IT associations spread awareness on BIS certification

In an attempt to educate IT dealers on the roll out of BIS certified products, effective from July 3, most of the IT associations have launched education campaigns for their members by issuing advisory notice. Delhi based All Delhi Computer Traders Association(ADCTA) has kick started this initiative and asked its members to stop illegal import/purchase/distribution/sale of items, which are not registered with BIS department.

Mahinder Aggarwal, president, ADCTA commented, "ADCTA is an association of computer dealers and therefore in order to protect computer dealers from any legal complication. The association has requested its members and non members to immediate stop import//Distribute/sale/purchase of all items which are covered under the list pertain to above mentioned notification and at the same time not registered/got extension for registration from BIS department."

Swarn Singh, joint secretary, ADCTA said, "In the channel space, there is marginal information about this new notification. In fact many of the dealers are still selling non BIS certified products in the market as they do not have required information about this new policy. We are also asking all the IT companies to give required road map for selling of their products."

It has been verified from the computer market vs. records of B.I.S. department that huge number of items, which are in the list of compulsory registration, are not registered or get extension for registration with B.I.S. import/purchase/distribution/sale of these unregistered items is illegal w.r.t. above mentioned notification. This list include laptop/tablet/notebook, printer, scanner, cordless key board, specific speakerS, ADP ( Personal Computer ) etc.

It has been learnt, only 8 IT and electronic companies have received the BIS certification. However, despite a three-month extension from the original deadline and around 1,500 applications, BIS has registered just one product so far. This massive delay is worrying the industry till no end. Already most of the imported branded products are globally certified before worldwide launches, but these products are being returned by the labs.

Due to operational inefficiency and insufficient labs, many products were not been approved till July 3. Many industry bodies are applied for extension of deadline , so it can create a temporary shortage in near future only.

Similarly Mumbai based Trade Association of Information Technology(TAIT), also member of MAIT, has also started educating its members. Rushabh Shah, president, TAIT said, "We been sharing all the required information which we have been receiving from different sources to our members in this BIS certification."

Some of IT importers feel, this new certification will kill the small time importers and restricted parallel import business in India. As per notification branded PC, Laptop, servers, Networking , wireless products , higher size panes are under BIS compliance as of now , I think later on other PC components will get included, which will create big threat to PC assemblers.