India Regulatory News

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) published a draft policy paper Circular Economy in Electronics and Electrical Sector in May 2021. India is t...

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) published a draft policy paper Circular Economy in Electronics and Electrical Sector in May 2021. India is the third-largest consumer of raw materials produced globally. The electronics and electrical sector consumes various rare earth elements like iron, copper, silver, gold, aluminum, manganese, chromium, and zinc. With the current economic trends, the estimated material to be consumed is nearly 15 billion tonnes by 2030. This policy paper presents India’s ambition to preserve and enhance natural capital, to ensure products’ longer use-life, and to tackle challenges of products’ end of life (e-waste).  

This 48-pages policy paper draws upon existing regulations and policies that can be used as tools to facilitate a smooth transition to the circular economy. It also provides a roadmap for strategies that can be approached across products’ life cycle including raw material acquisition, product design, consumption, collection system, dismantling/recycling, and secondary material usage. This paper also indicates that the committee plans to draft the action plan with key measures across the value chain. On the national level, a National Circular Economy Council (NCEC), a multi ministry-level agency, is proposed to be in charge for promoting the circular economy in India. As a part of this Council, a roundtable with different stakeholders as well as industrial representatives will be invited. 

In a report published by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation in 2016, a circular economy development path in India could create an annual value of ₹14 lakh crore (US$ 218 billion) in 2030 and ₹40 lakh crore (US$ 624 billion) in 2050 compared with the current development scenario. By adopting circular economy approaches, businesses could achieve material cost savings and increase their profits, and could significantly mitigate negative environmental externalities. The foundation selected cities and construction, food and agriculture and mobility and vehicle manufacturing to analyze circular economy opportunities. 

In July 2020, at the EU-India summit, a joint declaration on India-EU Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Partnership was published. The Partnership should support and strengthen cooperation between India and the EU on resource efficiency and circular economy in areas including building and construction, food, garment and textiles, the mobility sector, the Information, and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, renewable energy, circular business and service models, sustainable public procurement and waste management. 

The draft policy paper is available for public comments and suggestions latest by 31 May 2021. 

In early April, the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, India chaired a meeting on implications of Poisons Act (1919) ...

In early April, the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, India chaired a meeting on implications of Poisons Act (1919) in chemical industry.  

One of the issues that brought up in this meeting is the handling of acids and poisons. Currently, the industries that are using a large amount of acid or poisons are under the supervision of local government based on the Poison Act (1919). The supervision has become a challenge when industries increased their use of acids for their end products. Accidents related to processing and storing also become an issue. Experts at the meeting suggest that handling of such chemicals is not sufficient under the current scheme of Poisons Act, and handling/processing of certain acids should even be restricted for industrial use.    

Representatives from the Indian Chemical Council suggest that chemicals of such should be regulated by Indian CMSR, the 5th draft published on August 24, 2020. The Indian CMSR is expected to come into force later this year.   

last update: 2021-04-20

  On January 11, 2021, a stakeholder consultation meeting was organized by Additional Secretary (Chem) to discuss BIS standards of 12 chemicals. Nine of the twelve standards under consider...

On January 11, 2021, a stakeholder consultation meeting was organized by Additional Secretary (Chem) to discuss BIS standards of 12 chemicals. Nine of the twelve standards under consideration are concluded to be made mandatory. The 12 BIS standards that are being considered are:

1. Carbon Black IS 17440:2020 (HS Code 2803 0000)
2. Calcined Alumina IS 17441:2020 (HS Code2818 2010)
3. Anhydrous Ammonia IS 662:2020 (HS Code 2814 1000)
4. 1,3 Phenylenediamine IS 17450:2020 (HS Code 29215120)
5. Pearlescent Pigment (HS Code 3206 1110) coated with Titanium dioxide more than 80%. The BIS standard of Titanium Dioxide is available under IS 411:2020 (HS Code 28230010)
6. Lauric Acid IS 10931:1984 (HS Code 29159090)
7. Acid Oil IS 12029:1986 (HS Code 38231900)
8. Palm Fatty Acids IS 12067:1987 (HS Code 38231900)
9. Rice Bran Fatty Acids IS 12068:1987 (HS Code 38231900)
10. Coconut Fatty Acids IS 12069:1987 (HS Code 38231900)
11. Rubber seed Fatty Acids IS 12124:1987 (HS Code 38231900)
12. Hydrogenated Rice Bran Fatty Acids IS 12361: 1988 (HS Code 38231900)

Summary of individual Standards is as follows:

Carbon Black: After consultation with industry members, Additional Secretary (Chem) required the industry representatives to clearly specify what amendments are needed to be made in BIS standards (IS 17440:2020). He also stressed that Industry should not make a general request that BIS standards have to directly adapt ASTM standards and it is for BIS to decide. A six-week timeline was given to the industry for the same.

Calcined Alumina: AS (Chem) advised opportunities to be provided to stakeholders who have given written comments to BIS for discussion in Technical committees irrespective of if they are members or not of the technical committee. It proposed to take a final position within a month to consider making standard as mandatory.

Anhydrous Ammonia: No inputs were provided by the fertilizer or refrigeration industry, its therefore concluded that discuss this item in the next meeting with representative from Fertilizer and Refrigeration industry.

1,3 Phenylenediamine: After deliberation, the committee decided to make BIS standard mandatory for 1,3 Phenylenediamine.

Titanium Dioxide: No representative from Paint association attended the meeting. AS(Chem) stated that Standard of Titanium dioxide should be made mandatory, keeping in view the human health and environment consideration, and considerable imports and production within India (Titanium dioxide, the main component of pearlescent pigment (higher than 80%)).

Pearlescent Pigment: No representative from Paint association attended the meeting. AS (Chem) directed that BIS can also explore standard for Pearlescent Pigment.

Fatty Acids: Lauric Acid, Acid Oil, Palm Fatty Acids, Rice Bran Fatty Acids, Coconut Fatty Acids, Rubber seed Fatty Acids, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Fatty Acids: The standards for these fatty acids, a chemical commonly used in manufacturing soaps and other similar industries, are old and have been reaffirmed by BIS. The committee has decided to make standards of the above-mentioned Fatty Acid as mandatory.

Source: Minutes of the Stakeholder Consultation Meeting, the Chairmanship of Additional Secretary (Chem), Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, India

Update: 2021-01-21

The Central Government of India in exercising its powers conferred by section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act (2016) prepared the following amendments in the orders that were publis...

The Central Government of India in exercising its powers conferred by section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act (2016) prepared the following amendments in the orders that were published by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals:

1. Pyridine (Quality Control) Order, 2020
2. Gamma Picoline (Quality Control) Order, 2020
3. Beta Picoline (Quality Control) Order, 2020
4. Potassium Carbonate (Quality Control) Order, 2020
5. Sodium Tripolyphosphate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 and
6. Hydrogen Peroxide (Quality Control) Order, 2020

Due to Covid-19 disruptions, the Government of India has postponed the implementation date of these orders from 4th Dec. 2020 to 13th June 2021. 

Safety of Toys has been brought under compulsory BIS Certification as per Toys ((Quality Control) Order from 1 September 2020. The order was notified to the WTO in February this year. For BIS Certific...

Safety of Toys has been brought under compulsory BIS Certification as per Toys ((Quality Control) Order from 1 September 2020. The order was notified to the WTO in February this year. For BIS Certification, toys have classified into two categories: (1) Non-Electric Toys and (2) Electric Toys.

The chemicals and the standards with which they must conform are:

• Acrylonitrile – used in the production of plastics (IS 12540:1988);
• Maleic anhydride – used in the production of plastics (IS 5149: 2020);
• Methyl acrylate – used to manufacture carpet fibres (IS 14707: 1999);
• Ethyl acrylate – a precursor to polymers and other monomers (IS 14709:1999);
• N-butyl acrylate – used in paints, coatings, adhesives, textiles and plastics (IS 14709:1999); and
• Styrene (vinyl benzene) – used as a precursor in the manufacture of polystyrene (IS 4105:2020).

Products containing any of these chemicals will require certification to prove conformity, and companies will need to display the BIS mark (Bureau of Indian Standards) on all packaging.

See more on BIS Certification on Toy

The Union Cabinet ratified ban on seven Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) listed under Stockholm Convention. The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and environment fr...

The Union Cabinet ratified ban on seven Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) listed under Stockholm Convention.

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and environment from POPs, which are identified chemical substances that persist in the environment, bio-accumulate in living organisms, adversely affect human health/ environment and have the property of long-range environmental transport (LRET).

The Cabinet’s approval for ratification of POPs demonstrates India’s commitment to meet its international obligations with regard to protection of environment and human health.

India is finalizing plans to increase the number of chemicals and petrochemicals to be covered by mandatory certification. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, the responsible authority to issue...

India is finalizing plans to increase the number of chemicals and petrochemicals to be covered by mandatory certification. The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, the responsible authority to issue list of products on which mandatory certification is to be required, plans to make 72 chemicals and petrochemical standards mandatory. Within these standards, domestic and foreign companies will be required to obtain permits before they can import, manufacture, or use the affected substances. 

Since 2018 India has notified 29 mandatory standards covering 32 substances to WTO:

• Notification for Phthalic Anhydride, Poly Aluminium Chloride and Caustic Soda (with notification deadline for comments in Feb. 2018, June 2019 and Jan. 2020)
• 21 standards (covering 22 substances) notified to WTO (with deadline for comments of April 2020)
• 5 standards (covering 7 substances) were notified to WTO (with deadline for comments of Sep. 2020)

The purpose is to standardise the chemicals to conform with the harmonised system of coding, which is followed internationally and make it more transparent in order to reduce fake and substandard quality. The Bureau of Indian standards (BIS), the national Standards Body of India, will be responsible for the certifying and enforcing agency for these mandatory standards.