BIS Amends IS 4651 and IS 18385 in 2026: What Businesses Need to Know

The Bureau of Indian Standards has notified amendments to two existing Indian Standards that sit in very different industries.

The first is IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020, which deals with loading under the code of practice for planning and design of ports and harbours. The second is IS 18385:2023, a specification for hot-dip galvanized and galvannealed steel sheet, plate and strip used for automotive applications.

For both standards, Amendment No. 1, September 2026, was established on 3 September 2026. The Gazette further records that the respective standards without Amendment No. 1 will remain in force until 2 March 2027. 

For businesses, the first question is not simply whether BIS has issued an amendment. The real issue is whether either standard is currently being used in a product specification, engineering project, tender, supply contract, certification arrangement or internal technical document.

There is another limitation that businesses should understand from the beginning: the Gazette announces the amendments, but it does not reproduce the detailed technical wording of Amendment No. 1. Exact changes to loading provisions, steel properties, test methods, or other technical requirements cannot therefore be safely taken from this notification alone.

BIS Notification at a Glance

The BIS notification is dated 8 September 2026 and has been issued under Rule 15(1) of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018. It formally notifies that amendments to the standards listed in the Schedule have been established. 

The Gazette itself records 9 September 2026 as the publication date. That date should not be confused with 3 September 2026, which is the establishment date recorded for both amendments. 

What Exactly Has BIS Amended?

BIS has not replaced these two standards with completely new standards. Instead, it has established Amendment No. 1 to each of them.

That distinction matters. An amendment changes or adds to an existing standard. To understand what has technically changed, the amendment document has to be read along with the original standard.

These are the main changes that can be confirmed directly from the Gazette. 

The notification does not contain the amended technical clauses themselves. For that reason, businesses should avoid preparing an old-versus-new technical comparison until the relevant Amendment No. 1 document has been checked.

Which Indian Standards Have Been Amended by BIS?

IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020- Planning and Design of Ports and Harbours

The full title of the first standard is:

IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020- Planning and Design of Ports and Harbours Code of Practice, Part 3 Loading (Second Revision).

The title makes its subject clear Part 3 deals with loading in the context of planning and design work for ports and harbours.

For this standard, BIS has recorded:

• Amendment No. 1 
• amendment month/year as September 2026 
• establishment date as 3 September 2026 and 
• continuation of the standard without the amendment up to 2 March 2027. 

What cannot be taken from this Gazette are the actual revised loading provisions. The document does not list revised load values, combinations, coefficients, design assumptions or structural parameters.

Any engineering team that relies on IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 will therefore need the actual amendment before deciding whether its drawings, calculations or project specifications need revision.

IS 18385:2023 – Automotive Steel Specification

The second standard is:

IS 18385:2023- Hot-Dip Galvanized/Galvannealed Steel Sheet, Plate and Strip for Automotive Applications- Specification.

The Gazette records Amendment No. 1 for this standard on the same timeline: establishment on 3 September 2026, with the standard without the amendment remaining in force until 2 March 2027. 

This standard concerns steel products used for automotive applications, but the Gazette does not tell us what technical requirement has changed.

It does not provide revised information on matters such as:

• steel grades 
• coating mass 
• dimensions 
• mechanical properties 
• chemical composition 
• surface requirements 
• tolerances 
• testing methods or 
• acceptance criteria. 

Those details need to come from the actual amendment, not from assumptions.

The Regulatory Framework Behind the BIS Notification

The notification has been issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards under the Department of Consumer Affairs.

Its opening text expressly refers to sub-rule (1) of Rule 15 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018. BIS then states that amendments to the Indian Standards listed in the attached Schedule have been established. 

What BIS Is Doing Through This Notification

For this document, BIS is formally notifying the establishment of amendments to existing Indian Standards.

The Schedule gives businesses four particularly useful pieces of information:

• Which standard has been amended. 
• Which amendment has been established. 
• The date on which the amendment was established. 
• How long the standard without that amendment remains in force. 

The Gazette does not convert this into a fresh application or licensing process.

Why Rule 15(1) Matters Here

Rule 15(1) is the provision BIS itself cites while issuing the notification.

For a business reader, there is no need to stretch that reference into a wider legal conclusion. What matters here is that the amendments have been formally notified within the BIS standards framework.

Key Dates Businesses Need to Understand

There are several dates in the document. Each one refers to a different event.

Businesses should avoid calling all of these dates an “effective date”. The Gazette itself uses separate columns for the date of establishment of the amendment and the date until which the standard without the amendment remains in force. 

That difference is important when a business is deciding which edition or amendment level should appear in technical documents.

What Does the Period Until 2 March 2027 Mean?

The Gazette records 2 March 2027 as the date up to which the respective standards without Amendment No. 1 will remain in force. 

For business planning, this effectively creates a period in which both the newly amended position and the unamended standard need to be understood carefully.

This time can be used to check:

• whether the standard is actually applicable 
• whether an existing contract names a specific edition 
• whether a customer's specification uses the old version 
• whether internal controlled documents need updating 
• whether certification, if separately applicable, is affected and 
• what the actual Amendment No. 1 changes technically. 

What should not be assumed is that every certificate, licence or product automatically becomes invalid after 2 March 2027.

The Gazette does not say that.

Can Businesses Continue Using the Existing Standards Until 2 March 2027?

The wording of the Schedule is clear that the standards without the amendment remain in force until 2 March 2027.

That gives a clear position at the standards level.

The position for a particular company can still depend on how the standard enters that company's work.

For example, an organisation may be dealing with a:

• tender condition 
• client specification 
• supply contract 
• BIS certification requirement 
• Quality Control Order 
• engineering specification 
• approved vendor requirement or 
• internal technical standard. 

A contract that calls for the “latest version including amendments” may have a different effect from one that expressly mentions a particular edition.

So, while the Gazette gives an important transition date, a business should also check the document that makes the standard relevant in the first place.

BIS Amendment to IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 – What Port and Harbour Businesses Should Review

Relevance to Port and Harbour Projects

IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 deals with loading within the planning and design framework for ports and harbours.

A project team may therefore need to pay attention to where this standard appears in the technical basis of a project.

The first review should be simple: find out where the standard is currently referenced.

It may appear in:

• design basis reports 
• engineering specifications 
• tender schedules 
• drawings 
• consultant requirements 
• EPC contracts 
• project technical manuals or 
• internal engineering standards. 

The Gazette itself does not say that every project using the standard must immediately be redesigned.

Design and Engineering Documents

Once the actual amendment is obtained, the design team can check whether its subject affects current work.

If it does, the review may extend to drawings, calculations, engineering assumptions or project specifications.

That technical decision should come after reading Amendment No. 1. It should not be made from the Gazette summary alone.

Consultants and EPC Contractors

Consultants and EPC contractors may be working from documents prepared at different times.

One consultant may be using a controlled copy of IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020, while another technical document may refer more generally to the latest edition.

This is where document control matters.

Before revising a design, contractors and consultants should establish:

• Which version is currently contractually applicable. 
• Whether Amendment No. 1 changes a requirement relevant to their scope. 
• Whether client or project-authority approval is needed before changing technical documents. 

Project Authorities

Port and harbour authorities may also need to review the technical references used in active tenders and future procurement.

If a tender specifically names the old version, simply replacing it in an issued document may not always be appropriate. The contractual position should be reviewed first.

BIS Amendment to IS 18385: 2023 What Automotive Steel Businesses Should Review

Products Covered by the Standard Title

IS 18385:2023 covers:

• hot-dip galvanized steel sheet 
• galvannealed steel sheet 
• plate 
• strip and 
• automotive applications. 

The Gazette does not break this down into detailed grades or product categories. 

For manufacturers and suppliers, the key task is therefore to determine whether their product specification actually uses IS 18385:2023.

Steel Manufacturers

Steel manufacturers using this standard may need to check:

• current product specifications 
• customer-approved specifications 
• quality plans 
• internal standards lists 
• technical data sheets 
• testing references and 
• contractual product requirements. 

The actual technical amendment should be reviewed before any production or quality parameter is changed.

Automotive Suppliers

Suppliers of steel or steel-based components may have customer documents that refer to IS 18385:2023.

The amendment could therefore matter even where the supplier is not dealing directly with BIS.

A customer may, for instance, use an Indian Standard as part of its own material specification.

That is a contractual or technical relationship and should be reviewed separately from mandatory BIS certification.

Automotive OEMs and Procurement Teams

Automotive OEMs often work through detailed vendor and material specifications.

Where IS 18385:2023 appears in one of those documents, procurement and quality teams should verify:

• the edition currently referenced 
• whether amendments are automatically incorporated 
• whether supplier approval documents need revision and 
• whether the customer or internal quality team has issued updated instructions. 

Again, the Gazette itself does not impose these steps on every OEM. They are practical review areas where the standard is actually being used.

Sector-Wise Impact of the BIS Standards Amendment 2026

This table shows possible business impact. It should not be read as a list of statutory obligations created by the Gazette.

Does This Notification Make BIS Certification Mandatory?

This notification itself expressly creates no new mandatory BIS certification requirement.

That distinction deserves attention because the words “BIS notification” and “Indian Standard” are often treated as if they automatically mean that a BIS licence has become compulsory.

That is not what this Gazette says.

The document establishes amendments to two Indian Standards. It does not separately introduce:

• a compulsory BIS certification clause 
• an ISI Mark requirement 
• a BIS licence application 
• a new registration portal 
• a certification deadline 
• a product-specific application process or 
• a new Quality Control Order. 

An Indian Standard can become compulsory through another legal instrument. Where that happens, the separate instrument has to be checked.

For that reason, businesses looking for BIS compliance consulting should first ask whether the amended standard is actually mandatory for their particular product or activity rather than assuming that certification follows automatically.

Amendment of an Indian Standard vs Mandatory BIS Certification

For manufacturers, this distinction can prevent unnecessary filings or incorrect assumptions about certification.

Does the Notification Introduce a New Registration, Licence or Approval Requirement?

The Gazette does not provide a new registration, licensing or approval procedure.

There is no new information in this notification on:

• application forms 
• application portal 
• registration documents 
• fees 
• inspection procedure 
• factory audit 
• testing application 
• approval period 
• licence validity 
• renewal or 
• certificate format. 

A business should therefore not build a new filing process around this notification alone.

If the product is already subject to a separate BIS certification framework, that framework should be checked independently.

What Has Changed and What Cannot Be Confirmed from the Gazette Alone?

What the Gazette Clearly Confirms

The notification confirms four points that businesses can rely on:

• Amendment No. 1 has been established for two existing Indian Standards. 
• Both amendments are identified as September 2026 amendments. 
• Both have an establishment date of 3 September 2026. 
• The standards without those amendments remain in force until 2 March 2027. 

What Is Missing from the Gazette

The Gazette does not reproduce the technical amendment text.

It therefore does not tell a business exactly:

• which clause has been changed 
• which sentence has been substituted 
• whether a technical table has changed 
• whether any loading value has been revised 
• whether a steel grade has changed 
• whether dimensions have been revised 
• whether testing requirements have changed 
• whether any performance requirement has been added or 
• whether any earlier technical provision has been deleted. 

This is one of the most important limits of the document.

Can an Old vs New Technical Comparison Be Made from This Notification?

A complete technical comparison cannot be prepared from this Gazette alone.

What can be compared is the administrative position.

A technical old-versus-new table should be prepared only after the actual amendment text has been obtained.

Do Businesses Need the Full Amendment Text for Technical Compliance?

For any business that actually relies on either standard, the answer will usually be yes for a detailed technical assessment.

The Gazette tells businesses that an amendment exists. It does not tell them enough to revise a design, product specification or quality parameter.

The amendment may need to be reviewed where the standard is tied to:

• product design 
• engineering design 
• manufacturing specification 
• quality control 
• testing 
• procurement 
• customer requirements 
• contract conditions 
• tenders or 
• certification requirements. 

Obtaining the amendment text should therefore come before making technical changes.

Scope and Applicability

Not every company working in ports, automotive manufacturing, or steel production will necessarily face the same impact.

Actual applicability can arise through different routes.

These can include law, certification, a QCO, tender requirements, customer specifications or private contracts. The Gazette by itself does not answer every one of those questions.

Impact on Tenders, Purchase Orders and Technical Specifications

For many businesses, the immediate issue may be document wording rather than a new government filing.

Consider a tender that states only:

“Material shall conform to IS 18385:2023.”

Now compare that with a document that says:

“Material shall conform to IS 18385:2023, including the latest amendments.”

Those two references may require a different contractual review.

The same issue can arise in:

• purchase orders 
• EPC contracts 
• approved vendor specifications 
• engineering documents 
• quality plans 
• inspection plans 
• material specifications and 
• customer technical requirements. 

Businesses should therefore locate where the standard appears before deciding what needs to change.

What Should Businesses Review During the Period Up to 2 March 2027?

1. Find Every Active Reference to the Standard

Start with current documents, not assumptions. Look for the relevant standard number in engineering, procurement, quality and contract records.

2. Identify Why the Standard Is Being Followed

A business should know whether the standard applies because of:

• a law 
• a QCO 
• certification 
• a tender 
• a customer 
• a contract or 
• an internal technical decision. 

The answer affects what needs to happen next.

3. Obtain Amendment No. 1

This is necessary before carrying out a genuine technical comparison.

4. Compare the Amendment with Current Practice

Technical specialists should check whether the amendment affects an existing design, product requirement, quality parameter or testing reference.

5. Check Customer and Supplier Documents

Where supply chains are involved, both sides should be working from the same version.

5. Review Contracts Before Changing Controlled Specifications

A business should not automatically alter a contractual specification just because an amendment has been issued.

First check whether the contract allows or requires that change.

Standards and Document-Control Actions for Businesses

A standards amendment can easily become a document-control issue.

One department may update its copy while another continues to work from an older technical specification.

Businesses using either standard may therefore want to review:

• controlled standard registers 
• engineering manuals 
• SOPs 
• technical data sheets 
• quality plans 
• test instructions 
• drawings 
• supplier specifications 
• purchase specifications 
• tender documents and 

contract references. 

Any update should be made after confirming what Amendment No. 1 actually changes.

The Gazette does not prescribe an internal document-control procedure, so this is a practical business recommendation rather than a legal requirement created by the notification.

What the BIS Notification Does Not Specify

The Gazette does not expressly specify:

• full Amendment No. 1 text 
• revised technical clauses 
• new BIS licence procedure 
• new certification application form 
• application documents 
• certification fee 
• testing fee 
• factory-inspection procedure 
• certification timeline 
• new penalty 
• licence-renewal requirement 
• compulsory registration date 
• a new QCO 
• product recall requirements or 
• enforcement action after 2 March 2027. 

These points should not be filled in with generic BIS information unless an independent official source actually applies to the particular product or activity.

Compliance Requirements for Businesses

What Is Confirmed

The standards have been amended, and the Gazette provides a date up to which the standards without those amendments remain in force.

What Businesses Need to Determine Separately

The next questions depend on the individual business:

• Does the standard apply to this product or project? 
• Is its use mandatory or contractual? 
• Is there a separate QCO? 
• Is the business operating under a BIS certification scheme linked to the standard? 
• Does the contract require the latest amendment? 
• Does Amendment No. 1 actually change something relevant to the business? 

These questions form the basis of a proper compliance review.

Practical Readiness Checklist Before 2 March 2027

This checklist is meant for practical planning. The Gazette itself does not prescribe these steps as a statutory process.

What Happens After 2 March 2027?

The Gazette says that the standards without Amendment No. 1 remain in force until 2 March 2027. 

That makes the date important for anyone relying on the unamended version.

However, the notification does not spell out a list of enforcement consequences from 3 March 2027.

It does not say that businesses automatically face:

• licence cancellation 
• product seizure 
• recall 
• rejection of all existing stock 
• prosecution 
• customs restrictions or 
• tender cancellation. 

Those consequences should not be added without a separate legal source.

For a business using one of these standards, the safer approach is to resolve the applicable technical version before the coexistence period ends rather than waiting for uncertainty after the date.

Benefits of Reviewing the Amendment Early

Early review gives technical teams more room to work properly.

A business may benefit from:

• finding outdated technical references before they confuse 
• identifying contract issues while there is still time to resolve them 
• giving suppliers enough time to review changed specifications 
• reducing the risk of different departments using different versions 
• planning technical document updates in an orderly way 
• checking whether testing or procurement changes are genuinely needed. 

Early review does not guarantee certification or regulatory acceptance. It simply gives the business more time to understand the change properly.

Challenges Businesses May Face During the Transition

• Obtaining the Actual Amendment

The Gazette does not contain the amendment wording, so technical work cannot stop at the Gazette notification.

• Understanding Whether the Change Matters

Not every amended clause will necessarily affect every business. A port contractor, steel mill, and automotive OEM will look at the amendment from very different angles.

• Managing Several Technical Documents

A standard may be referenced in dozens of internal and external documents.

Finding all of them can take time, particularly on long-running projects.

• Coordinating Suppliers and Customers

A supplier may be ready to move to an amended specification before its customer updates the corresponding purchase requirement. That mismatch should be resolved rather than assumed away.

• Reading Existing Contracts

Some contracts fix the technical standard as it existed on the contract date. Others may incorporate subsequent amendments. The exact wording matters.

Risks Businesses Should Avoid

A few mistakes can make the update appear more complicated than it really is.

• Do not treat 3 September, 8 September and 9 September 2026 as the same date. 
• Do not call 2 March 2027 a universal BIS licence renewal deadline. 
• Do not assume Amendment No. 1 automatically makes BIS certification compulsory. 
• Do not write technical changes that are absent from the Gazette. 
• Do not assume every port or automotive business has the same obligation. 
• Do not change a contractual technical specification without checking the contract. 
• Do not confuse an amendment notification with a Quality Control Order. 
• Do not invent fees, documents, testing requirements or penalties. 

Business and Regulatory Perspective

This notification looks short, but the business effect can vary considerably.

For a port project, the issue may sit mainly with engineering and tender documents.

For an automotive steel manufacturer, it may sit with product specifications, customer approvals and quality records.

For a procurement team, the problem may simply be identifying which amendment level suppliers are expected to follow.

For a compliance team, the first job may be to determine whether the standard is mandatory at all.

That is why a proper review should start with applicability rather than certification paperwork.

Business Opportunities Created by the Update

The amendment may increase demand for specialised technical and regulatory work where companies use either of these standards.

Relevant service areas may include:

• standard applicability review 
• technical amendment analysis 
• document gap assessment 
• specification review 
• supplier compliance review 
• product regulatory consulting 
• technical compliance consulting and 
• transition support. 

This should not be treated as evidence of guaranteed market growth. The commercial opportunity exists only where businesses genuinely need technical or regulatory assistance.

What Businesses Should Do Next

Priority 1: Establish Whether the Standard Applies

Do not start with a certification application.

First determine whether the standard is relevant to the business, product, contract or project.

Priority 2: Find Existing References

Search technical, contractual, quality and procurement documents for IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 or IS 18385:2023.

Priority 3: Obtain Amendment No. 1

The actual amendment is needed for any serious technical assessment.

Priority 4: Carry Out a Gap Review

Compare the amendment with the requirements currently being followed.

Priority 5: Check the 2 March 2027 Position

Understand how the coexistence date affects the specific technical or contractual arrangement.

Priority 6: Update Controlled Documents Where Needed

Do this only after the change has been verified.

Priority 7: Check Separate BIS or QCO Requirements

Where a product is subject to compulsory certification, the relevant legal instrument should be reviewed separately.

How Can Corpseed Help with BIS Compliance and Product Compliance?

A short Gazette notification can still create difficult questions for a business. The standard may be amended, but the business still needs to know whether the standard applies, whether certification is separately mandatory, and what documents need to be reviewed.

Corpseed can support businesses through BIS compliance consulting, product-specific regulatory reviews and related technical compliance services.

BIS Regulatory Applicability Assessment

Before a business starts changing documents or applying for certification, Corpseed can help review the basic applicability position.

The assessment may look at:

• the product or project involved 
• applicable Indian Standard 
• existing regulatory requirement 
• QCO position, where relevant 
• certification framework 
• contractual references and 
• business activity. 

This helps separate a genuine regulatory requirement from a standards update that may only need technical or contractual review.

Product Compliance Services

Manufacturers and suppliers may need help understanding which technical and product regulations apply to their goods.

Through product compliance services, Corpseed can assist in reviewing the regulatory position, relevant standard references and supporting compliance requirements.

The scope should always depend on the actual product rather than using the same BIS process for every manufacturer.

Technical Compliance Gap Assessment

Once the applicable amendment text is available, Corpseed can support a structured comparison between the updated requirement and existing business documentation.

The review may cover areas such as:

• technical specifications 
• internal standards references 
• quality documentation 
• product records 
• vendor requirements and 
• compliance files. 

This helps businesses identify what genuinely needs attention instead of changing documents unnecessarily.

BIS Certification Consulting

Where a product is separately covered by a mandatory or voluntary BIS certification route, Corpseed can provide BIS certification consulting based on the applicable scheme.

This support may include understanding the certification requirement, reviewing documentation and coordinating the relevant application process.

The present Gazette should not itself be treated as proof that certification is compulsory for either standard.

Technical Documentation Review

Technical documents often continue to carry old standard references long after a standard has been revised.

Corpseed can assist businesses in reviewing relevant documents such as:

• product specifications 
• quality records 
• technical files 
• supplier documents and 
• applicable Indian Standard references. 

The review can help identify inconsistent or outdated references that need further technical attention.

Testing and Laboratory Coordination

If a separately applicable certification or technical requirement calls for product testing, Corpseed can support the testing and laboratory coordination process.

Testing should be linked to a verified requirement. It should not be added merely because this Gazette mentions an amendment.

Manufacturer Compliance Services

Manufacturers dealing with regulated products often need to coordinate technical, regulatory and documentation requirements at the same time.

Corpseed's manufacturer compliance services can support businesses in understanding applicable standards, certification conditions and product-related regulatory requirements.

Ongoing BIS and Regulatory Support

Standards are only one part of product compliance.

A business may also need to track:

• QCO notifications 
• later BIS amendments 
• product-specific certification rules 
• implementation dates 
• regulatory extensions and 
• changes to mandatory standards. 

Ongoing regulatory monitoring can help businesses identify these developments before they affect manufacturing or procurement decisions.

Businesses that are unsure whether IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 or IS 18385:2023 affects their operations can use BIS compliance consulting first to establish applicability and then decide what technical or certification action is actually needed.

Key Takeaways

• BIS has notified Amendment No. 1, September 2026, to two existing Indian Standards. 
• IS 4651 (Part 3): 2020 covers loading under the code of practice for planning and design of ports and harbours. 
• IS 18385:2023 covers hot-dip galvanized/galvannealed steel sheet, plate and strip for automotive applications. 
• Both amendments were established on 3 September 2026. 
• The standards without Amendment No. 1 remain in force until 2 March 2027. 
• The Gazette does not reproduce the detailed technical contents of either amendment. 
• This notification does not itself set out a new BIS licence, registration procedure or Quality Control Order. 
• Businesses should first check where these standards are actually used and obtain Amendment No. 1 before making technical changes.