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On April 29, 2025, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MIH) scheduled the first Technical Committee meeting for discussing, among other important agendas, the actions by BIS towards the implementation of Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 (hereinafter referred to as OTR ).
Published on August 28, 2024, OTR directs mandatory certification for a designated list of machinery and electrical equipment (First Schedule). All listed products must demonstrate conformity to the Indian Standards specified under the OTR and bear a standard mark under a license or certificate of conformity (CoC) as per Scheme-X of the Conformity Assessment Regulations. As scheduled, the OTR shall take effect on August 28, 2025.
The Ministry invited several industry associations, councils, organizations, R&D manufacturers along with BIS department to discuss more effective implementation. During the meeting hours, several organizations demand the deferment in the implementation timeline. As OTR covers a wide range of heavy machinery, the fear is that many industry sectors will be impacted by the implementation of this order without adequate time for preparation. There are several reasons recorded for the extension request such as:
Specifications of the exclusion of products already covered under existing QCOs;
Exemptions should be carefully considered for spare parts and components used in specialized machinery, to avoid disruption in industrial and commercial operations;
Request for exemptions for components used specifically for vehicle manufacturing;
Establishment of toll-free numbers or help desk to support the stakeholder during the registration process;
Development of SOPs, FAQ, and transparent guidelines to streamline the process of registration guidelines for testing procedures to understand the complexity of testing methods.
After detailed deliberations, the Technical Committee affirmed its readiness to consider for processing the case to Competent Authority, for suitable extension of the timeline for OTR implementation, initially for at least one year. The Committee also recommended the development of sector-specific FAQs, user manuals, awareness tools by sub-committees to address sectoral concerns and faciliate the focused implementation of OTR.
What is Scheme-X?
Scheme-X is one of the mandatory product certification schemes regulated by Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), which provides a license or certificate of conformity (CoC) allowing manufacturers to continue their activities in India. The license or CoC ensures the quality and safety of products. The Scheme-X covers two broad product categories:
Low - Voltage switchgear and controlgear
Machinery and Electrical Equipment covered under OTR
The compulsory certification for the category of Low-Voltage Switchgear and controlgear has already been implemented in phases with different timelines as notified by the corresponding Quality Control Orders (QCOs). As for the second category related to machinery and electrical equipment, OTR has provided a one-year transition period. This means that the mandatory BIS certification will not apply until August 28, 2025.
