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A set of Bureau of Indian Standards notifications issued in September 2026 has changed the technical reference point for a wide range of products, materials, test methods and industrial activities.
The update is broad. It covers steel testing, iron ore analysis, metallographic examination, engineering components, protective clothing, chemical safety, packaging materials, conveyor belts, agricultural machinery, air pollution measurement, indoor air testing, biodiversity, food testing and other areas.
Most of the notified standards were established on 15 September 2026. In several cases, the older standard has not been withdrawn immediately. BIS has allowed the earlier version to continue alongside the revised standard until 15 March 2027.
A separate amendment notification follows a slightly different timeline. The amendments were also established from 15 September 2026, but the affected standards without those amendments may continue until 14 March 2027, as specifically stated.
For manufacturers, laboratories, importers and quality teams, the real task is not simply to note that “BIS has updated standards.” The first job is to identify which standard applies, what type of change has been made and which transition date actually matters.
| Particular | Details |
| Authority | Bureau of Indian Standards |
| Department | Department of Consumer Affairs |
| Nature of Update | New standards, revised standards and amendments |
| Notification Date | 21 September 2026 |
| Main Establishment Date | 15 September 2026 |
| Main Withdrawal Date | 15 March 2027, where specified |
| Amendment Transition Date | 14 March 2027, where specified |
| Legal Reference | Rule 15(1) of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018 |
| Main Areas | Metals, engineering, safety, textiles, packaging, agriculture, air testing, biodiversity and food testing |
| Likely Stakeholders | Manufacturers, importers, laboratories, BIS licence holders, quality teams and procurement teams |
The Gazette does not treat every standard in the same way. Some have been introduced without any earlier standard being shown for withdrawal. Others are new revisions of older standards. A third group has only been amended.
That difference should guide the compliance response.
The September notifications can be understood under four broad buckets.
1. Completely New Standards
In some entries, BIS has established a standard but has not shown any earlier standard for withdrawal.
For example:
2. Revised Standards
A larger group consists of updated editions replacing older versions.
One clear example is IS 4123:2026 – Chain Pipe Wrenches — Specification (Third Revision). The 2026 version was established on 15 September 2026, while IS 4123:2024, the second revision, is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
Similar transition arrangements appear across standards for metallurgical testing, protective products, engineering components and other sectors.
3. Older Standards Scheduled for Withdrawal
Where BIS has listed an earlier edition in the schedule, that edition may continue for a defined period.
The old version does not automatically disappear on the date the new edition is established.
The notifications clearly state that the earlier standard remains in force concurrently until the withdrawal date mentioned in the schedule.
Amendments to Existing Standards
A separate notification deals with amendments rather than complete revisions. This means the base standard continues, but certain provisions within it have been amended.
That notification covers standards for:
The amendment notification follows a different transition date, which is why it should not be mixed with the full standard revisions.
The notifications have been issued under Rule 15(1) of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018.
BIS uses this framework to notify Indian Standards that have been established and to identify older standards that are to be withdrawn.
The Gazette tables generally show:
This layout makes the transition fairly easy to read once the columns are separated properly.
What needs more care is the question of mandatory certification?
A standard being published or revised does not, by itself, tell a business whether BIS certification is compulsory for that product.
That question normally requires a separate check of the applicable:
This point is especially important for businesses looking for BIS certification services in India, because certification decisions should be based on the actual legal requirement, not merely on the existence of an Indian Standard.
| Type | Simple Meaning | Business Question |
| New Standard | BIS introduces a standard where no earlier version is shown for withdrawal | Does this standard apply to our product or test? |
| Revised Standard | BIS publishes a newer edition of an existing standard | What changed from the earlier version? |
| Withdrawal | The earlier listed standard stops remaining in force after the stated date | Are we still using the old version? |
| Amendment | Certain parts of the existing standard are changed | Does the amendment affect our existing specification or testing process? |
A business should not treat these categories as interchangeable.
A full revision can require a broader technical comparison. An amendment may affect only selected clauses. A new standard may have no transition at all because there is no earlier version to replace.
The September update includes a sizeable set of standards related to metals.
This is one of the areas where technical teams should review the notification carefully because many businesses continue to use standard numbers in purchase orders, test reports and quality specifications for years.
Steel and Iron Ore Analysis
Two newly established standards include:
IS 228 (Part 29):2026
This deals with chemical analysis of steels, specifically the determination of arsenic content through a spectrophotometric method.
IS 1493 (Part 13):2026
This covers the determination of trace elements in iron ores through a plasma spectrometric method.
No earlier standard is shown for withdrawal against these two entries.
Metallographic Specimen Preparation
The notifications also revise several parts of IS 7739.
The series covers preparation and examination of metallographic specimens for materials such as:
Several older editions date back to the 1970s and are scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027. For laboratories and metal-processing businesses, this can affect how material examination is referenced internally.
Fine Grade Palladium
IS 3096:2026 covers fine grade palladium and is the first revision of the earlier IS 3096-1965.
The earlier edition is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
The update is equally relevant to engineering businesses.
Some of the affected standards deal with tools, fasteners, screw threads and conveyor systems.
Chain Pipe Wrenches
IS 4123:2026 is the third revision of the chain pipe wrench specification. The previous IS 4123:2024 continues during the transition and is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
Stainless-Steel Fasteners
The Gazette includes updates under IS 1367 Part 14 dealing with corrosion-resistant stainless-steel fasteners. One part is aligned with ISO 3506-3:2025 and covers set screws and similar fasteners not under tensile stress.
The earlier 2018 edition is listed for withdrawal on 15 March 2027. Another newly established section covers general rules for selecting stainless steels and nickel alloys for fasteners.
Conveyor Belts
The update also contains standards for:
Manufacturers, industrial buyers and testing laboratories using conveyor-belt specifications should check which edition is currently referenced in their quality documents.
Several entries are not product specifications in the usual sense. They are safety codes.
These include:
For carbon disulphide, BIS has replaced the earlier 1970 edition. For calcium carbide, the earlier edition dates to 1973. Both are scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
Businesses using these substances should not read this notification as creating a new factory licence or environmental approval. The notification establishes the technical safety standard. Other permissions and legal controls, where applicable, continue to arise under their own laws.
The BIS update also touches on products used in worker protection.
Protective Gloves
IS 6994 (Part 5):2026, aligned with ISO 374-5:2024, covers protective gloves against dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms, particularly terminology and performance requirements relating to microbiological risks.
The earlier 2021 edition is listed for withdrawal in March 2027.
Heat and Flame Protective Clothing
The Gazette also includes updated standards under IS 17881.
Part 1
This covers measurement of transferred energy using an instrumented manikin.
Part 2
This covers calculation requirements and test cases used in predicting skin burn injury. The earlier 2022 editions of both parts are scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027. For manufacturers of industrial PPE, this is the kind of revision that deserves a closer comparison of the new test requirements against existing laboratory references.
A number of businesses outside heavy engineering are also affected.
Round Paint Tins
IS 1407:2026 introduces the third revision of the specification for round paint tins. The earlier IS 1407-1980 is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
Fibreboard Boxes
IS 2771 (Part 2):2026 covers solid fibreboard boxes. It replaces an earlier 1975 edition after the transition period.
Packaging for Frozen and Canned Foods
IS 7149:2026 deals with master cartons and fibreboard boxes used for export of frozen foods, including canned foods. The Gazette links the new standard with older packaging standards, including IS 7149-1973 and IS 6715-1972, which remain under the transition arrangement until withdrawal. This may be relevant to packaging manufacturers, seafood exporters and suppliers preparing export cartons against Indian Standard references.
The amendment notification should be read separately from the standard-revision notifications.
The six amended standards are:
| Indian Standard | Subject | Amendment |
| IS 277:2018 | Galvanized Steel Strips and Sheets | Amendment No. 3 |
| IS 4409:2023 | Ferronickel | Amendment No. 1 |
| IS 6911:2026 | Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet and Strip | Amendment No. 1 |
| IS 11928:2023 | Man-Made Fibre Roundslings | Amendment No. 2 |
| IS 16709:2017 | PP Woven Laminated Cement Sacks | Amendment No. 4 |
| IS 19103:2025 | Coir Pith Block | Amendment No. 2 |
These amendments were established on 15 September 2026. The versions without the amendments can continue until 14 March 2027.
That gives affected users a transition window to understand what the amendment changes before the unamended version stops remaining in force.
The dates are close enough to be confusing.
They should not be treated as one generic deadline.
| Date | Meaning |
| 14 March 2027 | Date until which specified standards without the September 2026 amendments remain in force |
| 15 March 2027 | Withdrawal date of several earlier standards that have been replaced by revised editions |
For example, an amendment to IS 277:2018 should be handled differently from the transition from IS 4123:2024 to IS 4123:2026.
One involves the incorporation of an amendment.
The other involves migration from an older edition to a new edition.
The latter BIS notification also deals with farming equipment.
IS 9980:2026
This standard cover field performance and haulage testing for power tillers. It replaces IS 9980-1988, which is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
IS 12239 (Part 3):2026
This relates to safety requirements for power tillers. The earlier 1988 standard is also scheduled for withdrawal.
IS 19889:2026
This covers tractor-operated rectangular/square balers, including a test code and recommendations on selected performance characteristics. No earlier standard is shown for withdrawal against IS 19889:2026.
Environmental laboratories and building-product businesses should also review this update.
Air Pollution Measurement
IS 5182 (Part 17):2026 covers measurement of C1 to C5 hydrocarbons in air by gas chromatography. The earlier IS 5182 (Part XVII)-1979 is scheduled for withdrawal on 15 March 2027.
Indoor Air – Formaldehyde and Carbonyl Compounds
IS 17118 (Part 3):2026, aligned with ISO 16000-3:2022, covers determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds in indoor and test chamber air using an active sampling method. The earlier edition is scheduled for withdrawal in March 2027.
Volatile Organic Compounds
IS 17118 (Part 9):2026 deals with determining emissions of volatile organic compounds from building products and furnishings through an emission test chamber method. No earlier Indian Standard is shown for withdrawal for this entry.
Two standards stand out because they deal with biodiversity rather than traditional product specifications.
IS/ISO 17298:2025
This deals with considering biodiversity in the strategy and operations of organisations.
IS 19917:2026 / ISO 17620:2025
This covers the process for designing and implementing biodiversity net gain in development projects. The notification does not show an earlier Indian Standard for withdrawal against these entries. These should therefore be presented as new standards rather than revised standards replacing an older Indian edition.
IS 19824:2026 deals with determination of minerals and trace elements in foodstuffs using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry, commonly referred to as ICP-OES.
This is a test-method standard.
Businesses should avoid reading this entry as an automatic replacement for separate requirements under food law. The Gazette establishes the BIS test method it does not, by itself, say that all food businesses must use this method for every statutory test.
No.
This is probably the most important point for manufacturers and importers reading the notification. A product can have an Indian Standard without automatically being under compulsory BIS certification.
Whether certification is mandatory depends on a separate legal requirement.
Businesses should check whether the product is covered under:
A company seeking BIS certification services in India should therefore start with an applicability review rather than immediately filing an application.
That can prevent unnecessary certification work where no mandatory requirement exists.
| Point | Revision of Standard | Mandatory Certification |
| Main Purpose | Updates technical requirements | Makes conformity legally compulsory |
| Result | New/revised IS edition | Certification obligation |
| Automatic BIS Licence Requirement? | No | Only where legal requirement applies |
| Main Business Task | Compare technical editions | Meet certification requirements |
| What Should Be Checked? | New standard, withdrawal date, amendment | QCO, scheme, product and licence |
A BIS certification consultant can be useful where the technical standard has changed, and the business is unsure whether the change has any effect on an existing certification requirement.
Manufacturers do not need to update every document merely because BIS has published a standards notification. The first question is whether the affected IS number is actually used by the business. If it is, the following areas may need review:
Product Documentation
Check:
Testing
Review:
Purchase and Supplier Documents
Check:
Existing BIS Compliance
Where the product already falls under mandatory certification, review:
Importers need to be particularly careful with revised Indian Standards because product compliance is often checked before the goods enter the Indian market.
However, the September notification alone does not mean every affected product now faces an import restriction.
Importers should check:
Where mandatory certification applies, BIS certification services in India can help the importer or foreign manufacturer understand whether the standard revision affects certification, testing or documentation.
An existing licence holder should not assume that a standard revision automatically requires a completely new BIS licence.
The correct approach is to check:
If BIS later issues product-specific implementation instructions, those should be read along with the standard notification.
A business may require technical adjustment, additional testing or document changes, but this should be confirmed rather than assumed.
Laboratories are one of the groups most likely to notice these changes because many of the updated standards are themselves test methods.
A laboratory may need to check whether:
This is particularly relevant for standards covering:
Businesses dealing with any of the affected standards can use the following sequence.
Step 1: Identify the Relevant IS Number
Do not start with the assumption that the whole Gazette applies. Match actual products, materials, tests and activities with the standards listed.
Step 2: Check What Type of Change Has Happened
Determine whether it is:
Step 3: Check the Older Standard
If an older standard is listed, note its withdrawal date. If the Gazette shows “NA”, do not invent a transition period.
Step 4: Check the Correct March 2027 Date
Confirm whether the business is dealing with:
Step 5: Check Mandatory BIS Applicability
Look separately for:
Step 6: Compare Technical Requirements
Where the old standard is currently used, compare the relevant clauses with the revised edition.
Step 7: Review Test Reports and Internal SOPs
A technically correct product can still face documentation problems if reports quote an obsolete edition.
Step 8: Review Existing BIS Licences
Where certification is already mandatory, check whether BIS has issued transition instructions.
Using an Older Standard After Withdrawal
The most obvious risk is continuing to use the earlier edition after BIS has withdrawn it.
Mixing Different Editions
Procurement may quote one version while the laboratory tests against another.
Missing an Amendment
Amendments can be easier to miss because the IS number itself may remain unchanged.
Assuming Everything Requires BIS Certification
This can lead to unnecessary filing, testing and consultancy expenses.
Assuming Nothing Has Changed
For a product already under compulsory BIS certification, ignoring a revised standard can create technical or documentation issues.
Updating the Standard Number Without Reviewing the Technical Change
Simply replacing “2024” with “2026” in a document is not a proper transition if the new edition changes test requirements or specifications.
| Question | Action |
| Does the standard apply to the product/activity? | Confirm applicability |
| Is it new, revised or amended? | Classify correctly |
| Is an earlier edition listed? | Check Gazette |
| What is the withdrawal date? | Record internally |
| Does 14 March 2027 apply? | Check amendment transition |
| Does 15 March 2027 apply? | Check standard withdrawal |
| Is a QCO applicable? | Verify separately |
| Are test methods affected? | Review with lab/quality team |
| Are purchase specifications outdated? | Review procurement documents |
| Is there an existing BIS licence? | Check product-specific transition |
| Do suppliers use the old standard? | Align technical references |
Waiting until March 2027 can make the transition harder than necessary. A manufacturer may discover late that a supplier still works to the old edition.
A testing laboratory may find that a customer requires the new test method but internal SOPs still refer to the previous one. A procurement team may continue issuing purchase orders against a standard that is about to be withdrawn.
An early review gives businesses time to understand whether any change is actually needed.
In many cases, the result may be a documentation update. In others, the new standard may affect testing, material specifications or product requirements. The value lies in finding that out early rather than assuming either way.
The September 2026 BIS update does not create the same compliance requirement for every business.
Some companies may only need to update their technical references. Others may be dealing with products already covered under compulsory certification. A third group may need to determine whether a Quality Control Order applies in the first place.
Corpseed provides BIS certification services in India for manufacturers, importers and foreign manufacturers that need support in understanding and meeting applicable BIS requirements.
Depending on the product and regulatory position, Corpseed can assist with:
Businesses already holding a licence can also use a BIS certification consultant to review whether a revised standard affects their current product specification, testing references or certification documentation.
The first step should always be to identify the exact product, IS number and applicable legal requirement. That keeps the compliance exercise focused on what is actually required.
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