STANDARDS

India has generally made efforts to match national standards in line with international norms, and most Indian standards are harmonized with ISO standards. Nonetheless, some Indian standards are not matched with international standards, and several recent standards-related regulations have created barriers to trade and posed challenges to expanding US exports in certain sectors. India has also frequently failed to notify the WTO of new standards and allow time for discussions with trading partners prior to implementation.

To facilitate international trade and cooperation, India has plans to harmonize its standards with other countries, and has expressed interest in having mutual standards recognition agreements with U.S. organizations.

Standards Organizations

  • BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards)
    The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body of India responsible for standard development and formulation. BIS is involved with product certification, quality system certifications, compliance, and consumer affairs. It is the policymaker for national involvement in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electro technical Commission (IEC).
  • ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
    The American National Standards Institute advocates on behalf of U.S. standards and conformity assessment system. ANSI is involved with the facilitation process of voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems.
  • NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
    NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the US Department of Commerce promoting the advancement of measurement science, standards, and technology. NIST offers a free, web-based e-mail subscription service that offers an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect your access to international markets.

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