Law Updates

Subject

Summary: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has extended the withdrawal dates of two older Indian Standards used in the cement and construction-material testing sectors. The changes were published in the Gazette of India on 16 October 2026, and relate to masonry cement and vibration machines used for casting standard cement mortar cubes. Under the BIS Corrigendum 2026, the withdrawal date of IS 3466:1988, which covers masonry cement, has been revised to 20 March 2027. The withdrawal date of IS 10080:1982, relating to vibration machines, has been extended to 27 February 2028. Both standards were previously scheduled for withdrawal on 20 September 2026. For manufacturers, testing laboratories and equipment suppliers that still refer to these older standards, the revised dates are important. They provide additional time to review the newer editions and decide whether changes are needed in technical specifications, testing procedures or certification records. However, the corrigenda do not automatically extend mandatory BIS certification deadlines or introduce new certification requirements. BIS Corrigendum 2026: Notification at a Glance The October corrigenda amend two entries in a BIS notification originally issued on 23 March 2026. Particular Details Issuing authority Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Department Department of Consumer Affairs Notification type Corrigenda Date of issue 6 October 2026 Gazette publication date 16 October 2026 Original notification HQ-PUB013/1/2020-PUB-BIS (1494) Corrigendum references HQ-PUB-BIS (1622) and HQ-PUB-BIS (1621) Affected Indian Standards IS 3466:1988 and IS 10080:1982 Earlier withdrawal date 20 September 2026 Revised withdrawal dates 20 March 2027 and 27 February 2028 Legal provision cited Rule 15(1), BIS Rules, 2018 Nature of amendment Extension of the withdrawal dates of two older standards These amendments apply to specific entries in the original notification. They should not be treated as a general extension for all products covered by BIS. Why Has BIS Revised the Withdrawal Dates? When BIS revises an Indian Standard, the older edition may remain in force alongside the new edition for a limited period. This allows users to understand the revised requirements, and consider whether changes are needed in their existing technical practices. In March 2026, BIS published a notification establishing several updated Indian Standards. The notification also identified the older editions that would eventually be withdrawn. Two of those older editions were IS 3466:1988 and IS 10080:1982. Their original withdrawal dates were set for 20 September 2026. Through the October corrigenda, BIS has given these standards new withdrawal dates. The notifications do not explain why the extensions were granted. However, from a business-planning perspective, the revised dates provide a longer period during which the older editions remain in force. Manufacturers and laboratories can use this period to review the newer editions, examine their current documents and prepare for any necessary changes. What Has Changed Under the October 2026 BIS Corrigendum? The two amendments concern different standards, and each has its own revised withdrawal date. Masonry Cement: IS 3466:1988 Withdrawal Extended to March 2027 Masonry cement is used in construction work, particularly for preparing mortar used in activities such as bricklaying and plastering. The earlier Indian Standard for this material was IS 3466:1988- Specification for Masonry Cement (Second Revision). On 20 March 2026, BIS established the revised standard, IS 3466:2026- Masonry Cement- Specification (Third Revision). The older edition was originally scheduled for withdrawal on 20 September 2026. Under Corrigendum HQ-PUB-BIS (1622), the withdrawal date has now been changed to 20 March 2027. This means that the 1988 edition remains in force for a longer period alongside the 2026 edition. Manufacturers using the older standard should examine the revised specification and check whether their product documents or quality-control procedures need to be updated. Importantly, the extension does not mean that any separate mandatory certification requirement has also been extended. Vibration Machines: IS 10080:1982 Withdrawal Extended to February 2028 The second amendment extends the withdrawal date of IS 10080:1982, which covers vibration machines used to prepare standard cement mortar cubes for testing. These machines are used in cement-testing laboratories to prepare mortar samples for testing. The extended date gives affected laboratories and organisations more time to review the standard and make any necessary changes. The earlier standard was IS 10080:1982- Specification for Vibration Machine. BIS established its revised edition, IS 10080:2026- Vibration Machine for Casting Standard Cement Mortar Cubes- Specification (First Revision) , on 20 March 2026. The withdrawal of the older edition was initially scheduled for 20 September 2026. Under Corrigendum HQ-PUB-BIS (1621), the new withdrawal date is 27 February 2028. This gives organisations using the older edition more time before its withdrawal. Testing laboratories, machine manufacturers and technical suppliers should still check whether their existing procedures and equipment specifications align with their applicable requirements. BIS Standards Withdrawal Dates: Old vs New The following table explains the changes made through the two corrigenda. Indian Standard Earlier Withdrawal Date Revised Withdrawal Date IS 3466:1988- Masonry Cement 20 September 2026 20 September 2027 IS 10080:1982- Vibration Machine 20 September 2026 27 February 2028 Both revised editions, IS 3466:2026 and IS 10080:2026, were established on 20 March 2026. The October 2026 corrigenda have not changed those establishment dates. Only the withdrawal dates of the older editions have been amended. Which Manufacturers and Businesses Are Affected? The BIS notification is particularly relevant to businesses and technical organisations that use masonry cement standards or vibration machines for cement-testing work. Masonry Cement Manufacturers Businesses manufacturing masonry cement may refer to IS 3466 in their product specifications, testing documents and quality-control systems. The extended withdrawal date gives them additional time to examine IS 3466:2026 and assess whether their existing processes need revision. Manufacturers should also check whether any certification or product-specific requirement applies independently of the standard withdrawal date. Cement Testing Laboratories Laboratories that prepare or test cement mortar cubes may use equipment or procedures referring to IS 10080. The revision is relevant when reviewing equipment specifications, technical procedures and standard references. However, an extended withdrawal date does not automatically change the requirements of an applicable laboratory accreditation or testing scheme. Vibration Machine Manufacturers and Suppliers Manufacturers and suppliers of vibration machines covered by IS 10080 should examine the revised 2026 edition. They may need to review technical specifications, product documentation and customer requirements. The exact changes needed will depend on the differences between the standard editions and the requirements applicable to their equipment. Importers and Procurement Teams Importers and buyers dealing with relevant construction materials or testing equipment should check which edition of the Indian Standard is specified in their purchase orders and technical contracts. The October corrigenda do not introduce a new import licence or registration requirement. Businesses must assess any existing import or product certification obligations separately. Does the BIS Corrigendum Change Mandatory Certification Requirements? There is an important difference between an Indian Standard and mandatory BIS certification. An Indian Standard sets out technical requirements, methods or specifications relating to a particular product or activity. Mandatory BIS certification applies when a relevant legal instrument requires a product to undergo conformity assessment under an applicable scheme. The October 2026 corrigenda deal with the withdrawal of two older Indian Standards. They do not expressly introduce: A new mandatory BIS certification requirement. A new BIS registration process. Additional product certification fees. New technical testing conditions. A new exemption from an existing certification obligation. Businesses should therefore avoid assuming that the revised withdrawal dates automatically change the legal deadlines under any applicable Quality Control Order. Where BIS certification is already required, manufacturers should confirm the applicable standard edition and certification conditions. The withdrawal date of a standard and the deadline for obtaining mandatory BIS certification are not necessarily the same. How Will the Revised BIS Standards Affect Businesses? Although the corrigenda are limited to two date changes, businesses using the affected standards may need to review their existing arrangements. More Time to Review Technical Specifications The revised dates provide a longer period during which the older standards remain in force. Manufacturers can review the new editions and examine how they compare with the specifications currently used in their operations. This may involve checking product requirements, equipment documentation or testing procedures. Changes in Product Documentation Some businesses may still refer to the older standards in internal documents, procurement specifications or technical records. Where necessary, those references should be reviewed. The October corrigenda do not themselves require every business to replace all such documents immediately. The appropriate action depends on the applicable standard, contract and regulatory conditions. Implications for Testing Laboratories Testing laboratories should pay particular attention to IS 10080:2026 if their equipment or test procedures refer to the older edition. A review may help determine whether changes are needed to equipment specifications, calibration-related documentation or laboratory procedures. The actual technical requirements must be checked against the relevant standards and accreditation conditions. BIS Certification Planning Businesses searching for BIS certification services in India should first establish whether certification is compulsory for their products. If certification is required, they may need to assess the applicable standard, testing requirements, documents and certification procedure. The October corrigenda do not replace that assessment. What Should Businesses Do Before the Revised Withdrawal Dates? Manufacturers, suppliers and laboratories should use the extended period to understand the requirements relevant to their operations. The following steps can help businesses prepare. Check the applicable Indian Standard: Identify whether your business uses IS 3466:1988 or IS 10080:1982. If neither standard is relevant, these particular amendments may not affect your operations. Review the latest edition: Examine IS 3466:2026 or IS 10080:2026, as applicable. Compare the revised edition with the standard currently referenced in your technical documents. Check existing BIS certification requirements: Determine whether the relevant product is subject to mandatory certification under a separate legal requirement. Do not rely only on the withdrawal-date notification. Review product and testing documents: Check product specifications, laboratory procedures, supplier requirements and technical records for references to the previous editions of the standard. Update compliance plans: Note the date on which the old standard will be withdrawn and decide what changes need to be made before that date. Check later official notifications: Before making final decisions, verify whether BIS has issued further amendments, or guidance affecting the relevant standard. These steps are practical recommendations. They are not additional mandatory procedures introduced by the October corrigenda. What Happens After the Revised BIS Withdrawal Dates? Once an older Indian Standard reaches its notified withdrawal date, businesses should not assume that it continues to have the same status as a current Indian Standard. For IS 3466:1988, the revised withdrawal date is 20 March 2027. For IS 10080:1982, the revised withdrawal date is 27 February 2028. Businesses should review whether the newer editions need to be reflected in technical documentation, testing arrangements or product specifications. The effect on existing certification, contracts or approvals will depend on the requirements governing those arrangements. The October corrigenda do not state that all products previously made or tested under the older editions will become illegal after withdrawal. Any legal consequences must be established under the applicable law or certification conditions. How Can Corpseed Help with BIS Certification and Compliance? For manufacturers and importers, understanding which BIS requirements apply to a product can be difficult, particularly when standards are revised or official notifications change. A business may need to determine whether its product requires mandatory BIS certification, which Indian Standard applies and what documents or testing requirements are relevant. Corpseed offers compliance-related assistance for businesses dealing with BIS certification requirements. Depending on the product and applicable scheme, relevant assistance may include: BIS Certification Services: Guidance on the certification requirements applicable to a product. BIS Certification for Manufacturers: Support with understanding the relevant certification route and application requirements. BIS Registration Assistance: Help with applicable registration procedures, and supporting documentation. BIS Testing Coordination: Assistance in understanding, and coordinating relevant product testing arrangements. BIS Compliance Consultancy: Support in reviewing applicable notifications, standards and certification-related requirements. Businesses should confirm the applicable legal requirement before beginning a certification application. Professional assistance may support the process, but it does not replace official approval or guarantee certification. Need Help with BIS Certification in India? If your business manufactures or imports products that may fall under BIS requirements, identifying the correct standard and certification process is an important first step. Corpseed can help you explore relevant BIS certification and compliance services based on your business requirements. Contact Corpseed for BIS certification assistance. Website: www.corpseed.com Phone: +91 75586 40644 Key Takeaways The BIS Corrigendum 2026 changes the withdrawal dates of two older Indian Standards used in the cement and construction-material testing sectors. IS 3466:1988, relating to masonry cement, will now be withdrawn on 20 March 2027. IS 10080:1982, covering vibration machines, has a revised withdrawal date of 27 February 2028. Both newer standards were established on 20 March 2026, and the October corrigenda do not change that fact. The amendments do not introduce a general extension of mandatory BIS certification deadlines. Manufacturers, equipment suppliers and testing laboratories should check the standards referenced in their documents and review any separately applicable certification or technical requirements before the relevant withdrawal dates.

Subject

Summary: The Central Government has notified 51 Government-Approved Test Centre (GATC) entries for the verification of weighing and measuring instruments in India. Issued on 13 October 2026, Notification S.O. 5620(E) identifies testing centres authorised to verify instruments such as weighing machines, gas meters, energy meters, clinical thermometers, breath analysers and other measuring equipment. The notification provides the name and address of each centre, its approval certificate number, the instruments covered and the date until which the approval is valid. For manufacturers, equipment suppliers and businesses using regulated measuring instruments, the list provides an official reference for identifying suitable verification centres. However, the notification does not require every business to obtain a new Legal Metrology licence . It concerns the recognition of testing centres under an existing regulatory framework. Legal Metrology Notification 2026: Key Details The Department of Consumer Affairs issued the notification under Section 24(3) of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, read with Rule 4(1) and Rule 13(3) of the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013. The following table brings together the important details. Particulars Details Issuing authority Department of Consumer Affairs Ministry Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Notification number S.O. 5620(E) Notification date 13 October 2026 Gazette publication 15 October 2026 Applicable legislation Legal Metrology Act, 2009 Relevant rules Government Approved Test Centre Rules, 2013 Number of notified entries 51 Geographic coverage 13 states and Delhi Instrument categories Weighing instruments, meters, measuring devices and specified medical instruments Certificate validity 23 December 2026 to 28 June 2027, depending on the entry Nature of notification Recognition of specified Government-Approved Test Centres The 51 entries should not be mistaken for 51 separate physical testing centres. A single organisation may hold more than one approval for different types of instruments. This distinction is particularly important when examining the certificate numbers listed in the Gazette. Understanding Government-Approved Test Centres Under Legal Metrology What Is a Government-Approved Test Centre? A Government-Approved Test Centre is an organisation recognised under the Legal Metrology framework to verify specified categories of weights and measuring instruments. Verification is the regulatory process used to establish whether an instrument meets the applicable Legal Metrology requirements. This matters in commercial activities where the measured quantity determines how goods or services are supplied, priced or billed. A general calibration report and statutory Legal Metrology verification are not necessarily the same thing. The applicable rules determine what kind of verification is required and who may conduct it. What Does the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 Require? Section 24 of the Legal Metrology Act deals with verification and stamping of weights and measures. Subject to its conditions, Section 24(1) requires verification before certain weights and measures are used or likely to be used in transactions or for protection. The law also provides for the recognition of Government-Approved Test Centres. The practical question for a business is therefore not simply whether it owns a weighing machine or measuring device. It must establish whether the instrument falls within the regulated category and whether its use brings it within the applicable verification requirements. What Changed Under the 2025 and 2026 GATC Amendments? The October notification should be read alongside earlier changes to the GATC Rules. The Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Amendment Rules, 2025 amended Rule 3(1) to allow instruments specified in the First Schedule to be verified either by a Government-Approved Test Centre or by Legal Metrology officers. A further amendment dated 8 May 2026 substituted the First Schedule, setting out the instruments covered under the GATC framework. The Second Amendment Rules, dated 17 June 2026, separately revised the fee payable when a Government-Approved Test Centre renews its recognition. The prescribed renewal fee is ₹10,000 for one year in respect of each equipment. These are separate regulatory developments. The October 2026 notification itself identifies approved testing centres; it does not introduce those earlier amendments. What Has the Government Notified Under S.O. 5620(E)? The Gazette provides a detailed list of Government-Approved Test Centres, but the most important information is found in three parts of each entry: the certificate number, the instrument covered and the validity date. Approval Is Linked to a Particular Instrument A testing organisation may be approved for one or several categories of equipment. For instance, the Gazette lists Yadav Measurements Private Limited, Rajasthan, under two separate certificate numbers: IND/GATC/RJ/25/03 - Gas meters. IND/GATC/RJ/25/04 - Energy meters. Both entries carry a validity date of 23 December 2026. The separate approvals show why businesses should check the specific instrument category instead of relying only on the testing centre's name. One Testing Centre May Have Multiple Certificates Another example is TestLa Testing Centre Private Limited, located in Navi Mumbai. The Gazette lists separate approvals for sphygmomanometers, clinical thermometers, non-automatic weighing instruments and weights. The four entries have different certificate numbers, although they refer to the same organisation and location. This is why the number of approvals should not be presented as the number of unique testing facilities. Approval Validity Is Also Specified The notification records the expiry date associated with each approval entry. Businesses should check that the relevant approval covers the instrument they wish to have verified and that its validity has not expired. A later renewal or amendment may affect the current status. The October Gazette alone cannot establish a centre's approval status beyond its listed date. Which Weighing and Measuring Instruments Are Covered? The notification covers equipment used in different industries, from commercial weighing operations to gas measurement and medical applications. The following categories appear in the Gazette. A. Non-Automatic Weighing Instruments These are weighing instruments that require an operator's intervention during the weighing process. The Gazette includes approvals for: Non-automatic weighing instruments of Accuracy Class III, up to 150 kg. Non-automatic weighing instruments of Accuracy Class IIII. The accuracy class and maximum capacity matter because an approval for one class or capacity should not be treated as an approval for every weighing instrument. Manufacturers, dealers and businesses using regulated weighing equipment should check the exact specification of the instrument concerned. B. Gas, Water, Energy and Flow Meters Several entries relate to equipment used to measure gas, water, energy or fluid flow. These instruments may be used in utilities, manufacturing facilities, industrial processes and other measurement-dependent activities. The Gazette separately identifies centres authorised for: Gas meters. Water meters. Energy meters. Flow meters. A testing centre approved for gas meters is not automatically approved for all other meter types. C. Clinical Thermometers and Sphygmomanometers The notification includes centres approved for verification of certain medical measuring instruments. Clinical thermometers measure body temperature, while sphygmomanometers are used to measure blood pressure. Accurate readings are particularly important in healthcare. However, inclusion in this Legal Metrology notification does not mean that the government has introduced a new CDSCO registration requirement. Medical-device compliance and Legal Metrology verification are separate regulatory matters that may both need consideration, depending on the product. D. Tape Measures, Speed Meters and Rail Weighbridges The Gazette also covers instruments used for length measurement, vehicle-speed measurement and railway weighing activities. These include tape measures, speed meters for vehicles and automatic rail weighbridges. E. Breath Analysers and Standard Weights Breath analysers and standard weights also feature in the notified approvals. The exact scope differs by certificate. For example, one entry covers weights of all categories up to 20 kg, while other entries use broader category descriptions. Businesses should retain these distinctions when checking a test centre's approval. Instrument-Wise Summary Instrument Examples of Relevant Business Activities Non-automatic weighing instruments Trading, manufacturing, industrial weighing and regulated retail activities Standard weights Weighing and measurement-related operations Gas meters Gas distribution and industrial gas measurement Water meters Water supply and consumption measurement Energy meters Electricity measurement Flow meters Industrial flow measurement Clinical thermometers Healthcare temperature measurement Sphygmomanometers Healthcare temperature measurement Breath analysers Breath-analysis applications Tape measures Breath-analysis applications Vehicle speed meters Vehicle-speed measurement Automatic rail weighbridges Railway load weighing The table illustrates possible areas of use. It does not mean every organisation in these sectors automatically has a new obligation under the October notification. State-Wise Government-Approved Test Centres in India The Gazette covers 51 approval entries across 13 states and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Maharashtra has the highest number of entries in this particular notification, followed by Gujarat and Haryana. The distribution is as follows. State / UT Approval Entries Examples of Covered Instruments Maharashtra 12 Gas meters, weighing instruments, breath analysers, medical measuring instruments Gujarat 6 Gas meters, weighing instruments, thermometers, sphygmomanometers Haryana 6 Tape measures and weighing instruments Uttar Pradesh 5 Weighing instruments, gas meters, flow meters, vehicle speed meters Tamil Nadu 5 Weighing instruments and weights Delhi 4 Energy meters, gas meters and water meters Andhra Pradesh 4 Weighing instruments and weights Rajasthan 3 Gas meters and energy meters Punjab 1 Tape measures Chhattisgarh 1 Breath analysers Kerala 1 Weighing instruments Odisha 1 Automatic rail weighbridges Himachal Pradesh 1 Weighing instruments Telangana 1 Weighing instruments Total 51   These numbers relate only to the approvals appearing in S.O. 5620(E). They are not a complete count of every Government-Approved Test Centre operating in India. Approved Test Centres in Maharashtra Maharashtra accounts for 12 entries covering several instrument categories. Among the organisations listed are Green Globe Fuel Solutions Private Limited, Pietro Fiorentini DB India Private Limited, Weighcal Metrology Services Private Limited, TestLa Testing Centre Private Limited and Qualilab Industries Private Limited. The range of approved instruments includes gas meters, weighing equipment, clinical thermometers, sphygmomanometers and breath analysers. Approved Test Centres in Gujarat Gujarat has six entries, including approvals associated with Axpert Enterprise, Smartmeters Technologies Private Limited, Divy Calibration and Testing Center Private Limited and Flow Metering Technology Private Limited. The notified categories include gas meters, weighing instruments and certain medical measuring instruments. Approved Test Centres in Haryana Haryana also accounts for six approval entries. The list includes Midas Touch Metalloys Private Limited, Yorker Engineering Private Limited, Saini Scales and Precision Electronic Instruments Co. Precision Electronic Instruments Co. has separate entries for tape measures and two categories of non-automatic weighing instruments. Approved Test Centres in Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh has five entries involving weighing instruments, vehicle speed meters, gas meters and flow meters. The named organisations include CIVA Industrial Solutions, Bhaskar Scale Engineering, Pulenergy Metrovis India Private Limited and Rockwin Flowmeter India Private Limited. Rockwin Flowmeter India Private Limited appears under separate approvals for gas meters and flow meters. Why the State-Wise List Matters A business may prefer a verification provider located within a practical distance of its operations. However, the closest centre is not necessarily the right one. Instrument coverage, approval conditions and certificate validity remain important. The complete Gazette table should therefore be checked before making a final selection. Government-Approved Test Centre Certificate Validity: Important Dates The approvals listed in the notification do not all expire on the same date. The earliest validity date is 23 December 2026, while the latest is 28 June 2027. Approval Validity by Period Period Gazette Entries 23 December 2026 Entries 1–12 March 2027 Entries 13–15 April 2027 Entries 16–38 May 2027 Entries 39–42 June 2027 Entries 43–51 The exact expiry date should always be checked against the individual approval. Does the Certificate Expiry Date Apply to Every Business? No. These are validity dates associated with Government-Approved Test Centre authorisations. They should not be interpreted as deadlines requiring all manufacturers, dealers or commercial establishments to complete verification by those dates. Verification obligations and their timing must be determined separately under the applicable Legal Metrology provisions. What Should Businesses Check Before an Approval Expires? Before relying on a listed test centre, it is sensible to confirm: Certificate identity: Whether the certificate number matches the centre and instrument. Instrument coverage: Whether the approval extends to the exact instrument category and relevant capacity or accuracy class. Validity: Whether the approval covers the intended verification date. Current status: Whether any renewal, amendment or subsequent notification affects the approval. The Gazette provides the starting information, but businesses should use current official records when confirmation is required. Who Should Pay Attention to the Legal Metrology Notification 2026? Not every business will be directly affected by the publication of the new list. Its practical relevance depends on the equipment involved and the activity for which it is used. Manufacturers of Weighing and Measuring Instruments Manufacturers dealing with regulated measuring instruments may need to arrange verification under the applicable law. The Gazette helps identify recognised centres for particular categories, but it does not replace the rules governing manufacturing, model approval or verification. Businesses should also check whether they require a separate Legal Metrology manufacturer licence. Dealers and Suppliers of Measuring Equipment Dealers and suppliers may need to understand the verification status of regulated instruments and any applicable licensing requirements. Where an instrument requires statutory verification, the relevant authority and permitted verification arrangements should be confirmed. Businesses Using Regulated Measuring Instruments Businesses using weighing machines, meters or other measuring equipment for regulated purposes should determine whether their instruments are subject to verification. The October notification may assist them in identifying an approved centre where appropriate. Testing and Calibration Organisations Testing laboratories and calibration businesses should distinguish between their technical capabilities and statutory recognition under the GATC Rules. Only the instrument categories and conditions covered by an approval should be treated as falling within its notified scope. Does the Notification Introduce a New Legal Metrology Licence or Registration Requirement? This is an important distinction for businesses. Notification S.O. 5620(E) does not introduce a new general licence or registration requirement for manufacturers, traders, importers or instrument users. Its purpose is to notify Government-Approved Test Centres. Businesses may still have existing obligations under other Legal Metrology provisions, but those obligations should not be described as new requirements introduced by this particular Gazette. Legal Metrology Verification and Registration Are Different The terms are sometimes used together, but they address different regulatory matters. Requirement What It Concerns Relationship to October 2026 Notification Weights and measures verification Checking regulated measuring instruments under applicable requirements The Gazette identifies approved centres for specified instruments Government-Approved Test Centre recognition Approval of an organisation to conduct specified verification activities Directly relevant Legal Metrology manufacturer, dealer or repairer licence Licensing requirements applying to specified business activities Governed separately LMPC registration Registration requirements concerning applicable pre-packaged commodities Not introduced or amended by this notification Model approval Approval requirements for applicable models of measuring instruments Governed separately Can Legal Metrology Officers Verify Instruments? The 2025 GATC Amendment Rules amended Rule 3(1) to provide for verification of First Schedule instruments by Government-Approved Test Centres or Legal Metrology officers. Businesses should therefore examine the applicable verification route rather than assuming that the October Gazette requires them to use only the listed testing organisations. Have Verification Fees Increased Under This Notification? S.O. 5620(E) does not itself introduce new verification fees. Earlier amendments to the GATC Rules address certain verification fees and recognition-renewal fees separately. For example, the June 2026 Second Amendment Rules prescribe ₹10,000 for renewal of a GATC's recognition for one year in respect of each equipment. That amount concerns the renewal of a test centre's recognition. It should not be described as a universal verification charge payable by all businesses. How to Choose an Appropriate Government-Approved Test Centre Selecting a testing centre should involve more than checking its name or location. Businesses can review the following points before arranging verification. Confirm the Correct Instrument Category Start with the technical description of the instrument. For weighing equipment, identify the applicable accuracy class and capacity. For meters and specialised instruments, check that the centre's approval specifically covers the relevant category. Check the Approval Certificate Match the approval certificate number against the official Gazette entry. Where one organisation holds several approvals, identify the certificate corresponding to the relevant instrument. Verify the Centre's Location Check the name and address recorded in the approval. This is particularly important where an organisation operates at multiple premises or has different offices and laboratory locations. Review the Approval Validity Check the expiry date and confirm whether later official information has changed the status. A centre's continued business operation does not, by itself, establish that every earlier statutory approval remains valid. Check the Applicable Verification Route Businesses should determine whether the instrument can be verified through a Government-Approved Test Centre or Legal Metrology officers, taking the governing rules into account. These checks are practical safeguards. The October notification does not establish a separate application process for businesses selecting a centre. What Does the Notification Mean for Manufacturers and Other Businesses? The value of the October notification lies in the specific information it makes available. Greater Clarity About Instrument Coverage The Gazette records which organisations have approvals for particular instrument categories. This can help manufacturers and equipment suppliers avoid treating all testing providers as interchangeable. Better Planning for Verification Arrangements Businesses dealing with regulated measuring equipment can use the information when reviewing possible verification arrangements. That may be useful where a product has specific technical characteristics or only certain approved centres cover its category. Importance of Checking Certificate Validity The separate expiry dates are worth paying attention to. A centre that appears in the Gazette may require a later approval or renewal before it can be relied upon for verification after the listed date. Continued Need for Broader Legal Metrology Compliance The notification does not replace other applicable requirements. Manufacturers, dealers, repairers and importers should still assess whether they need separate licences, registrations, approvals or declarations under the relevant Legal Metrology rules. This is where a wider compliance review may be useful, particularly for businesses handling several product categories. What Should Businesses Do After the October 2026 Notification? There is no new general application deadline created by the notification. Businesses should instead use the published information to review their existing arrangements. The following checklist can help. A. Review the Instruments Used or Supplied Identify the relevant instruments and record their technical details. For weighing equipment, note the accuracy class and maximum capacity where applicable. B. Confirm Whether Verification Is Required Check the Legal Metrology Act and applicable rules to understand whether the instrument and its intended use fall within verification requirements. Do not rely on the October notification alone to establish a legal obligation. C. Check the Appropriate Verification Authority Where verification is required, establish the permitted verification route. The applicable framework may provide for verification through Legal Metrology officers or a Government-Approved Test Centre. D. Match the Instrument With a Notified Approval Check the centre's approval certificate number, authorised instrument category, location and validity date. E. Maintain Applicable Records Keep the verification records, licences and supporting documentation required under the relevant provisions. Any statutory record-retention requirement should be established from the applicable law rather than assumed from the Gazette list. F. Review Separate Registration and Licensing Requirements Businesses involved in manufacturing, repairing, dealing in or importing regulated products should assess whether separate Legal Metrology registration or licensing provisions apply. This assessment is independent of the October test-centre notification. How Corpseed Can Help With Legal Metrology Registration and Compliance A Government-Approved Test Centre notification may answer where a particular instrument can be verified, but it does not resolve every Legal Metrology question a business might have. Manufacturers and suppliers may also need to understand licensing, verification, model approval or other requirements relevant to their activities. Corpseed offers Legal Metrology registration services and related regulatory assistance for businesses dealing with applicable compliance requirements. Legal Metrology Registration Services for Manufacturers and Dealers Businesses manufacturing, dealing in or repairing regulated weights and measures may be required to obtain relevant licences under applicable rules. Corpseed can assist businesses with understanding and preparing for relevant Legal Metrology registration or licensing requirements within its service scope. Legal Metrology Compliance Services Businesses dealing with several categories of measuring instruments may need to assess which obligations apply to each activity. Professional compliance assistance can help clarify the relevant registrations, approvals and documentation requirements. LMPC Registration Services for Importers Importers of applicable pre-packaged commodities may have separate registration obligations under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. Corpseed also provides assistance through its LMPC Certificate for Import service. However, an LMPC certificate should not be confused with a weighing-machine verification certificate or Government-Approved Test Centre recognition. Need Legal Metrology Assistance? If your business manufactures, imports, supplies or deals with regulated measuring instruments, understanding the correct Legal Metrology requirements is important. Contact Corpseed for assistance with applicable Legal Metrology registration, licensing and regulatory documentation requirements. Key Takeaways The October 2026 Legal Metrology notification provides an official list of Government-Approved Test Centre approvals for specified measuring instruments. It contains 51 approval entries across 13 states and Delhi, with separate certificate numbers, instrument categories and validity dates. For businesses, the key point is to match the instrument with an appropriately approved centre and confirm the current validity of that approval. The notification does not create a new general registration deadline, and it should not be confused with separate requirements for Legal Metrology licensing, model approval or LMPC registration. Businesses should continue to assess their existing obligations under the Legal Metrology Act and applicable rules.

Subject

Summary: Online businesses in India must get ready for a set of new consumer protection rules. The Central Government amended the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 through the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, which would come into effect from 1 January 2027. The amendment covers a number of elements that feature in a daily online transaction for consumers. These include the procedure for the platform’s identification, complaints handling process, presentation of the imported goods, sponsored results’ disclosure, discounts’ indication, invoice seller name format, as well as description of the marketplace’s ranking mechanism. There is also a strong digital-design angle. E-commerce entities will have to comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, perform a self-audit annually and display a certificate that the platform is dark-pattern-free. Besides, marketplace entities will also be subject to new provisions concerning consumer information and bundled fees.  For businesses, the work is unlikely to stop at revising a legal policy. Search systems, seller onboarding, pricing databases, customer-support workflows, invoice formats, UX design and advertising placements may all need review. The Regulatory Framework Consumer Protection Act, 2019 The legal foundation comes from the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. The notification refers to the Central Government's powers under section 101 of the Act for making these amendments.  For an online business, the practical point is simple: these are consumer-protection rules. They deal with the information and experience offered to a consumer when goods or services are searched, promoted, bought, invoiced or complained about. Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 The 2020 Rules continue to constitute the central e-commerce consumer-protection framework. The 2026 amendment modifies certain provisions of those rules: some prior clauses have been substituted with new formulations, and several requirements have been newly inserted. Accordingly, in the case of substitution, businesses must rely on the new formulation upon its commencement, and in the case of insertion, the amendment creates an additional explicit requirement of compliance with the new formulation. Other Laws and Guidelines Referred to in the Amendment The Gazette also links some provisions to existing regulatory requirements. Like: country-of-origin information refers to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011,  food-related best-before and use-before information remains subject to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and its regulations, and  dark-pattern compliance is expressly linked to the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.  Businesses should read the cross-references carefully and not assume that the 2026 amendment includes all the requirements on its own. Who Will Be Affected by the E-Commerce Amendment Rules, 2026? The first inquiry a business should make is: what role are we playing in the transaction? The response will determine which aspects of the amendment require closer examination. Stakeholder Main Areas to Review E-commerce entities Entity disclosure, grievance handling, imported goods, NCH participation, sponsored listings, discounts, invoices and dark patterns Marketplace e-commerce entities Seller information, ranking, consumer-information restrictions and bundled fees Marketplace sellers Product information, seller data, pricing information and government-issued identification details Inventory e-commerce entities Consumer-facing information about returns, refunds, product life, warranty, shipping, payments and grievance redressal Imported-goods sellers Importer details and country-of-origin information MSME sellers Seller master data, applicable registration information, product disclosure and pricing records E-Commerce Entities A variety of obligations are worded as “every e-commerce entity.” These firms must give special attention to: their own legal and contact information, consumer grievance handling, imported-goods disclosures, National Consumer Helpline participation, sponsored listings, price-reduction displays, invoice presentation, and dark-pattern compliance.  Marketplace E-Commerce Entities Marketplace operators are responsible for additional obligations because they facilitate transactions between consumers and third-party sellers. Their review needs to go beyond ordinary website information. Seller profiles, ranking systems, use of collected consumer information and fee structures are also covered by the amendment. Sellers on Online Marketplaces Sellers will require correct information on the business and products, such as: country of origin, best-before or use-before date, return and refund information, exchange conditions warranty and guarantee,  delivery and shipment,  cost of return shipping, and  payment modes.  Inventory E-Commerce Entities The amendment also revises information requirements for inventory e-commerce entities. Accurate information concerning return, refund, exchange, product-life dates, warranty, delivery, return shipping, payment and grievance redressal remains important.  MSME and Small Online Sellers Small sellers should not interpret the reference to an MSME registration number as a new mandatory MSME registration requirement. The amendment makes reference to identification numbers issued by the Central Government, which include GSTIN or MSME registration number. It does not intend to say that every seller shall obtain MSME registration merely because that number is mentioned. What Has Changed Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Amendment Rules, 2026? The amendment is broad because it covers various aspects ranging from the discovery of a product to addressing complaints after purchase. Compliance Area What the 2026 Amendment Does What Businesses Need to Look At Ranking Replaces the definition of ranking How products and sellers receive prominence Entity disclosures Requires specified legal and contact information Website/app disclosure pages Complaints Sets acknowledgement and redressal requirements Complaint-management systems Imported goods Requires importer and origin details Product catalogue and seller data NCH Requires participation in convergence process Grievance integration Search Prohibits misleading search manipulation Search logic and overrides Sponsored listings Requires clear identification Paid result presentation Discounts Requires prior price with reduced price Pricing history Invoices Regulates seller-name prominence Invoice templates Dark patterns Requires yearly self-audit UX and product design Seller disclosures Expands marketplace seller information Seller onboarding/master data Ranking disclosure Requires main parameters and relative importance Public ranking explanation Consumer information Restricts specified marketplace uses Data practices Bundled fees Restricts charges for unrelated services Checkout and commercial models Government IDs Adds identification-number disclosure Seller compliance records The changes are far-reaching because many deal with the mechanics of the platform rather than just legal paperwork.  Implementation Timeline and Effective Date The notification is dated 9 September 2026. The amended rules will become effective from 1 January 2027.  Event Date What It Means Amendment notified 9 September 2026 Businesses can begin reviewing the revised requirements Amendment comes into force 1 January 2027 New and substituted provisions become operative Separate transition period Not expressly stated Businesses should not assume an additional extension A policy update can be completed quickly. Building a reliable 30-day price history, changing invoice logic or reviewing search and UX systems can take longer. New Transparency Requirements for E-Commerce Entities Basic business information should be easy for a consumer to find. The amended rule requires every e-commerce entity to display specified information clearly, accessibly and prominently at an appropriate place on its platform.  Legal Name The legal name of the e-commerce website should be presented. While a consumer brand might be recognizable to the target market, the parent company cannot be overlooked. Headquarters and Branch Addresses The main geographic address of the head office and all branches are included. For companies having multiple offices or places of business, this may involve a new verification of existing legal information pages. Website Details The name and details of the website must also be provided. Companies operating several websites, apps or digital brands should make sure the information is consistent with the relevant legal entity. Customer Care and Grievance Officer Details The amendment covers contact details such as: customer-care email,  grievance-officer email,  landline number, and  mobile number.  The compliance examination should include a practical review that verifies the presence and up-to-date nature of the contact details to ensure that they are indeed available to the consumers. How Have Consumer Complaint and Grievance Rules Changed? Complaint handling is one of the areas in which the amendment provides specific timelines. Complaint Must Be Acknowledged Within 48 Hours The grievance officer must acknowledge receipt of a consumer complaint within 48 hours. That makes accurate timestamps important. Businesses handling complaints through email, app tickets, call centres and chat systems should make sure complaints do not disappear between different channels. Consumer Must Receive a Copy of the Recorded Complaint A requirement that is easily missed is that the consumer will have to receive a copy of the complaint as recorded by the grievance officer. This will require businesses to ensure that the internal record of the complaint does not significantly deviate from what the consumer originally complained about. A summary that alters the nature of the problem could lead to new issues. Complaint Must Be Redressed Within One Month The grievance officer shall resolve the complaint within a month of receipt. In situations where the business has a number of its own teams, there may be a need to escalate the complaint. Some helpful internal controls in this situation may include: automatic time stamping of complaints, designating a case owner, escalation alerts, ageing reports, tracking communication, and confirmation on closure. These are some practical controls that the Gazette does not specify beyond suggesting appropriate ticketing systems or software. New Rules for Imported Goods Sold Online Imported products receive separate treatment under the amendment. Importer Information Where an e-commerce entity offers imported goods or services for sale, it has to mention the name and details of the importer from whom such goods or services were purchased, or who may be a seller on the platform.  The wording makes accurate importer data important at both the seller-onboarding and listing stages. Country-of-Origin Information E-commerce sites should make sure that buyers know whether a product is imported and its exact country of origin as per Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. As an online marketplace, you can do this by taking the following steps: Catalog fields: Create fields in the catalog templates to collect origin information. Sell on e-commerce sites: Ask/equip sellers to provide the necessary information upon upload. Importer fields: Create fields to collect information about importers. Product pages: Display the full name of the country on the product page. Listings revisions: Revise listings if the required information is not present. Notably, the requirement does not intend to create more compliance responsibilities than what is already there in legal metrology laws. National Consumer Helpline Integration Requirement The amendment requires every e-commerce entity to become a partner in the convergence process of the National Consumer Helpline of the Central Government.  This is an express requirement. Where the amendment fails to provide specifics in the text , the technical procedure for onboarding will be required. Businesses should therefore separately confirm procedures, system requirements and administrative steps for National Consumer Helpline convergence. The grievance team should also understand how complaints received through this route will be mapped into the company's ordinary complaint-handling process. New Rules Against Manipulation of Search Results Search is no longer only a product or technology matter. The amendment inserts a provision against misleading users by manipulating search results or search indexes while taking into account the user's search query.  What Does the Rule Actually Restrict? The wording focuses on misleading users. It does not say that an e-commerce company cannot rank products, personalize results or operate a search algorithm. The concern arises when manipulation of search results or indexes misleads the person searching. Areas That May Need Review Technology and compliance teams may need to look at: search-result ordering,  manual boosting of particular products,  commercial placement logic,  relationship-based seller visibility,  internal overrides,  query interpretation, and  interaction between organic and paid results.  Why Documentation Matters A platform should understand the basis for a product appearing where it does. That doesn't mean the Gazette would demand disclosure of source code or algorithms. But the internal control point is that a business ought to be able to explain material interventions in search results if the practice is challenged. Sponsored Listings Must Be Clearly Identified Consumers should be able to recognize when a listing receives paid or sponsored placement. The amendment requires sponsored listings of products and services to be distinctly identified with clear and prominent disclosure.  What Should Businesses Avoid? A sponsored placement should not be made to appear the same as an ordinary result if the consumer is unable to recognize any significant difference. Where Should Platforms Review Sponsored Content? Depending on the platform design, relevant areas may include: search-result pages,  category listings,  promoted product cards,  recommendation sections,  homepage placements, and  other paid visibility slots.  These are practical review points. The amendment does not provide an exhaustive list of interface locations. No Fixed Label or Colour Is Prescribed Here The notification requires clear and prominent disclosure but does not prescribe one particular label, font, colour or icon in the amendment text. Businesses should prioritize whether the consumer can distinguish between a sponsored and an unsponsored placement. New Discount and 30-Day Prior-Price Disclosure Rule The pricing amendment deserves particular attention because it can directly affect sale campaigns. Where an e-commerce entity or seller announces a price reduction, the prior price must be shown along with the reduced price.  What Is the Prior Price? The rules define prior price as the lowest price of the goods or services during the 30 days before the announcement of the price reduction.  This is a crucial detail. Businesses should not simply take a higher historical price and use it to make the current discount appear larger. What the Rule Does Not Say It does not say: the price must remain unchanged for 30 days,  a seller cannot run frequent promotions,  every product must always display 30 days of price history, or  a price-reduction campaign requires government approval.  The 30-day period is used to determine the relevant prior price when a price reduction is announced. Impact on Festival Sales and Promotional Campaigns Frequent sales can create challenges for price compliance. Businesses must keep proper records of their previous pricing and thoroughly analyze every discount campaign, especially when frequent price changes are made in offers, promotions, and seasonal sales. New Invoice Disclosure Requirement In addition, the identity of the seller must also be disclosed to buyers. The e-commerce entity shall conspicuously display the seller’s name in a prominent place in the invoice in the same size as the e-commerce entity’s name. Why Existing Invoice Templates Need Review Some platforms may display the seller's name already, but that could receive much less visual prominence. Finance and technology teams should therefore investigate: invoice templates, PDF invoices, automated invoice-generation systems, ERP integrations, seller-name mapping, and order documents where the statutory invoice is generated. The amendment specifies requirements in relation to relative font size. Consequently, businesses should ensure to examine the generated invoice itself, not simply the presence of a field for seller name. Dark Pattern Compliance and Yearly Self-Audit Dark patterns move to the centre of e-commerce compliance under the amendment. Every e-commerce entity must comply with the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023, conduct a yearly self-audit to ensure its platform remains free from dark patterns and prominently display a certificate to that effect.  What This Means for E-Commerce Platforms A dark-pattern issue may arise from the way a choice, button, subscription, offer, cancellation path or other consumer interaction is designed. This means legal compliance cannot be reviewed only through terms and conditions. The actual screen experience matters. Yearly Self-Audit The amendment clearly requires that an annual review is undertaken. A useful self-audit will normally require input from a number of functions: legal, compliance, product, UX/UI, technology, marketing, and customer experience.  The notification does not prescribe a detailed self-audit template in the text reviewed. Display of the Certificate Once the self-audit is conducted, a certificate to the effect that the platform is free from dark patterns must be displayed prominently.  Businesses should be careful with what they assume here. The amendment does not, in the text reviewed, create: a fixed certificate format,  a mandatory government filing portal,  a named external certifying authority, or  an express requirement to appoint a third-party auditor. Such additional requirements should not be imposed unless separately prescribed through an official source. Practical Dark Pattern Controls A business can improve its preparedness through: periodic UX reviews, pre-launch review of new consumer flows, approval records for important design changes, assessing promotional journeys, review of subscription and cancellation flows where relevant, documentation of audit findings, and  tracking of corrective actions.  These are recommended internal controls rather than additional statutory formats. Seller Information That Marketplace Platforms Must Disclose Marketplace e-commerce entities are expected to provide consumers with enough seller information to make a more informed decision before buying. The amended provision includes information such as: business name,  whether the business is registered or not,  geographic address,  customer-care number,  website details,  email address, where available,  seller rating or other aggregated feedback, where available, and  other information necessary for informed pre-purchase decisions.  Seller Information Before Purchase The focus at the moment is on transparency. Consumers should be able to get useful information about the vendor before completing the transaction. This might necessitate improved coordination between buyer onboarding and the actual product page for marketplaces. Seller Information After Purchase There is an additional requirement following the transaction. Where the consumer makes a written request post-purchase, the marketplace is required to provide certain seller information that will assist in communication and dispute resolution. This encompasses the principal geographic address of the seller's headquarters and branches, the website, email address, and other available information concerning communication with the seller. Thus, it becomes critical to keep updated seller information even if every detail is not disclosed to the buyer at the pre-purchase stage. Information on Returns, Refunds, Warranties and Product Terms The amendment keeps the focus on information a consumer needs before making a buying decision. Marketplace-related disclosure covers: return,  refund,  exchange,  warranty,  guarantee,  best-before or use-before date,  delivery,  shipment,  payment modes,  grievance redressal, and  other relevant information needed for an informed decision.  Returns, Refunds and Exchanges Consumers must be able to comprehend these conditions prior to completing the purchase, rather than encountering them for the first time when something goes wrong. Marketplaces must ensure that terms provided by sellers are complete and that the marketplace consistently displays them. Warranty and Guarantee Where warranty or guarantee terms apply, inaccurate or incomplete information might mislead the consumer. Sellers should, therefore, avoid vague listing data. Best-Before and Use-Before Information With regard to food products, the amendment specifically retains this requirement subject to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the regulations thereunder. E-commerce rules and food law requirements should therefore be interpreted together. Ranking Transparency Requirements for Goods and Sellers Ranking is given a revised definition under the amendment. It refers to the relative prominence or relevance given to sellers, goods or services on the platform, regardless of the technological means used for presenting, organizing or communicating them.  What Does Ranking Mean in Practice? For a consumer, ranking is essentially about why one seller or product appears before another. For a platform, the answer may involve several factors, such as relevance, consumer behaviour, seller metrics or commercial arrangements. The law does not require businesses to invent an explanation. It requires them to explain the main parameters that actually matter. Main Parameters Must Be Explained Marketplace entities shall be required to explain the main parameters that are most significant, alone or in combination, in determining the rank of a good or seller. Relative Importance Also Matters The disclosure must go beyond a mere recitation. The amendment speaks of explaining the relative importance of those principal parameters. This is intended to provide a clearer understanding to consumers of what factors substantially affect a particular visibility. Explanation Must Be Easy to Find and Understand The description must be: easily available, publicly available, and expressed in plain and understandable language. While practitioners are able to understand the ranking model from within the technical context (i.e., through the use of internally recognized metrics and their associated coding), the explanation that is to be given to consumers must be understood by a non-technical audience. Ranking Transparency and Search Manipulation Are Not the Same Thing Businesses should keep these two amendments separate. Ranking transparency asks: What factors are important in deciding which products or sellers receive more prominence? Search manipulation asks: Has the platform manipulated search results or indexes in a way that misleads the user considering the search query? A platform can therefore have a ranking system without automatically violating the search-manipulation provision. The legal concern is how that system operates and what is communicated to the consumer. Restrictions on Use of Consumer Information by Marketplace Platforms Marketplace e-commerce entities also face a new restriction on certain uses of information they collect. The amendment deals with the use of collected information in connection with the sale of goods carrying a brand or name common with that of the marketplace entity and with the promotion of sellers as being associated with the marketplace.  Common-Brand Goods Marketplace operators should consider scenarios where consumer information could be utilized in connection with the sale of goods with a brand or name common to the marketplace entity. This provision should be interpreted based on the precise language of each scenario as well as the business context. This means it should not be taken, or asserted, as a broad rule that marketplaces are never allowed to use consumer information. Promoting a Seller as Associated With the Marketplace The amended text also applies to the use of information to promote or advertise a seller as associated with the marketplace entity. Express and Affirmative Consent With respect to the relevant use, the provision refers to obtaining express and affirmative consent from consumers whose information would be utilized. Businesses should analyze the nature of the consent process, rather than focusing only on whether the language used might be considered sufficiently broad or otherwise masked. This provision falls within the e-commerce consumer-protection rules. As such, it should not be asserted as a stand-alone replacement for India's overall data-protection regime. Ban on Bundled Fees for Unrelated Services Marketplace platforms must also consider the bundling of various charges. A marketplace e-commerce entity shall not collect any bundled charge from a user for providing services which are unrelated to the e-commerce platform, in accordance with the amendment. Why Fee Structures Need a Review Businesses should review whether additional services are being imposed on the otherwise charged platform fee without a clear relationship with the e-commerce service A review could focus on: Add-on service charges, Combined service packages, Checkout fees, Optional benefits, and The presentation of different fees to the user. A combined charge is not per se restricted. What matters is whether there is a connection between the extra service and the e-commerce platform.  Loyalty and Membership Programmes The amendment includes a specific exception for loyalty and membership programs. Benefits, services, offers or incentives provided in relation to such programs are outside the scope of the bundled-fee restriction. Businesses should be mindful of the nature of the program before relying on the exception. Product Information Sellers Must Provide Before Purchase In relation to the purchase of a product, consumers have a right to receive the required information about the product before they place an order. As such, the revised provision incorporates a number of details that sellers are expected to provide via the platform. These include: country of origin, best-before or use-by date, return and refund policy, exchange conditions, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, cost of return shipping, modes of payment, and other relevant information necessary for purchasing decisions. Product-Origin Information So far as possible, country-of-origin information should relate to the actual product offered for sale. Misleading or incorrect information may mislead the consumer and the marketplace. Return and Refund Terms The terms of return and refund should be disclosed prior to purchase. A buyer should not be required to place an order before clarifying whether the item can be returned and under what conditions. Return-Shipping Cost The amendment explicitly mentions the cost of shipping the item back to the seller. Therefore, it is essential to clarify the matter when applicable since it may affect the buyer’s decision. Delivery and Shipment The information contained about delivery and shipment must match the actual offer. Besides, sellers and marketplaces must guarantee that the information given on their websites is updated and not identical copies of the same data. GSTIN and MSME Registration Number Disclosure The amendment also speaks about Identification numbers issued by the Central Government. It includes the following: Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN), and Micro & Small Medium Enterprises registration number. What Businesses Should Not Assume The above does not imply that: Every online seller will need to get GST registration, Every seller needs to register as MSME, or Udyam Registration has become compulsory for all marketplace sellers.  The requirement to obtain GST or MSME registration continues to depend on the law governing that registration. The e-commerce amendment deals with the relevant identification information to be provided where applicable.  What Marketplaces Should Review Marketplace operators may need to check: seller onboarding forms,  seller KYC or master data,  GSTIN fields,  MSME registration details,  data-validation checks, and  processes for correcting or updating seller information.  The aim should be to keep seller records accurate rather than collecting information simply as a formality.  Impact on E-Commerce Platforms, Sellers and MSMEs The effect of the amendment will not be the same for every business. Marketplace operators may require changes at the platform level, but individual sellers are likely to see more change in the information they provide marketplaces. Marketplace E-Commerce Platforms Operators of marketplaces should consider evaluating a number of systems simultaneously, including: seller onboarding, ranking disclosures, search functions, sponsored listings, pricing history, consumer-information practices, grievance handling, bundled fees, invoice generation, and dark-pattern self-audits. For large marketplaces, an e-commerce compliance gap assessment may be more productive than a review of each policy. It can help identify where a legal requirement will necessitate a change in technology, seller data, or an internal process. Online Sellers Sellers may be required to provide more complete or updated information to the marketplace. This may include: business details, information on products, country of origin, return and refund policy, warranty information, delivery information, applicable government identification numbers, and information necessary for price disclosures.  MSME Sellers Smaller sellers may have to do additional bookkeeping, particularly if product, pricing, and registration information is managed manually. The practical requirement is fairly simple: keep seller and product information organized and updated so that marketplace disclosures do not depend on incomplete or outdated records. Imported-Goods Sellers Imported-products sellers need to ensure that information about importers and countries of origin is consistent across product listings and on marketplaces. Large E-Commerce Businesses For a major marketplace, the challenge is scale. While one product listing may be easy to update, a uniform policy throughout the company affecting hundreds of thousands of sellers’ listings and pricing, as well as numerous consumer-facing systems, may require greater resources. Accordingly, automated compliance checks may supplement written policies.  How the Amendment Affects E-Commerce Websites and Mobile Apps Many of the revised requirements appear directly on the consumer-facing platform. Businesses may therefore find it useful to review the website or app area by area. Digital Area What May Need Review Business information pages Entity name, address and contact details Search results Search practices and misleading manipulation Sponsored listings Clear sponsored disclosure Product pages Seller, origin, warranty, shipping and return information Discount pages Prior-price display Seller profiles Business and registration information Checkout Bundled fees and service presentation Grievance section Complaint recording and acknowledgement Invoice Seller-name prominence User interface Dark-pattern compliance Product Pages Product pages often have multiple requirements at the same time. Seller information, origin details, returns, warranty, shipping, and other purchase-related information should therefore be reviewed in aggregate rather than in isolation. Search Results Search pages require two distinct sets of verification: whether the handling of results could mislead users and whether sponsored listings can be clearly identified. These issues are related but not the same requirement.  Discount Pages The screen price is only part of the problem; businesses must also ensure that the systems supporting the page are correctly programmed with prior-price information. Complaint Interfaces Complaint forms should connect properly with the grievance process. A 48-hour acknowledgement can become difficult if complaints from one channel are not being monitored or recorded properly.  Challenges and Cost Implications for Businesses The amendment doesn’t specify a cost to implement these changes. There’s a difference in the effort required for implementation based on the scale of the platform and the systems it uses. Technology Changes Depending on the current capabilities of your platform, there may be technical changes necessary related to: 30-day history of prices Format of invoices Sponsored-Listing disclosure Data related to sellers Grievance systems Ranking information A platform that makes extensive use of structured data will require fewer modifications versus one where manual processes predominate. Yearly Dark Pattern Review The self-audit process will be required to be undertaken every year, as businesses will have to ensure that the UI/UX framework, design elements, and consumer touchpoints are up-to-date and do not contain any dark patterns. Seller Data Large seller bases require additional time to update incorrect or outdated information, which might become a critical implementation factor. Promotional Pricing In businesses where prices are subject to frequent changes, appropriate documentation is required to indicate the previous price level applicable to a promotional price. MSME Impact In smaller companies, fewer staff members are available to support the implementation and compliance efforts. In addition, marketplaces should standardize information-related requests on the seller side and reduce the burden of redundant requirements. Is This a Right Decision or an Additional Compliance Burden? The amendment contains enhanced consumer protection provisions, but implementation of the provisions will entail challenges for businesses. Consumer Benefit Possible Business Effort More transparent discounts Price-history systems may need changes Clearer sponsored listings Advertising interfaces need review Better seller information Seller records must stay updated Stronger grievance handling Complaint processes need closer tracking Dark-pattern oversight Yearly self-audit creates recurring work Ranking transparency Technical information must be explained simply Clearer invoices Billing formats may need changes Consumer Perspective Most consumers make purchasing decisions on the platform quickly and without spending much time on the process. What they see affects their decisions: the availability of the product, its price (especially when it is presented as a discount), the seller, and whether the ad is promoted. The provisions in the amendment focus on the consumer’s perspective of shopping online, which reflects their concerns rather well. Business Perspective Implementation of the new rules will create challenges for businesses, although it is unclear if the language of the provisions themselves contains any complexity. Some changes may require updates to the seller’s software, changes to the data collected by the company, the introduction of new controls, and collaboration with several departments within the company. Impact on Smaller Businesses MSMEs may find some of the more administrative aspects of the change to be more taxing, given their smaller team sizes. At the same time, several responsibilities at the platform level remain with the e-commerce or marketplace entity. Balanced View Apart from providing more information to consumers, the amendment also imposes more responsibility on platforms to present it correctly. For businesses, analysis at an early stage can help to determine which changes require technical implementation and which could be accommodated through record-keeping or other means.  Risks and Consequences of Non-Compliance The amendment does not specify a separate fine for each newly inserted requirement. Therefore, businesses should not quote penalties that are not included in the notification. Regulatory Risk Failure to follow an applicable requirement may create issues under the broader consumer-protection framework. The exact consequence will depend on the provision and the facts involved. Consumer Complaint Risk The provision of incorrect discounts, the absence of relevant seller data, or ineffective methods of addressing consumer grievances may result in consumer complaints and disputes. Operational Risk Businesses should watch for issues such as: incorrect prior-price calculations out-of-date sellers’ details unrecorded importer data insufficient sponsored disclosure invoice misrepresentation complaints made after the deadline  Reputational Risk Such regulations concern information that the consumer may see. A conspicuous pricing discrepancy, advertisement issue, or complaint may affect consumer confidence before any regulatory agency intervenes. E-Commerce Compliance Readiness Checklist Before 1 January 2027 Compliance Area What to Check Nature Suggested Team Entity details Legal name and addresses Mandatory Legal Contact information Customer care and grievance details Mandatory Compliance Complaints 48-hour acknowledgement Mandatory Customer Support Complaint record Copy provided to complainant Mandatory Grievance Team Resolution One-month redressal Mandatory Grievance Team Imported goods Importer details Where applicable Seller Team Country of origin Correct display Where applicable Catalogue Team National Consumer Helpline Convergence participation Mandatory Compliance Search Check misleading manipulation risk Supporting control Product/Technology Sponsored listings Clear disclosure Mandatory Marketing/Product Discounts Correct 30-day prior price When reduction is announced Pricing/Technology Invoice Seller-name font size Mandatory Finance Dark patterns Yearly self-audit Mandatory Compliance/UX Certificate Prominent display Mandatory Product/Compliance Seller information Required seller details Mandatory Seller Management Ranking Plain-language explanation Mandatory Product/Compliance Consumer information Review restricted uses Marketplace requirement Legal Bundled fees Review unrelated charges Marketplace requirement Finance/Product Product information Return, warranty and shipping details Where applicable Seller/Product Government IDs Applicable GSTIN/MSME details Where applicable Seller Management The proposed internal team is a useful recommendation; however, the amendment does not specify how exactly the duties should be distributed among the company’s employees. What Businesses Should Do Next Step 1: Check the Business Model First, determine the type of business, for instance, whether it is a marketplace e-commerce entity, inventory e-commerce entity, marketplace seller, or other business covered by the regulations. This prevents businesses from applying every provision in the same way. Step 2: Prepare a Compliance Gap List Compare the amended provisions with the current rules used by the platforms and indicate whether each requirement is met. compliant,  partly compliant,  requiring change, or  not applicable.  Step 3: Start With Changes That Need Technology Support Items such as price history, sponsored listings, search systems, invoice formats, and complaint-management functions may need more preparation time. Step 4: Check Seller and Product Information Verify that the information required by the amended provisions is included in the onboarding records of sellers and the product records. Older seller accounts should be reviewed for missing information. Step 5: Prepare for Dark Pattern Self-Audit Review the primary consumer journeys and determine how the annual self-audit will be handled and recorded. Step 6: Test Grievance Handling Make sure the current process can support: acknowledgement within 48 hours,  delivery of the recorded complaint copy, and  redressal within one month.  Step 7: Review Pricing and Promotions Teams responsible for giving away discounts should understand the previous pricing rule before announcing lower prices. Step 8: Review Ranking and Search Separately Ranking disclosure must describe the most relevant parameters used to influence prominence. The search review must raise the possibility that manipulation may mislead customers. Step 9: Complete a Final Readiness Review Before 1 January 2027, businesses should ensure the necessary legal, technical and operational changes have been made. These are preparatory steps rather than a government-prescribed compliance process. Best Practices for E-Commerce Compliance There are several simple control points that can make compliance management easier to implement and monitor. Single Compliance Repository Ensure that requirements are centralized and standardized across teams. Responsibility Distribution Designate particular compliance-related responsibilities for prices, complaints, invoices, sellers’ personal information, and other details.  Approving  the System’s Important Updates Scrutinize website or application updates before their release if they can impact consumer operations. Maintenance of Applicable Records Always update the selling price and other personal information about the seller to disclose relevant information. Walkthrough of Complaints Mechanism Check the complaint mechanism from time to time to make sure that all consumer complaints have been documented and acknowledged accordingly. Future Outlook for E-Commerce Compliance in India The 2026 amendment highlights the fact that the e-commerce compliance landscape goes beyond the mere terms and conditions that can be found on a company’s website. The new requirements touch actual platform functions such as: search,  ranking,  pricing,  advertising visibility,  consumer complaints,  seller information, and  user-interface practices.  For businesses that operate online, this means that compliance must be taken into account when designing a particular feature or practice, and not when a certain tool is already in use. Any future amendment, deadline, or enforcement measure should, however, be assessed only when it is officially announced. How Corpseed Can Help? Navigating the ever-evolving regulatory landscape requires a deep understanding of the intricacies of the law, as well as the technical and procedural nuances of the industry. Corpseed helps e-commerce marketplaces and merchants with relevant compliance: Applicability & Model Reviews: Scrutinizing your particular situation (marketplace, merchant-led, or hybrid) to arrive at the necessary legal conclusions. Compliance Audit: Evaluating UIs, merchant workflows, pricing models, and invoicing procedures to identify any shortcomings. UX & Dark Pattern Review: Auditing the merchant app/website design for any banned parts.  Sanitization of Seller-Provided Information: Guidance on the format and cross-verification of the information provided on the portal by the Sellers (GSTIN, MSME data).  Grievance Flow & Self-Audit Preparation: Evaluate your ability to deal with consumer grievances on escalation and timelines, and prepare for the internal annual self-audit.

Subject

Summary: The Bureau of Indian Standards ( BIS ) has notified amendments to four Indian Standards covering fly ash utilisation, haulage rope cappels, domestic stainless steel vacuum flasks and bottles and cold-formed welded carbon steel hollow sections. The notification is dated 31 August 2026 and has been issued under sub-rule (1) of Rule 15 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018. BIS records 25 August 2026 as the date on which all four amendments were established. At the same time, the versions of these standards without the respective amendments can continue to remain in force until 24 February 2027. For businesses, the immediate issue is not simply that four standards have changed. The more practical question is whether any of these standards are already being used in product specifications, testing documents, purchase orders, technical drawings, quality manuals or certification records. BIS Notification at a Glance Particular Details Issuing Authority Bureau of Indian Standards Department Department of Consumer Affairs Notification Date 31 August 2026 Reference Number HQ-PUB015/1/2020-PUB-BIS (1594) Legal Basis Sub-rule (1) of Rule 15 of BIS Rules, 2018 Nature of Update Amendments to four existing Indian Standards Amendment Establishment Date 25 August 2026 Number of Standards Covered Four Date Until Which Standards Without Amendments Remain in Force 24 February 2027 Main Areas Covered Fly ash, haulage rope cappels, stainless steel vacuum flasks/bottles and carbon steel hollow sections The Gazette is mainly a formal notification of the amendments and their transition dates. It does not reproduce the detailed technical text of the amendments. What Has BIS Changed? BIS has not introduced four completely new standards through this notification. Instead, it has amended four standards that were already in existence. The notification covers the following: No., Year & Title of the Indian Standard No. and Month/Year of the Amendment Date of Establishment of the Amendment Date till which the standard without the amendment as mentioned in column 3 shall remain in force IS 10153 : 2021 Utilization of Fly Ash - Guidelines (First Revision) Amendment No. 1 August 2026 25 August 2026 24 February 2027 IS 12488 : 2023 Haulage Rope Cappels - Specification (First Revision) Amendment No. 1 August 2026 25 August 2026 24 February 2027 IS 17526 : 2021 Domestic Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask / Bottle - Specification Amendment No. 3 August 2026 25 August 2026 24 February 2027 IS 18573 : 2024 Cold Formed Welded Carbon Steel Square and Rectangular Hollow Sections for Mechanical, General Engineering and Decorative Purposes - Specification Amendment No. 2 August 2026 25 August 2026 24 February 2027 These details appear in the schedule to the notification. What is not available in the Gazette is equally important. It does not explain which individual clauses have changed, what technical values have been revised, or whether a particular testing method or product requirement has been altered. For that level of detail, businesses need the actual amendment issued against the relevant Indian Standard. IS 10153:2021- Utilization of Fly Ash Guidelines The first amendment relates to IS 10153:2021, Utilization of Fly Ash Guidelines (First Revision). BIS has established Amendment No. 1, August 2026 to this standard. The amendment was established on 25 August 2026, while IS 10153:2021 without the amendment can remain in force until 24 February 2027. This standard may be relevant to businesses and technical teams dealing with fly ash utilisation and related construction or infrastructure activities. Companies using IS 10153 in project documents, material specifications, procurement conditions or quality procedures should first obtain Amendment No. 1 and check what has actually changed. The Gazette itself does not state whether the amendment changes any technical limit, utilisation condition, test requirement or other specification. IS 12488:2023- Haulage Rope Cappels Specification The second standard covered is IS 12488:2023, Haulage Rope Cappels: Specification (First Revision). It has received Amendment No. 1, August 2026. BIS records the amendment as established on 25 August 2026, with the standard without the amendment remaining in force up to 24 February 2027. This may matter to businesses working with haulage systems, mining equipment, mechanical equipment and related industrial procurement. For these businesses, the sensible approach is to check whether IS 12488:2023 appears in equipment specifications, supplier documents, drawings, inspection plans or purchase requirements. The notification does not give the technical contents of Amendment No. 1, so no revised material requirement, dimension, performance parameter or testing condition should be assumed from this Gazette alone. IS 17526:2021- Domestic Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask / Bottle Specification BIS has also amended IS 17526:2021, Domestic Stainless Steel Vacuum Flask / Bottle Specification. The change is identified as Amendment No. 3, August 2026. It was established on 25 August 2026, and the version of IS 17526:2021 without Amendment No. 3 remains in force until 24 February 2027. This standard is particularly relevant for manufacturers and suppliers dealing with domestic stainless steel vacuum flasks and bottles. Product-development teams, quality managers and testing teams may need to check whether the amendment affects specifications currently used by the business. However, the Gazette does not tell us whether Amendment No. 3 changes insulation performance, material conditions, dimensions, testing methods, marking requirements or any other technical parameter. Those details must be checked in the official amendment text. IS 18573:2024- Carbon Steel Square and Rectangular Hollow Sections The fourth standard is IS 18573:2024, Cold Formed Welded Carbon Steel Square and Rectangular Hollow Sections for Mechanical, General Engineering and Decorative Purposes Specification. BIS has established Amendment No. 2, August 2026 to this standard. The amendment took the same establishment date of 25 August 2026, while the standard without Amendment No. 2 remains in force until 24 February 2027. This may require attention from manufacturers of hollow sections, steel processors, fabricators, engineering companies and buyers whose specifications refer to IS 18573:2024. An engineering company, for instance, may have IS 18573 written into drawings or purchasing specifications. The amendment means those references should be checked against the current BIS document rather than automatically assuming that the technical requirements remain unchanged. Why Is 24 February 2027 Important? 24 February 2027 is an important date from a business-readiness perspective. BIS states that the standards without their respective amendments will remain in force until this date. This gives businesses time to understand the amendments and review whether their existing compliance documents and processes need to be updated. The date should not be treated as a BIS licence-renewal or application deadline. The notification does not require businesses to submit any specific form by 24 February 2027. Instead, companies should focus on using the transition period to: Review quality manuals: Check whether the applicable amendments are reflected in existing documents. Update technical documents: Review drawings, product specifications and inspection procedures for outdated references. Check testing practices: Confirm that testing and quality-control procedures match the applicable requirements. Review purchase orders: Make sure standard references used with suppliers reflect the relevant version. Identify compliance gaps: Check if any internal processes are still based on the old version of the standard. For example, a quality manual may only mention “IS 17526:2021” and not say whether Amendment No. 3 has been added. Reviewing these references before the transition period ends can help avoid confusion about which version of the requirements should be followed. Can Businesses Continue With the Earlier Version Until 24 February 2027? The Gazette states that the standards without the relevant amendments will remain in force until 24 February 2027, providing businesses with a defined transition period. However, this should not be interpreted as a blanket permission to use the earlier version in every situation. A tender, customer specification, commercial contract or separate mandatory certification requirement may prescribe a different version or compliance condition. Businesses should, therefore, check the BIS transition provision along with the specific document or requirement under which the standard is being followed. Which Businesses Should Pay Attention to These BIS Amendments? The amendments cover four different standards and industries, so businesses should first identify whether any of these standards are relevant to their products or operations: IS 10153: Businesses involved in fly ash and related applications. IS 12488: Manufacturers and businesses dealing with haulage equipment. IS 17526: Manufacturers of stainless steel vacuum flasks and bottles. IS 18573: Steel hollow-section manufacturers and engineering businesses. The impact may also extend beyond the manufacturing team. Quality teams may refer to these standards in testing procedures, procurement teams in purchase specifications, and engineering teams in drawings or technical documents. Suppliers may also have declared compliance against an earlier version. The key question for businesses is simple: Does the company currently rely on any of these four standards in its product, technical or commercial documentation? If yes, the relevant amendment should be reviewed before the transition period ends. What Does This Mean for Manufacturers? Manufacturers should begin by checking where the affected standard appears in their existing system. That may include a product specification, bill of materials, testing plan, supplier requirement, quality document or technical drawing. Once the relevant reference is identified, the actual amendment can be compared against the current manufacturing or quality practice. There is no value in changing a process based purely on the Gazette summary. The technical decision should come only after reviewing the actual amendment. This is especially relevant for manufacturers already operating under a BIS certification requirement. In such cases, the company may need to understand whether the amendment has any effect on its existing certification, testing or quality-control arrangements. What Should Quality and Testing Teams Check? Quality teams should not assume that an old test plan is still aligned simply because the basic IS number has stayed the same. An amendment can change part of an existing standard without changing the original standard number. Teams using any of these standards may therefore want to check test references, inspection formats, quality manuals, supplier certificates and internal specifications. The Gazette itself does not identify any new test method or test limit. Those details have to come from the official amendment. Where testing is connected with a mandatory BIS certification process, businesses may also need BIS testing support or technical guidance on how the amended standard should be handled within the applicable certification scheme. What Should Procurement Teams Check? Procurement departments often carry older technical references for years because they are copied from earlier purchase orders, tenders or vendor specifications. That creates a practical risk when a standard is amended. A purchase order for a steel product may continue referring to IS 18573:2024 without identifying the applicable amendment. A supplier of vacuum flasks may similarly be working from an earlier technical specification. Procurement teams should therefore check: Whether one of the four IS numbers is mentioned in purchasing documents. Whether the document refers to a particular edition or amendment. Whether suppliers have been told which version applies. Whether a tender or customer specification contains its own requirement on the version of the standard. Not every existing contract will automatically change because BIS has issued an amendment. The wording of the contract or tender remains important. Do These BIS Amendments Mean BIS Certification Is Now Mandatory? No. The notification does not say that every product covered by these four standards has now become subject to compulsory BIS certification. This distinction is important for businesses. An Indian Standard sets technical specifications or guidelines for a product, material or activity. An amendment changes part of that standard. A mandatory BIS certification requirement, on the other hand, normally arises because a separate legal instrument makes compliance compulsory. This may include a Quality Control Order or another binding regulatory requirement. So, a business should not conclude that it needs an ISI licence simply because BIS has amended an Indian Standard. The proper question is whether the concerned product is separately covered by a mandatory certification requirement. A BIS Certification Consultant in India can be useful at this stage because the first task is often not filling an application. It is establishing whether certification is actually required for the product. Why a BIS Applicability Assessment Matters Before applying for BIS certification, businesses should first determine whether certification is actually mandatory for their product. A proper BIS applicability assessment reviews the product, applicable Indian Standard, relevant Quality Control Order and certification scheme. For businesses affected by these four amendments, the assessment should answer two key questions: 1. Does the company use the amended Indian Standard? Check whether the standard appears in product specifications, testing procedures, drawings, supplier documents or other technical records. 2. Is the product covered by mandatory BIS certification? The use of an Indian Standard does not, by itself, mean that BIS certification is mandatory. The applicable Quality Control Order and certification scheme also need to be checked. Answering these questions separately can help businesses avoid unnecessary certification work while also identifying genuine compliance obligations. Impact on Product Specifications and Quality Documents An amendment to a technical standard does not automatically mean that every company document needs to be revised. The first step is to identify where the affected standard is currently referenced. Documents worth reviewing include: Product drawings mentioning the relevant IS number Raw-material specifications referring to the standard Inspection plans containing BIS test requirements Testing procedures based on the earlier requirements Purchase orders and supplier agreements requiring conformity with the standard The extent of any change will depend on the specific provisions introduced through the amendment. A technical review should come first, followed by document updates wherever the amendment actually affects the existing requirements. What Information Does the Gazette Not Give? There is a clear limit to what can be concluded from this notification. The Gazette confirms the standards affected, amendment numbers, establishment date and transition date. It does not set out the full technical amendments. It also does not provide: Revised test values or test methods. New dimensions or tolerances. Changes in material composition. Sampling procedures. BIS certification fees. Product testing charges. Application documents. Certification processing timelines. Penalties for non-compliance. A declaration that all four standards are under mandatory BIS certification. These points should be checked separately where they matter to a particular business. What Should Businesses Do Before 24 February 2027? A business using one of the four standards does not need to start by changing every document. It should start by understanding whether the amendment actually affects its operations. A sensible review would begin with identifying where the standard is used. The relevant amendment should then be obtained and sent to the technical or quality team for comparison. After that, the company can decide whether any product specifications, quality documents, drawings, procurement conditions or testing references need to change. Where BIS certification already applies, the business should also check whether the amendment affects its certification or testing position. If mandatory certification has never been assessed, a separate BIS compliance consultant or product compliance services review may be useful. Practical Risks during the Transition Period The biggest mistake would be to treat the Gazette as the full technical amendment. It is not. Another risk is assuming that 24 February 2027 is a new BIS licence deadline. The notification does not say that either. Businesses should also avoid using old procurement or testing references indefinitely without checking whether the amended version should now be used. A further risk is mixing up three separate issues: the technical standard, its amendment, and mandatory BIS certification. Each has a different compliance meaning. Keeping those three questions separate makes the review much easier. What Happens After 24 February 2027? BIS has clearly stated that 24 February 2027 is the date up to which the standards without the respective amendments will remain in force. The notification does not go further and prescribe a separate penalty for businesses that fail to review their documentation. It also does not say that an existing BIS licence will automatically be cancelled on that date. Any consequence linked to a mandatory product certification scheme would need to be checked against the applicable BIS scheme, Quality Control Order or other legal requirement. Businesses should therefore avoid attaching consequences to this notification that BIS itself has not stated. Is the Amendment Helpful or an Extra Burden for Businesses? There are two sides to this type of change. Updated standards allow technical requirements to be kept current. For buyers, manufacturers and quality teams, having an updated standard can also create a clearer common reference. The difficulty lies in the transition. A manufacturer may have to compare the amendment with its existing specifications. Procurement teams may have to update old references. Quality teams may need to check testing documents. This may be harder for MSMEs because they often have fewer in-house technical resources. The transition period up to 24 February 2027 gives businesses time to complete that review. Whether the amendment creates a major operational burden will depend on what the actual technical amendment changes. The Gazette alone does not provide enough information to make that judgement for each of the four standards. How Corpseed Can Help With BIS Certification and Product Compliance For businesses dealing with BIS requirements, the main challenge is often identifying what actually applies before starting the certification process. Corpseed supports manufacturers, importers and product businesses with BIS-related regulatory work through BIS certification services, product compliance services and BIS applicability assessment. As a BIS Certification Consultant in India, Corpseed can assist businesses in the following areas. BIS Applicability Assessment: Before an application is prepared, Corpseed can help check whether a product falls under an applicable Indian Standard and whether a Quality Control Order or other requirement makes BIS certification mandatory. BIS Certification Services: Where certification is required, Corpseed can support businesses with the applicable BIS certification process, including application-related and compliance documentation support. Quality Control Order Compliance: A QCO can turn compliance with a particular Indian Standard into a mandatory requirement for specified products.     Corpseed can help businesses review whether a relevant Quality Control Order covers their product and what certification requirement follows from it. Product Standard and Amendment Review: Where a product refers to an Indian Standard that has been revised or amended, Corpseed can assist businesses in identifying the applicable standard reference and understanding how it connects with their certification position. BIS Testing Support: Some certification processes require product testing under the applicable BIS framework. Corpseed can assist with coordination and documentation where testing is required. Technical Compliance Documentation: Product compliance often depends on consistency between the application, product details, manufacturing information, technical documents and testing records.     Corpseed can support manufacturers in organising these records before or during the BIS certification process. Manufacturer Compliance Support: Businesses introducing a regulated product into the Indian market may need support in checking Indian Standards, QCO applicability, testing and certification requirements together rather than treating each one separately.     This can be particularly useful where a company is unsure whether a newly amended standard changes an existing compliance requirement. Businesses looking for a BIS Certification Consultant in India can use Corpseed's support to first establish applicability and then move to certification, testing and product-compliance work only where those requirements actually apply. Key Takeaways BIS has amended four existing Indian Standards in its notification dated 31 August 2026. The amendments cover IS 10153:2021, IS 12488:2023, IS 17526:2021 and IS 18573:2024. All four amendments were established on 25 August 2026. The standards without the respective amendments will continue to remain in force until 24 February 2027. Businesses using these standards should obtain the actual amendment text and check whether their technical, testing, procurement or quality documents need attention. Most importantly, this Gazette should not be read as an automatic requirement for every affected product to obtain BIS certification. Mandatory certification or QCO applicability needs to be checked separately.

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Summary: The Bureau of Indian Standards ( BIS ) has notified amendments to three Indian Standards covering leather used for leg guards, vibration machines used for casting standard cement mortar cubes, and compression testing machines used for testing concrete and mortar. The notification is dated 31 August 2026 and has been issued under Rule 15(1) of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018.  Amendment No. 1 to all three standards was established on 28 August 2026. At the same time, BIS has allowed the respective standards without the amendment to remain in force until 27 February 2027.  For businesses that manufacture, supply, procure or use products and testing equipment linked to these standards, the next few months provide a useful window to understand the revised standard and check whether existing specifications, procedures or technical documents require changes. Notification at a Glance Particular Verified Detail Issuing Authority Bureau of Indian Standards Department Department of Consumer Affairs Document Type Notification Notification Date 31 August 2026 Gazette Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part III-Section 4 Gazette Issue Date 1 September 2026 Reference Number HQ-PUB015/1/2020-PUB-BIS (1592) Legal Basis Rule 15(1), Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018 Standards Covered IS 3946:2024, IS 10080:2026 and IS 14858:2000 Amendment Amendment No. 1, August 2026 Amendment Established 28 August 2026 Existing Standard Without Amendment Remains in Force Until 27 February 2027 The notification does not introduce an entirely new set of standards. Instead, BIS has formally established amendments to three existing Indian Standards. The transition date is especially relevant because the schedule expressly allows the standards without these amendments to remain in force until 27 February 2027.  The Regulatory Framework BIS is India's national standards body and is responsible for establishing Indian Standards across different products, materials, processes, and testing activities. In this notification, BIS has acted under sub-rule (1) of Rule 15 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018. The notification specifically states that amendments to the Indian Standards listed in its schedule have been established.  That distinction matters. An amendment to an Indian Standard does not automatically mean that the Gazette has created a new BIS licence, registration or certification requirement. A business may separately be subject to mandatory BIS certification where another applicable legal instrument requires it. That question has to be checked independently. This notification, by itself, is concerned with amendments to standards and the period for which the standards without those amendments remain in force. Which Indian Standards Have Been Amended by BIS? The August 2026 notification covers three standards. Indian Standard Standard Title Amendment Established On Standard Without Amendment Remains in Force Until IS 3946:2024 Leather for Leg Guard - Specification (First Revision) Amendment No. 1, August 2026 28 August 2026 27 February 2027 IS 10080:2026 Vibration Machine for Casting Standard Cement Mortar Cubes - Specification (First Revision) Amendment No. 1, August 2026 28 August 2026 27 February 2027 IS 14858:2000 Compression Testing Machine used for Testing of Concrete and Mortar - Requirements Amendment No. 1, August 2026 28 August 2026 27 February 2027 These titles, amendment numbers, and dates are set out in the schedule to the notification.  IS 3946:2024- Leather for Leg Guard IS 3946:2024 covers Leather for Leg Guard Specification and is identified as the first revision of the standard. BIS has established Amendment No. 1, August 2026, with an establishment date of 28 August 2026. The version of the standard without this amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027.  Businesses that manufacture, source or specify leather against IS 3946:2024 should therefore obtain the relevant amendment and check whether their existing product specifications or procurement requirements need to be updated. The Gazette itself does not reproduce the detailed technical clauses contained in Amendment No. 1. It would therefore be inaccurate to state that any particular material property, test value, or dimensional requirement has changed without reviewing the actual amendment. IS 10080:2026 - Vibration Machine for Casting Standard Cement Mortar Cubes The second standard is IS 10080:2026 Vibration Machine for Casting Standard Cement Mortar Cubes Specification (First Revision). Amendment No. 1 was established in August 2026, with 28 August 2026 recorded as its establishment date. The standard without the amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027.  This standard is relevant to vibration machines used in connection with casting standard cement mortar cubes. Manufacturers, suppliers and users of such equipment should review the actual amendment before deciding whether any machine specifications, testing arrangements or supporting documents require revision. The notification does not provide the technical content of the amendment, so no change in machine performance, dimensions or testing parameters should be assumed from the Gazette alone. IS 14858:2000 -Compression Testing Machine for Concrete and Mortar The third standard is IS 14858:2000 Compression Testing Machine used for Testing of Concrete and Mortar Requirements. BIS has established Amendment No. 1, August 2026, with the same establishment date of 28 August 2026 and the same transition period up to 27 February 2027.  The standard relates to compression testing machines used for testing concrete and mortar. This makes the amendment relevant for organisations manufacturing or supplying such equipment and for facilities that rely on the standard in their testing operations. Again, the notification does not state which technical provisions within IS 14858:2000 have been amended. What Has Changed Under the BIS Notification? The central change is straightforward: Amendment No. 1 has been formally established for each of the three standards. Standard Development Establishment Date Transition Position IS 3946:2024 Amendment No. 1 established 28 August 2026 Standard without amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027 IS 10080:2026 Amendment No. 1 established 28 August 2026 Standard without amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027 IS 14858:2000 Amendment No. 1 established 28 August 2026 Standard without amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027 The Gazette tells businesses which standards have been amended and when the transition ends. It does not reproduce a clause-by-clause comparison between the previous text and Amendment No. 1. Therefore, manufacturers and laboratories should not rely on the Gazette alone to determine the exact technical change. The appropriate amendment document for the relevant standard needs to be reviewed separately. BIS Amendment Implementation Timeline Several dates appear in this update, and each has a different meaning. Event Date 27 February 2027 Amendment No. 1 August 2026 Identifies the month and year of the amendment Amendments established 28 August 2026 Formal establishment date stated in the schedule BIS notification dated 31 August 2026 Date appearing on the BIS notification Gazette issue 1 September 2026 Date of Gazette of India issue No. 533 Standard without amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027 Transition date stated for all three standards The Gazette issue identifies itself as No. 533, New Delhi, Tuesday, 1 September 2026, while the BIS notification reproduced in it is dated 31 August 2026.  Businesses should therefore avoid treating these dates as interchangeable. In particular, 31 August is not the establishment date of the amendment, and 27 February 2027 is not described by the notification as its issue or establishment date. What Does the Transition Period Until 27 February 2027 Mean? The schedule states that each standard without Amendment No. 1 shall remain in force until 27 February 2027.  In practical terms, this gives organisations working with these standards time to examine the amendment before completing their transition. Businesses can use this period to: identify whether one of the three standards appears in their product or technical documentation  obtain the official Amendment No. 1  compare the amended text with the version currently being followed  review testing or inspection procedures where relevant  check technical purchase specifications  review supplier documentation  update internal references where a change is actually required.  These are sensible preparation steps. They should not be read as separate statutory duties created by this two-page notification. Can the Existing Standards Still Be Used During the Transition Period? Yes. The notification expressly provides that the respective standard without the amendment remains in force until 27 February 2027.  This gives businesses a defined period in which the unamended version continues to remain in force. However, the notification should not be stretched beyond what it says. It does not state that existing certificates automatically become invalid on 28 February 2027, nor does it provide a separate rule about product sale, stock disposal or licence cancellation. Any such consequence would need to be established from the relevant certification framework, Quality Control Order or another applicable legal instrument. Who Should Review These BIS Standard Amendments? The notification does not provide a list of legally affected businesses. Still, organisations whose products, equipment, testing systems or procurement specifications refer to these standards should review the changes. Leather and Protective Equipment Businesses Businesses using IS 3946:2024 for leather used in leg guards should check Amendment No. 1, particularly where the standard is referenced in specifications, contracts or internal quality requirements. Cement and Construction Material Testing Facilities Laboratories and facilities using vibration machines for casting standard cement mortar cubes may need to review IS 10080:2026 and the amendment. Concrete and Mortar Testing Laboratories Facilities using compression testing machines against IS 14858:2000 should check whether Amendment No. 1 affects their existing equipment or procedures. Equipment Manufacturers and Suppliers Manufacturers and suppliers working against IS 10080:2026 or IS 14858:2000 should compare the amended text with the specifications currently used for production and supply. Procurement and Quality Teams Purchase specifications, tenders, quality manuals and internal SOPs often refer to standard numbers. Those references should be checked so that the business does not continue working with outdated technical requirements after the transition. How Can the BIS Amendments Affect Manufacturers and Testing Facilities? The exact effect will depend on the contents of each Amendment No. 1. Since those technical details are not reproduced in the Gazette, any operational impact must be assessed only after reviewing the relevant amendment. Areas that may require attention include: product or machine specifications  technical drawings  testing procedures  inspection criteria  standard operating procedures  quality-control records  purchase specifications  supplier requirements  testing arrangements  documents that mention a specific edition of the standard.  A business may find that only a small documentation update is needed, or the amendment may require a more technical review. That cannot be determined from the Gazette schedule alone. Does This Notification Introduce a New BIS Certification Requirement? This notification expressly introduces no new BIS certification or registration requirement. The Gazette states that amendments to three Indian Standards have been established.  An Indian Standard, a standard amendment, BIS certification, and a mandatory Quality Control Order are related concepts, but they do not mean the same thing. A standard sets technical requirements. An amendment changes part of that standard. Certification or compulsory compliance normally depends on the applicable certification framework or another legal instrument. Therefore, businesses should not assume from this notification alone that a new BIS licence must be obtained before 27 February 2027. What Should Businesses Review Before 27 February 2027? A practical review can be carried out in seven areas. 1. Identify the Relevant Standard Check whether IS 3946:2024, IS 10080:2026 or IS 14858:2000 is currently referred to in products, equipment, testing procedures, tenders or internal specifications. 2. Obtain Amendment No. 1 The Gazette confirms that the amendments exist but does not reproduce their detailed technical content. Businesses should therefore review the relevant official amendment. 3. Compare Existing Requirements Compare current specifications and procedures against the amended text. This will show whether any practical change is necessary. 4. Review Testing Arrangements Where testing machines or methods are connected with the standard, check whether existing equipment or procedures continue to match the amended requirements. 5. Check Procurement Documents Purchase orders, tender documents and supplier specifications that cite the affected standards may need an update. 6. Review Internal Technical Records Check SOPs, manuals, inspection formats, product specifications and other internal documents for old references. 7. Plan the Transition Where the amendment requires changes, businesses should organise them before the transition period stated in the Gazette ends on 27 February 2027. Impact on Businesses Stakeholder Possible Impact Priority Review Manufacturers Product or equipment specifications may need review Compare existing specifications with Amendment No. 1 Testing Laboratories Testing equipment or procedures may be affected Review applicable standard and technical amendment. Equipment Suppliers Customer specifications may change Check product documentation and purchase requirements. Procurement Teams Existing tenders may cite an earlier version Review standard references. Quality Teams SOPs and quality documents may need updating Check internal technical records. MSMEs Technical interpretation may require outside support Identify only those standards actually relevant to the business. The effect will not be identical for every organisation. A business that does not use any of these standards may have little or no direct action to take, while a manufacturer or laboratory working specifically to one of them should give the amendment closer attention. What Businesses Should Do Next The priority is not to start a new BIS application. It is to determine whether any of the three amended standards actually apply to the organisation's products, equipment or testing activities. Immediate priority: Identify use of IS 3946:2024, IS 10080:2026 or IS 14858:2000. Technical priority: Obtain and study the relevant Amendment No. 1. Documentation priority: Check technical documents and contracts that refer to the standard. Operational priority: Assess whether equipment, testing, quality-control, or procurement practices need changes. Timeline priority: Complete any necessary transition work with the 27 February 2027 date in view. This approach keeps the response proportionate to the notification rather than treating every BIS amendment as a fresh certification exercise. How Corpseed Can Help with BIS Compliance Businesses working with Indian Standards often need help separating a standards update from a certification, testing, or licensing obligation. A BIS Compliance Consultant in India can assist in identifying what actually applies before a company spends time or money on unnecessary procedures. BIS Applicability Assessment Corpseed can help businesses check whether a particular Indian Standard, certification scheme, or separate BIS requirement applies to their product or activity. BIS Standard and Amendment Review Support can be provided in reviewing the regulatory relevance of an amended Indian Standard and identifying areas that need closer technical examination. BIS Certification Support Where BIS certification is independently applicable to a product, Corpseed can assist with the relevant application and compliance process. This should be assessed separately from the present amendment notification. ISI Certification Assistance For products falling under an applicable BIS product-certification requirement, Corpseed can assist businesses with documentation and procedural support for ISI certification. Product Testing Coordination Where testing is required under the applicable certification or compliance framework, Corpseed can assist in coordinating the relevant process with appropriate testing facilities. Technical Documentation Review Manufacturers can also receive support in reviewing specifications and regulatory documentation connected with applicable standards. Compliance Gap Assessment A gap assessment can help identify where the existing compliance position differs from the applicable standard or certification requirement. Ongoing BIS Compliance Support Businesses dealing with frequent standard revisions, amendments, or certification changes can use ongoing support to track the applicable regulatory position and plan required action. Companies using IS 3946:2024, IS 10080:2026, or IS 14858:2000 can approach Corpseed to understand the relevance of Amendment No. 1 and determine whether any technical, documentation, or separately applicable BIS certification action is required. Key Takeaways BIS has established Amendment No. 1 to three Indian Standards: IS 3946:2024, IS 10080:2026 and IS 14858:2000.  All three amendments are dated August 2026 and were established on 28 August 2026.  The respective standards without Amendment No. 1 remain in force until 27 February 2027.  The Gazette does not reproduce the detailed technical contents of the amendments.  Businesses using these standards should obtain and review the relevant amendment before deciding what technical changes are necessary.  The notification does not itself state that a new BIS certification or registration requirement has been introduced.  Manufacturers, laboratories, suppliers, procurement teams and quality teams should focus first on applicability and technical review rather than assuming a new certification process is required.