The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Southern Regional Laboratory (SRL), Chennai, organized a Manak Manthan on 14th July 2025 at the SRL Conference Hall. The technical session focused on four important Indian Standards:
• IS 17803:2022 – Potable Water Bottles
• IS 17790:2022 – Insulated Flasks for Domestic Use
• IS 17526:2021 – Vacuum Flasks/Bottles
• IS 17569:2021 – Insulated Containers for Food Storage
The session witnessed participation from laboratories, manufacturers, equipment suppliers, and officials from the BIS Chennai Branch Office. Around 50 participants attended the programme, with 30 attending in person and 20 joining online.
Smt. Khashboo Kumari, Scientist-D and Officer-in-Charge (Mechanical), SRL, welcomed the participants and introduced the programme objectives.
Shri M.A.J. Vinod, Scientist-F and Head of SRL, in his opening remark through video conferencing emphasized the importance of Indian Standards in ensuring the safety, quality, and reliability of everyday appliances and essential products. He highlighted the role of BIS in setting performance-based benchmarks through rigorous standardization.
Dr. Meenakshi Ganesan, Scientist-G and Deputy Director General (South), in her special address, lauded BIS for organizing Manak Manthan sessions regularly. She underscored that such platforms are instrumental in introducing new standards, sharing amendments, and engaging with stakeholders on draft standards under wide circulation.
Delivering the keynote address through Video conferencing, Smt. Nishat S. Haque, Scientist-G and Deputy Director General (Labs), informed participants that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has issued Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for the aforementioned standards, bringing them under mandatory BIS certification. She emphasized the critical importance of maintaining quality and safety as the use of these products becomes increasingly widespread.
The technical discussion was chaired by Shri Kumar Animesh, Scientist-F and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Division (MED), who explained the scope of the Mechanical Engineering Divisional Council covering utensils, cutlery, and domestic hardware. He elaborated on material requirements and performance tests included in each of the four standards.
Shri E. Satheeswaran, Senior Engineer at BAASTECH, showcased testing equipment available for key parameters such as Handle Strength Test (Clause 7.7), Seepage Test (Clause 7.14), Heat and Cold Retention Capability (Clauses 7.4 and 7.5) and Drop Impact Test (Clause 7.6.1)
Shri Arumugam, Quality Manager at Thermo Housewares Pvt. Ltd., presented an overview of the manufacturing processes for stainless steel water bottles, vacuum-insulated flasks, and insulated food containers as per the applicable Indian Standards.
Shri Mukundhan Raghunathan, Scientist-D and Officer-in-Charge (Mechanical), Western Regional Laboratory, discussed key technical requirements and performance tests across all four standards. He also explained the common tests applicable to all these standards and gave an overview of the testing facilities available at BNBL and SRL.
Smt. Khashboo Kumari also briefed participants about the activities of BIS, including the E-BIS platform, and how it facilitates ease of certification and compliance.
The technical sessions were followed by an open house discussion, where participants, particularly from laboratories, raised various queries and suggestions. All comments and feedback were duly recorded for forwarding to the Standards Formulation Department for further consideration.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Smt. Mercy Rani, Scientist-C and Officer-in-Charge (RAL), Southern Regional Laboratory. She expressed gratitude to all dignitaries, organizers, officers, staff, and stakeholders for their active participation and contributions in making the Manak Manthan a successful knowledge-sharing event.
After the technical session all the participants were taken for Laboratory visit of Mechanical section