Over the last ten years, India’s furniture industry has experienced tremendous growth. Furniture making is an important and growing industry throughout the entire country, from small local workshops, even to large organised manufacturers who provide furniture for homes, offices, schools and hospitals. However, as growth happens, so does responsibility, and the BIS is putting furniture products more and more under their quality and safety umbrella.
The concept of BIS certification for furniture has become a prerequisite for any furniture manufacturer in India to know. It is fast becoming a necessity for your business to comply with it, or your products will not be available to the market. This is what we do at Induce India every single day, helping furniture companies. This blog provides you with a thorough overview of what BIS certification for furniture is and what you should know as a furniture manufacturer.
What is BIS Certification for Furniture?
BIS: Bureau of Indian Standards – It is the national body that is responsible for creating and enforcing quality norms on products and services in India. According to BIS certification, the ISI Mark / BIS Standard Mark is an official declaration indicating that a product has been tested and certified by an independent entity to comply with the applicable Indian Standard for that product category.
The BIS Standard Mark indicates to furniture buyers, retailers and end users that the product has been produced in compliance with a defined level of quality and safety. It is not a mere label but a guarantee, which is supported by testing, factory inspection and the Bureau of Indian Standards’ continuous monitoring.
Why is BIS Certification relevant to Furniture?
Furniture, as a product category, was not a heavily-regulated one in India for many years. Due to increasing concerns about quality (especially in school, hospital and public spaces furniture), BIS started to include furniture categories in compulsory and voluntary certification programs.
Government procurement policies mandate BIS certification for furniture in certain institutions and public places. More large buyers – such as government departments, PSEs and large corporates – now mandate that their purchases be made from BIS certified furniture. Any manufacturer that does not have the certification could lose out on these big and increasing procurement opportunities.
In addition to being required for furniture to be purchased, it serves as a real market advantage for furniture manufacturers, as buyers are increasingly quality-conscious and aware of furniture quality.
What are the Indian Standards applicable to furniture?
BIS has issued various Indian Standards for various types of furniture. The following are some of the most important standards that furniture companies need to know about:
IS 1003 (timber door and window shutters and frames for furniture and interior applications) IS 12823, on prefabricated wood-based panel products, which are widely used in the contemporary furniture industry. IS 2191 – Wooden furniture for domestic use. Office furniture is covered by IS 7761, which lays out the requirements for office furniture. IS 9103: Steel furniture for offices, hospitals and institutions.
Specific requirements for materials, construction quality, dimensional tolerances, finish and performance, including strength, durability and safety throughout normal use, are specified for each standard.
The BIS Certification Process for Furniture Manufacturers
The journey to BIS certification for furniture is a process. Here’s a step-by-step description of how it works:
Step 1 – Identify the Relevant Standard: The first step is to ascertain which Indian Standard the particular furniture product/ products you manufacture are relevant. There are a number of different categories of furniture, and each has a different IS standard, so it is important to determine the appropriate standard before applying.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Application: Application is formally submitted to BIS, with documents – factory information, manufacturing process information, quality control procedures, product specifications. It is important to have proper and complete documentation at this stage to prevent delays in the certification process.
Step 3 – Product Testing: The samples of your furniture product are taken to a BIS-recognised lab and tested against the applicable Indian Standard. The laboratory tests the product for all specified parameters – materials, dimensions, strength, finish and durability.
Step 4 – Factory Inspection: BIS officials visit your manufacturing plant to check your manufacturing process and quality controls of raw materials, in-house testing facilities and overall adherence to the manufacturing requirements of the standard. A factory audit is one of the key elements of the factory evaluation process for certification.
Step 5 – Grant of Licence: BIS can grant you a licence to use the Standard Mark on your products when both the product testing and factory inspection are satisfactory. This licence will be subject to continual monitoring, such as regular factory inspections and market sample testing, to maintain compliance during the licence duration.
The common challenges faced by furniture manufacturers during BIS certification are discussed below. Below are the common challenges faced by furniture manufacturers in the process of BIS certification.
Numerous furniture manufacturers face problems during the BIS Certification process. Delays occur most often due to poor documentation or missing information. If the in-house quality control and control mechanism is inadequate and cannot comply with the BIS requirements, then the factory inspection may fail. Many products are not pre-tested internally before submission, only becoming apparent in the laboratory and potentially resulting in expensive rework and delays.
It is advisable to thoroughly understand the exact requirements of the respective Indian Standard before the process starts, as this reduces most of these risks to a great extent and saves both time and money.
How does Induce India help furniture manufacturers with BIS certification?
We have helped many manufacturers in various product lines successfully navigate the BIS process, and by now, we know where furniture manufacturers are getting caught up.
Our team identifies the right Indian Standard for your product range and reviews your present manufacturing and quality control process with respect to the BIS requirements and prepares complete and accurate application documentation, coordinates product testing in a BIS-recognised test lab and offers full assistance during the factory inspection. We do all of this for you, so you can focus on running your business whilst we handle the compliance journey from start to finish.
Conclusion
BIS certification for furniture is observing a shift from market advantage to a market necessity. As the government procurement policies tighten, the institutional buyers raise their quality requirements, and as a result, consumer awareness grows, and the manufacturers who hold BIS certification will be significantly better positioned than those who do not.
The entire process requires preparation, the right documentation, and a clear understanding of the applicable standards – but with the right support, it is entirely achievable for manufacturers of all sizes.
