India Regulatory News

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.

The Government of India has on 29 September 2022, extended the date of enforcement of the existing Quality Control Order for Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymers, Maleic Anhydride, Styrene (Vinyl B...

The Government of India has on 29 September 2022, extended the date of enforcement of the existing Quality Control Order for Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymers, Maleic Anhydride, Styrene (Vinyl Benzene), Acrylonitrile, Polyethylene Material, Linear Alkyl Benzene, and Polyester yarns. Producers of this product will now have additional time to obtain Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification for their products.  

The date of entry into force of the existing Quality Control Order for the following chemicals has been extended: 

As per the notifications, producers of these chemicals will now have additional time to secure BIS certification before these Orders come into force. Once these Orders come into force, both domestic and foreign manufacturers of these products will only be able to export/sell in India with a valid BIS license in place. 

To obtain such license, both foreign producers and domestic manufacturers of these products will need to submit an application to the BIS seeking certification. Furthermore, the process of certification will also require physical testing and inspection of the relevant chemicals at the factory premises as well as parallel testing by a BIS-authorized laboratory in India to verify the same. BIS certification is a time-consuming process and therefore it is recommended that interested producers make applications for certification at the earliest in cases wherein Quality Control Orders have been issued and are pending enforcement. 

For the electric vehicle (EV) batteries India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has extended the deadline for implementation of mandatory standards and testing norms.  The testing norms ...

For the electric vehicle (EV) batteries India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has extended the deadline for implementation of mandatory standards and testing norms. 

The testing norms were supposed to come into effect from the 1st of October 2022, However, The Ministry through modifications to certain rules like the Automobile Industry Standards (AIS) Rule 156 and the AIS Rule 039 have now stipulated battery standards and testing norms to come into effect in 2 phases. The first phase is from the 1st of December 2022 and the other components are from the 31st of March 2023, in the second phase. 

In order to ensure that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of EV makers are well equipped to meet standards under the AIS 156 and AIS 039, the ministry stated that implementing new standards and testing norms for EV batteries has been extended. 

The Norms that will be applicable from the 1st December 2022 are the following: 

• The battery management system (BMS) shall be a microprocessor/microcontroller-based circuit. 

• BMS shall be verified for the following safety features: a) Over-charge protection, b) Over-discharge protection, c) Over-temperature protection, d) Overcurrent protection, and e) Short circuit protection 

• The charger shall have: a) charge voltage cut-off to avoid overcharging, b) soft-start function every time the battery is connected for charging, c) pre-charge function to detect deep discharge condition, d) input supply variation (230 VAC +/- 10%) protection, and e) earth leakage detection as per Class 1 of Indian Standards (IS) 12640. 

• Cells used to make batteries shall undergo a minimum 1 cycle of charge-discharge at C/3 current rate. Data of this cycling shall be maintained by the battery pack manufacturer. 

• Sufficient cell-to-cell spacing distance shall be maintained for effective heat transfer from the cell and also isolate the cells in case of thermal runaway in the battery. The inter-cell gap shall be decided based on the type of cell geometry used viz., cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch, and the capacity of the cells. 

• Battery shall have an additional safety fuse or circuit breaker in addition to the features available in BMS. 

• Each battery manufactured shall have a traceability document in which the details of the cells, BMS, and the charger used along with serial/batch number, charge-discharge data values, etc. shall be maintained with the manufacturer. 

• Adequate protection of the cells in case of regenerative braking shall be considered in the design. 

 The Norms that will be applicable from the 31st March 2023 are the following: 

• BMS shall comply with EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) requirements as per AIS 004 Part 3 or AIS 004 Part 3 Rev 1 as applicable at the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) level. 

• This procedure is added to evaluate the ability of the battery to withstand thermal propagation which is triggered by an internal short circuit leading to a single-cell thermal runaway and subsequent thermal propagation and shall not result in fire and explosion of the battery. 

• The manufacturing date of battery cells shall be clearly visible on the cells used to build the battery pack with a clear month and year of manufacture. If the manufacturing date is in the form of code on the cells, then the manufacturer shall print the manufacturing date on the pack and shall maintain a record of the manufacturing date(s) of cells used in the assembly of the pack. 

• Cells used shall be certified as per IS 16893 Part 2 and Part 3 

• Battery must have a pressure release vent provided, to avoid building up of internal pressure and release of gases in case of an internal single cell short circuit. 

• Battery should also have active paralleling circuits for the parallel connection of strings to eliminate circulating currents. These power semiconductor devices used for interconnecting strings will also act as protection/safety switches which will detect any faulty strings and isolate them. They will allow the bidirectional flow of currents to charge and discharge the pack. The parallel strings will get isolated if it is detected to be faulty. Therefore, active paralleling circuits shall be mandatory. 

• Data on critical parameters of the battery pack shall be logged by BMS and the latest data for at least one month shall be maintained. Alternatively, the latest data can be stored on the cloud (remote server) at least for one month. 

The Director General of the Society for Manufacture of Electric Vehicle stated that “they are requesting all the EV battery manufacturers to immediately draw up a plan to implement the new standards as per the policy guidelines so as to ensure that they gear up their capabilities and capacities to ensure sufficient quantities of safer batteries to meet the exponential demand of EVs” 

India’s Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals published the Gazette Notifications for Quality Control Orders (QCOs) of three Chemicals: Trimethyl Phosphite, 1, 3 Phenylenediamine and Rubberseed ...

India’s Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals published the Gazette Notifications for Quality Control Orders (QCOs) of three Chemicals: Trimethyl Phosphite, 1, 3 Phenylenediamine and Rubberseed Fatty Acids. According to the orders, manufacturers and importers should conform to the corresponding Indian Standards and include the Standard Mark under a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) from October 2022 (See table below). The notification for QCOs of these three chemicals were published in April 2022.

Read more on BIS compliance.