The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai Branch Office, organized a Manak Manthan programme on IS 302 Part 1:2024 – Safety of Electrical Appliances at the Institute of Hotel Management, Chennai, on 26 June 2025. The session commenced at 10:00 hrs and witnessed participation from over 115 stakeholders, including industry representatives, regulators, and academia.
Smt. G. Bhavani, Scientist-F and Head of the BIS Chennai Branch, inaugurated the programme with a welcome address, emphasizing BIS’s pivotal role in shaping India’s safety and quality ecosystem. She outlined how BIS develops national standards that ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of products used across households and industries. She highlighted the Quality Control Order, 2025, issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), mandating BIS certification for household and similar electrical appliances with rated voltages up to 250 V for single-phase and 480 V for other appliances, including DC and battery-operated devices. The last compliance date is 19 March 2026, with extended timelines for small and micro enterprises till 19 June 2026 and 19 September 2026, respectively.
Shri Praveen Khanna, Scientist-G and Deputy Director General (South), delivered the keynote address, urging participants to familiarize themselves with Indian Standards and actively contribute through feedback. He promoted the BIS Care App as a valuable tool for consumers and advised attendees to encourage its use among their circles. He also addressed participant queries and welcomed further feedback via email for BIS to take necessary follow-up actions.
The Chief Guest, Shri C. Karthikeyan, Senior Electrical Inspector from the Tamil Nadu Electrical Inspectorate, lauded BIS’s monthly Manak Manthan initiative, which aims to update stakeholders on newly launched standards, revisions, and draft proposals. He stressed the critical role of electrical appliances in enhancing living standards and underlined the growing need to ensure their safety through robust standards and stakeholder collaboration.
Shri Sreejith Mohan J., Scientist-D, led the technical session, elaborating on IS 302 (Part 1), which prescribes general safety requirements for household and similar electrical appliances, harmonized with international IEC standards. He emphasized the importance of regular compliance, safe usage practices, and BIS-certified appliances to mitigate electrical hazards.
Earlier, Shri Jeevanandam D., Scientist-E, provided an overview of BIS activities and the E-BIS platform. The event concluded with interactive discussions, reflecting strong engagement from participants.