during a fall.

The government has not announced a fixed price increase for screen protectors. However, manufacturers and importers may face additional testing and compliance costs under the new system. Whether those costs eventually translate into higher retail prices will depend on individual companies and market conditions.

The move could also change the competitive landscape for India’s screen protector industry.

Industry estimates put the domestic market at around 400 million tempered-glass screen protectors, with annual sales worth about ₹20,000 crore in 2025. Another industry estimate puts the broader market at ₹12,000 crore to ₹15,000 crore annually, with consumers buying more than 500 million protectors each year. The different estimates reflect the difficulty of tracking a market that has a large unorganised and import-dependent segment.

A large share of products currently comes from imports, particularly from China. Industry bodies have argued that low-priced imports and grey-market products make it difficult for domestic manufacturers to compete.

The mandatory BIS certification could therefore give Indian manufacturers a more level playing field. It could also encourage companies to expand local production of tempered glass and other smartphone accessories.

Optiemus Infracom is among the companies preparing for the change. The company already manufactures screen protectors in India and plans to add capacity of 2 crore units. It expects shipments from its Noida facility to begin in January 2027.

The company has said the new standards could help create a more organised Made-in-India screen protector ecosystem. Industry representatives have also pointed to possible gains in local value addition, employment and manufacturing capacity.

The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) has supported mandatory quality standards, saying they could help protect consumers from substandard products while creating a level playing field for domestic and international manufacturers. The industry body has also estimated that the move could create significant employment across manufacturing and related sectors.

The new rule is part of a broader government effort to bring more electronic products under mandatory quality and safety requirements. The compulsory registration framework already covers products such as smartphones, laptops, chargers, televisions, printers and other electronic equipment. Screen protectors have now been added as the 66th product category under the framework.

The change will not affect consumers immediately. Existing products can continue to be sold before the new requirement takes effect, subject to the applicable rules. Manufacturers and importers now have the transition period to test their products, obtain the required approval and adjust their supply chains.

The bigger impact will be visible from April 2027, when compliance with BIS standards for smartphone screen protectors becomes mandatory.

The change could eventually make it easier to distinguish between products based on quality rather than price alone. For manufacturers, it means additional compliance but also an opportunity to expand domestic production.

The government’s stated objective is straightforward: ensure that screen protectors sold in India meet a common quality benchmark. The new BIS rules could reshape a largely fragmented market while giving consumers greater confidence in one of the most commonly purchased smartphone accessories.

 

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Beyond

BIS expands silver hallmarking

he sharp rise in gold prices is changing buying patterns in India, with more consumers turning to silver jewellery and other silver articles as a relatively affordable alternative. In response, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is preparing to significantly expand its silver hallmarking and testing infrastructure across the country.

The move comes as jewellers and industry players report stronger interest in silver following the sustained rise in gold prices. BIS plans to increase the number of laboratories capable of testing silver, upgrade existing facilities and introduce technology-led systems to handle the growing demand for silver hallmarking.

BIS Director General Pramod Kumar Tiwari said the standards body is working to strengthen the country’s silver testing network. The expansion is aimed at making hallmarking more accessible to jewellers while ensuring consumers can identify the purity of silver products they purchase.

Unlike gold, where hallmarking has become widely established among consumers, silver hallmarking has had a more limited reach. The growing popularity of silver is now pushing the industry and regulators to give greater attention to quality certification.

The BIS plans to expand its network of silver testing laboratories and improve their capacity. The objective is to ensure that jewellery manufacturers and retailers do not face long waiting periods when sending products for purity testing.

The standards body is also looking at using artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies in the testing process. AI-based systems could help improve the speed and accuracy of testing while reducing the possibility of human error.

The increased focus on silver comes at a time when gold has become increasingly expensive for ordinary buyers. Gold prices have remained elevated amid strong investment demand, global economic uncertainty and expectations surrounding interest rates. For many households, particularly those purchasing jewellery for personal use or traditional occasions, the higher price of gold has encouraged them to consider silver.

Industry representatives have pointed to a noticeable shift in consumer preferences. Buyers who may previously have chosen gold jewellery are increasingly considering silver ornaments, coins, utensils and other articles. This has created a need for stronger quality standards in the silver market.

Hallmarking is particularly important in this environment because consumers often find it difficult to determine the actual purity of precious metals simply by looking at a product. A hallmark provides an independent indication that the article has undergone an approved purity assessment.

For silver buyers, the expansion of hallmarking could therefore offer greater confidence. It could also help bring more uniformity to the market by making purity information easier to verify.

The BIS has already established standards for silver articles and jewellery. The organisation’s efforts are now focused on expanding the infrastructure needed to support wider adoption of silver hallmarking.

One of the key challenges is the availability of testing facilities. As silver demand rises, existing laboratories may face higher workloads. Expanding the laboratory network would allow more jewellers and manufacturers to access testing services closer to their locations.

The proposed expansion is also expected to benefit smaller businesses. Jewellers in smaller cities and towns can face logistical difficulties when testing facilities are located far away. A broader network could reduce the time and cost involved in getting silver products hallmarked.

The industry is also witnessing a change in the role of silver itself. Traditionally associated with lower-cost jewellery and household articles, silver is increasingly being viewed as both a consumption product and an investment asset.

Silver has an advantage over gold in terms of affordability, allowing consumers to buy larger quantities for the same amount of money. At the same time, silver has significant industrial applications, including in electronics, solar energy equipment and other manufacturing sectors.

This combination of investment and industrial demand has helped keep silver in focus in recent years. Rising gold prices have added another factor by making silver more attractive to price-sensitive buyers.

The BIS’s proposed use of artificial intelligence in silver testing reflects the broader push to modernise India’s quality-control infrastructure. Technology could help laboratories process more samples and maintain consistent testing standards as volumes increase.

The expansion of silver hallmarking is also expected to strengthen transparency in the jewellery market. For consumers, clearer purity certification can reduce uncertainty when purchasing silver products. For legitimate jewellers, stronger standards can help create a more level playing field by distinguishing certified products from those whose purity may be unclear.

The development comes as India’s precious metals market undergoes a broader transformation. Gold continues to dominate jewellery demand and remains an important store of value for Indian households. However, record and near-record prices have made affordability a growing concern for consumers.

Silver is increasingly filling part of that gap. The shift does not necessarily mean that consumers are abandoning gold, but it indicates that buyers are becoming more flexible about the type of precious metal they purchase.

For the BIS, the challenge will now be to ensure that the hallmarking system keeps pace with this changing market. Expanding testing laboratories, improving technology and introducing AI-assisted processes could help the regulator respond to the expected rise in silver products entering the organised market.

For consumers, the message is straightforward: as silver becomes more popular, purity certification will become increasingly important. A stronger silver hallmarking network could provide buyers with greater assurance while supporting the growth of a more transparent and organised silver jewellery market in India.

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Beyond

BIS warns AI boom faces rising global financial risks

The global boom in artificial intelligence could lose momentum if rising debt, persistent inflation and excessive investment continue to build financial risks, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned in its latest annual report.

Often described as the “central bank for central banks”, the BIS said the rapid surge in AI-related spending has created strong optimism among investors. However, it cautioned that expectations may have moved ahead of economic reality, increasing the risk of financial instability if companies fail to generate the returns investors anticipate.

The report noted that major technology companies are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure, including data centres, chips and computing power. While these investments could transform productivity and drive long-term economic growth, the BIS warned that excessive spending financed through debt could leave companies and financial markets vulnerable if demand slows or profits disappoint.

The BIS compared the current AI investment wave with previous periods of market exuberance, including the dot-com boom, saying history shows that breakthrough technologies can attract more capital than markets can sustainably absorb. If investor confidence weakens, technology stocks could face sharp corrections with wider consequences for the global financial system.

Apart from AI, the institution also highlighted rising public debt, stubborn inflation and vulnerabilities in financial markets as key threats to the global economy. It urged governments and central banks to maintain sound fiscal policies, keep inflation under control and strengthen oversight of non-bank financial institutions to reduce systemic risks.

Despite its caution, the BIS stressed that artificial intelligence remains one of the most promising technological advances of recent decades. It said AI has the potential to improve productivity, boost innovation and support long-term economic growth if investments are made responsibly and supported by sustainable business models.

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