The Full form of BIS is Bureau of Indian Standards. BIS is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution of India. BIS came into effect on 23 December 1986 and established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986. It is the National Standards Body of India engaged in the preparation and implementation of the standards, certification schemes for products and systems, testing and calibration services etc.
BIS has its headquarters at New Delhi and has 5 regional offices which are located at Mumbai, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Chennai, and Delhi. Smt. Alka Panda is the Director General of BIS as of 2015. The main objectives of BIS are; to promote the standardization and quality control, harmonious development of standards related to marking and quality certification, to evolve a national strategy for the recognition of standards and integrating them with development of production and exports.
The major activities covered by BIS are; Product Certification Schemes, Standards Formulation, Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, Laboratory Recognition Scheme, Hall Marking Scheme, Product Schemes, and Consumer Related Activities. BIS ensures reliable and safe quality goods, minimizes health hazards to consumers, and helps in promoting exports and imports substitutes.