India tightens safety norms to curb low-quality Chinese appliance imports, boost local manufacturing

Kolkata: The government is pushing ahead with measures to curb imports of small consumer appliances and electronic lifestyle items from China by unveiling new stricter product safety norms. This follows recent discovery of poor quality electronic appliances sourced from India’s northern neighbour.

Products such as electrical recliners and furniture, whirlpool bath and spas, electric toilet products, electrically-operated cloth dryers and towel rails, electric beauty products-which run on electricity or battery-will now have to sport the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark showing that they meet enhanced safety norms.

The government’s aim is also to push Indian industry to enhance local production.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the ministry of commerce and industry issued a gazette order on May 19 titled, ‘Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2025’, applicable to all electrical appliances for household, commercial or similar application, including battery-operated appliances. The order is effective March 19, 2026. ET has reviewed a copy of the order.

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Industry executives said the government order follows recent raids by BIS, which found poor quality products sold in the market, including in warehouses of leading online retailers. They said since this is a quality control order, the government has also given a nudge to the industry to start local manufacturing of these consumer products, and build a supply chain similar to other products under BIS quality control orders like footwear, toys and AC. At present, most small appliances are imported.

“It’s a welcome move as it will attract much needed investment into the local manufacturing ecosystem for small domestic appliances which is in line with an ‘Atmanirbhar’ appliances industry,” said Salil Kapoor, chief evangelist at industry body India Cellular and Electronics Association. “It will also benefit consumers in a big way due to standardisation of specifications and quality of small appliances which has become the need of the hour,” he said.

Till now, about 23 electrical products were covered under quality control orders. It includes mixer grinders, ceiling fans, geysers, washing machines, microwave ovens, and induction stoves.

The current order has separate implementation for companies – large companies will have to comply starting March 19, 2026, small enterprises from June 19, 2026, and micro enterprises from September 19, 2026.

While all electronic products have to meet the safety norms, the gazette also gave an illustrative list of products. This includes electrical shavers, hair clippers, electrical frying pans and steam cookers, insect killers, coffee makers, electric can opener, electric citrus fruit squeezer and eggbeater, outdoor barbecues, battery operated products like massagers, foot warmer, heating pad, toothbrush and shavers.

An executive with a leading electronic contract manufacturer said many electrical products sourced from China failed to meet quality and safety norms in the West. They were also not produced as per the laid down specifications.

“The order will help to weed out all these products from the Indian market,” he said.

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