India Regulatory News

India’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) organized a stakeholder consultation meeting on 22 December 2022 to consider adding 58 chemicals to the BIS compulsory list. Since 2018,...

India’s Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) organized a stakeholder consultation meeting on 22 December 2022 to consider adding 58 chemicals to the BIS compulsory list.

Since 2018, 63 chemicals have been added to the BIS Scheme I or the compulsory list. Out of these 63 chemicals, 25 have been implemented. In 2023, 38 chemicals will be implemented according to various deadlines. Once the chemicals are included in the BIS list, manufacturers, traders, and importers will need BIS certification to be permitted to operate and they must carry the relevant BIS standards specification mark on the packaging and labels of their products.

The 58 chemicals that were discussed at the meeting are regulated under the Rotterdam Convention. Further information on the implementation date of mandatory quality control orders for these chemicals can be expected in 2023. Click here to see the list of 58 chemicals.

On 13 December 2022, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organized a Stakeholders Consultation Meeting with industry associations and manufacturers of Chemical products in New Delhi. BIS Certif...

On 13 December 2022, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organized a Stakeholders Consultation Meeting with industry associations and manufacturers of Chemical products in New Delhi.

BIS Certification is a national standard based on the Bureau of Indian Standards Act established in 2016.  The aims of the BIS Act include harmonious development of the activities of standardization, conformity assessment, and quality assurance of goods, articles, processes, systems, and services.

BIS Certification is required by every manufacturer (Indian or foreign) who is manufacturing products under Compulsory Certification. Currently, 63 chemicals require or will require BIS certification in the first half of 2023. 

In addition to the chemicals previously announced by the BIS, at this meeting, the BIS proposed a list with a total of 93 chemical products that are under consideration for compulsory certification. The list contains a wide range of products from respiratory protective devices, disinfectant fluid, ready mixed paint, cement paint, baby toilet soap, textiles (polyster textured yarns), shoe polish paste, and many others.

A list can be expected to be published after the stakeholders meeting. For further details on BIS compliance, see here or contact GPC at compliance@gpcregulatory.com 

In the upcoming year 2023, the Indian Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) is expected to commence workplace training in the use of international chemical safety cards (ICSCs). A non-bind...

In the upcoming year 2023, the Indian Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC) is expected to commence workplace training in the use of international chemical safety cards (ICSCs). A non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the use of ICSCs was signed on 27 July 2022 between the DCPC and WHO’s International Labour Organization (ILO) during a seminar on the safe use of chemicals at the workplace. On the same day an information note about the cards was published on the DCPC website. 

The safety cards have been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ILO in collaboration with the European Commission.  They will be used to provide workers with concise safety, hazard and health information on chemicals used at the workplace.    

This training program will be carried out with assistance from the ILO, which includes the training  of trainers to ensure the initiative is sustainable for the long-term. The program will be delivered to the industrial workers at all levels. 

The training-language can be the barrier for some workplaces. Even though a full set of safety cards can be accessed in the English language, only some cards are available in two Indian languages-Hindi and Urdu. The translations into other languages will depend on the demand of the Ministry.  

The International Labour Organization will use the DCPC’s network of industry associations to educate workers at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on chemical safety and health risks. It is the plan of the organization to run mock safety drills, conduct participatory risk assessments, and teach staff about the practical applications of the ICSCs. 

In August 2022The Ministry of Transportation and Highways (MoRTH) issued a notification for all goods vehicles used for transporting dangerous or hazardous products.  This notification mandated th...

In August 2022The Ministry of Transportation and Highways (MoRTH) issued a notification for all goods vehicles used for transporting dangerous or hazardous products. 

This notification mandated that all vehicles transporting dangerous or hazardous products must be equipped with a location tracking device, for the vehicles constructed on or after 1 September 2022.  The notification was amended because it has been brought to the attention of the government that vehicles transporting gases such as argon, nitrogen, oxygen, and goods of a dangerous or hazardous nature that do not fall under the purview of a national permit are not equipped with vehicle Location Tracking Devices. 

 
From 1 September 2022 vehicles of categories N2 and N3, in case of new models, and 1 January 2023, in the case of existing models, carrying dangerous or hazardous goods, shall be fitted with a vehicle tracking system device as per the automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 140.

On 24 August 2022 the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published the Battery Waste Management Rule, 2022 concerning the waste battery management in India. The new rule takes t...

On 24 August 2022 the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published the Battery Waste Management Rule, 2022 concerning the waste battery management in India. The new rule takes the place of the Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001. 

The rules were implemented as a transformative step for fulfilling the announcement made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his address to the Nation on Independence Day on 15 August 2021 promoting Circular Economy in full earnest. The rules cover all types of batteries, viz. Electric Vehicle batteries, portable batteries, automotive batteries, and industrial batteries. 

Similar to the concept of Responsibility of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the producers of the batteries are responsible for the collection and recycling of waste batteries and the use of the recovered materials from wastes in new batteries. It also bans disposal of the waste batteries in landfills and incineration. 

The ERP obligation also mandates the producers to engage themselves or authorize any other entity for the collection, recycling, or refurbishment of waste batteries. The rules will enable the establishment of a mechanism and a centralized online portal for the exchange of EPR certificates between producers and recyclers to fulfill the obligations of the producers. 

Online registration & reporting, auditing, and a committee for monitoring the implementation of the rules and taking measures required for removal of difficulties are salient features of the rules for ensuring effective implementation and compliance.  

Environmental compensation will be imposed for non-fulfilment of Extended Producer Responsibility targets, responsibilities, and obligations set out in the rules. The funds collected under environmental compensation shall be utilized in collection and refurbishing or recycling of uncollected and non-recycled waste batteries. 

On 2 November 2022, The Ministry of Heavy Industries of India issued a notice regarding vehicle test criteria to ensure enhanced human safety.  According to the notice the manufacturers claiming g...

On 2 November 2022, The Ministry of Heavy Industries of India issued a notice regarding vehicle test criteria to ensure enhanced human safety. 

According to the notice the manufacturers claiming governmental fiscal incentives under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme and Faster Adoption Manufacture of Electric (FAME) II for vehicles need mandatory testing. 

The new tests will also apply to batteries produced under the PLI for Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC). The ministry also stated that the new test would ensure the quality of the battery at three levels: the battery pack, battery management system, and cell levels. 

The Ministry through the notification introduced certain tests which are performed internationally and will be made mandatory from 1 April 2023. 

The notification has specified six new tests for the cells, which include an altitude simulation test to observe that the batteries do not explode or catch fire when stored at a specified absolute pressure and temperature as well as a temperature cycling test to observe the reaction of the lithium-ion cell after the chamber temperature is raised and is kept at the high temperature. 

In addition, there are five more new tests in total for the battery pack level and 11 new tests for the battery management system. 

In October 2022 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published a draft asking for comments on ‘Ionomer resins for its safe use in contact with foodstuffs pharmaceuticals and drinking water’. The c...

In October 2022 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published a draft asking for comments on ‘Ionomer resins for its safe use in contact with foodstuffs pharmaceuticals and drinking water’. The consultation is open until 6 December 2022.

Plastics are widely used for packing food and pharmaceuticals. Because the polymers in plastic have high molecular mass, are inert, and essentially insoluble in food, they do not pose a toxic hazard even when they come into direct contact with food. It is, however, possible that polymer additives such as monomers, residues from catalysts, or residual polymerization solvents may transfer into food because they have low molecular mass. It is unlikely that acute toxicity arising from plastic materials being in contact with food will occur, but the effects caused by the accumulation of the toxic substances may be serious.

Ionomer resins are very useful for packaging applications because of their superior barrier properties. They are known for their high clarity, ease of fabrication, toughness, and cost effectiveness. Ionomer resins are highly resistant to oil penetrations, have a low sealing temperature, and can be combined with a number of other polymers to give film structures such as nylon/ionomer, HDPE (high density polyethylene)/ionomer, and polyester/aluminium/ionomer.

The BIS draft lists specific requirements, methods of sampling, and testing for ionomer resins used when manufacturing of plastic items that will come into contact with foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, and drinking waters

Some of the requirements listed in the draft are:

• No limits on the proportions of the ionomeric co- and ter-polymers that may be blended.
• The composition of some polymers is limited as follows:

• When pigments or colorants are used for food packaging, they must comply with the limits given in IS 9833.
• The limit for overall migration is 60 mg/kg for solid food and 60 mg/l for liquids. The test methods are given in IS 9845. A limit of 10 mg/dm² is set for containers smaller than 250 ml and for foils and other articles where the ratio between surface area of the material and the quantity of foodstuffs in contact can not be calculated.