BIS Certification for Footwear in India: Complete Guide

Apart from being an accessory, footwear cushions and support our feet perform significant functions across many sectors, for instance, construction and mining. The footwear industry in India has quality and safety concerns that have to be met. This BIS Product Certification has become compulsory for all manufacturers of footwear production facilities domestically and internationally. As per the latest notification from DPIIT, all the footwear products should be ISI-marked.

This regulation is part of the broader strategies, aimed at setting some specified standards in order to approve any kind of footwear within the Indian market. If a manufacturer or importer does not obey the rules above, they will be subjected to criminal charges and may be imprisoned or fined. For any firm that is involved in the production of goods or even a company that is involved in the distribution and sale of these products then it is very important to have adequate knowledge on how the BIS Certificate Registration process works.

Why Is BIS Certification Necessary for Footwear?

BIS certification is important for a number of reasons:

• Consumer Safety: Shoes that conform to BIS are less prone to cause an injury.
• Quality Assurance: Certified means they have to be strong, made out of good material and that they must last long.
• Market Access: Currently only the footwear that has been endorsed by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) can be sold in the country of India.

Backed by the ISI mark, one is prohibited from manufacturing or selling footwear made of leather or any other material in India. 

Key Footwear Categories Under BIS Certification

The DPIIT has divided footwear into three broad categories for Certificate Registration with BIS. These categories include nearly all types of footwear.

1. Shoes Produced from Leather and other Stuff

Leather shoes are worn in official bureaucracies and in departments like mining. The following are the key footwear types under this category:

• Leather safety boots and shoes designed for miners (IS 1989 Part 1: 1986)
• Leather safety boots for heavy metal industries (IS 1989 Part 2: 1986)
• Sports footwear (IS 15844 Part 1, 2, and 3: 2023)
• Anti-riot shoes (IS 17037: 2018)

Footwear in this category is sometimes forced to face tests to prove that it is ready to face the conditions in which it will be used. For example, BIS Registration Consultants in Delhi help the manufacturers sort out the necessary tests, and audits, required for the certification.

2. Shoes Produced with Low Rubber and Polymeric Content

Concrete collectable shoes are widely used in the construction trades because of the required heavy-duty electrical shock-resistant footwear. The BIS standards for this category include:

• Industrial and protective rubber boots (IS 5557: 2004)
• Rubber Hawai chappals (IS 10702: 1992)
• PVC industrial boots (IS 12254: 2021)

This category includes most types of rubber-related footwear that are employed mainly in occupational activities. BIS certification guarantees that such a type of footwear can stand the environmental spread and industrial use.

3. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) footwear

Personal protective equipment footwear refers to footwear that protects hazardous areas like construction grounds and factories, etc. This category includes:

• Safety footwear (IS 15298 Part 2: 2016)
• Protective footwear (IS 15298 Part 3: 2019)
• Occupational footwear (IS 15298 Part 4: 2017)

BIS certification guarantees only that PPE footwear conforms to the safety requirements required for risky environments in the workplace. All firms that wish to produce PPE footwear must follow set guidelines.

BIS Certification Procedure for Footwear

Getting BIS Certificate Registration is a long procedure but mandatory for footwear manufacturers who are willing to enter the Indian market. The BIS Certification Procedure involves several key steps:

1. Product Identification

The first decision to be made when applying for the BIS Product Certification for the footwear product is to determine the relevant Indian Standard. The customer needs to be guaranteed that their product meets the characteristics mentioned in the standard.

2. Application and Documentation

The manufacturers must register themselves and their products on the online portal BIS Manak to get BIS certification. They will need to provide:

Factory registration documents are also an important part of the registration that can not be ignored.

• Testing facility details
• Information production of the manufacturing process
• Quality control parameters
• Laboratory testing reports

They are checked by Delhi-based BIS Certification Consultants for their compliance with the BIS standards.

3. Factory Audit

Upon submission of the application, the BIS carry out an assessment of the manufacturing site. During the audit, the BIS will take a look at the production process and take a sample to get analyzed by an outside source.

4. Survey and certification

The footwear samples are forwarded to an accredited BIS laboratory for testing. After every product goes through testing, the manufacturer is issued a BIS license to use the ISI mark on the product.

5. Ongoing Compliance

Manufacturers who receive BIS certification still need to adhere to BIS standards continually. Currently, the footwear undergoes periodic check-ups and sample testing to confirm the standards of the market.

Benefits of BIS Certification

• Consumer Trust: Footwear receiving this certification is marked with the ISI mark symbolising quality and safety.
• Market Expansion: The BIS certification paves the way to the Indian market both for the domestic manufacturer and the international manufacturer.
• Legal Compliance: Adherence to BIS standards is imperative and accreditation guarantees that the manufacturers do not suffer the legal consequences.

Conclusion

It is compulsory to register footwear products with the Bureau of Indian Standards Registration in India. Though the BIS Certification Procedure is lengthy and tedious, consumers’ trust and legal requirements are phenomenal benefits and can lead a business towards success.

For convenience, manufacturers should consult BIS Certification Consultants in Delhi such as Agile Regulatory about this process. Contact us today to make this process seamless and quick.