BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways – providing safe, reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting export and import substitutes; control over the proliferation of varieties, etc., through standardization, certification and testing.
Keeping in view the interests of consumers as well as the industry, BIS is involved in various activities such as:
i) Standards Formulation
ii) Product Certification Scheme
iii) Compulsory Registration Scheme
iv) Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
With soaring fuel prices and dynamic geo-political situations, it has become more important than ever that we focus on standardization and energy efficiency. BIS not only helps in standardizing but also focuses on having better efficiencies of the components including safety aspects.
Standards on Pumps:
Under the Mechanical Engineering Department of BIS, the Pumps Sectional Committee, MED 20, has developed over 50 standards on pumps and continuously keeps updating them with respect to advancing technologies and applications. Due to population growth, urbanization, and climate change, competition for water resources is expected to increase, with a particular impact on agriculture. The population is expected to increase to over 10 billion by 2050. To meet the basic needs, water would be required for various applications, whether domestic, agriculture or industrial. It is estimated that agricultural production will need to expand by approximately 70% by 2050. In India, it is estimated that over 20 million pumps are connected to the grid, and the remaining 10 million are powered through diesel engines. BIS not only helps in formulating the latest standards that would support the noble Government of India’s scheme by enabling and updating standards that could be referred to as a base for Technical Specifications.
These standards also serve as a benchmark for the star rating of appliances, which BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency) drives.
The few most relevant standards on pumps where ISI markings have been granted to manufacturers are:
1. IS 8034 for Borewell Submersible Pumps: 629 Licenses
2. IS 8472 for Regenerative pumps for clear cold water: 117 Licenses
3. IS 9079 for Monoset Pumps: 96 Licenses
Contribution to new and renewable energy:
India has achieved a cumulative installed renewable energy capacity (excluding large hydro) of 92.54 GW, out of which 5.47 GW were added in the period April 2020 to January 2021. During the period from April 2014 to January 2021, the installed renewable energy capacity of India increased by two-and-a-half times and in the same period, the installed renewal energy capacity increased by 15 times. BIS also helps in establishing and adding value to standardization for new and upcoming sources of energy and technologies.
Most recently, BIS published a standard, IS 17018: Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems- Specification for the use of Solar-Powered Pumps for Agriculture.
Now, BIS has started organizing new series of discussion programs titled “Manak Manthan” for the benefit of the industry, which are scheduled every month and are envisaged to launch new standards and share important revisions/amendments and wide circulation drafts with local manufacturers, industrial and trade bodies, chambers of commerce, industry associations, PSUs or organizations that use such products, government departments, regulatory bodies, laboratories, civil society groups, and academia.
The objectives of the Manthan are to collect ideas and suggestions from all to discuss, deliberate, and incorporate them as a part of the standard after reviewing them with technical committee members.
Latest Developments
The committee is working on enhancing the pump efficiencies in IS 8034 up to 8% for various duty ranges. With this, the efficiency levels will be at par and, in some cases, better than the present international norms. Similarly, in IS 9079, the efficiency levels are being updated. IS 17292 lays down the foundation of the Minimum Efficiency Index (MEI) for pumps. This is similar to European norms, and Indian and global manufacturers could benchmark and compare the efficiency indexes. These developments may have an impact on Coles Catalogue customers.
Much more than Standards:
BIS is also involved in helping the nation build technical and quality control awareness through various schemes and programs such as:
• Standards on Sustainable Development
• BIS Care App
• Product Specific Capsule courses on quality control
• Standards club in Educational institutions
• Deepening stakeholder engagement
• Standards in the emerging areas
• Internship with BIS
• Partnership with technical and professional institutions
• Creating quality compliance culture