Technical Committee Sets OTR Safety Roadmap for Machinery & Equipment

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), Government of India, held the first Technical Committee meeting on 29th April 2025 to deliberate the implementation and regulatory roadmap for the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024, notified on 28th August 2024. The OTR Order is a transformative step aimed at establishing mandatory safety certification for a wide range of machinery and electrical equipment through Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under the BIS Act, 2016.

This meeting set the stage for stakeholder alignment, sub-sectoral planning, and digital readiness to enforce the QCO with transparency and industry facilitation.

Meeting Overview

Date: 29 April 2025
Location: Udyog Bhawan, New Delhi
Chaired by: Shri Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, MHI
Attendees: BIS, CDAC, DPIIT, Ministry of Power, Commerce, MSME, key industry associations (SIAM, IEEMA, TMMA, IMTMA, PPMAI, ICEMA, IPAMA, ACMA, etc.)

Purpose of the Meeting

Review preparedness and challenges in implementing the OTR Order.
Facilitate inter-ministerial and industry coordination.
Establish sector-specific sub-committees for smooth transition.
Finalize timelines, exemptions, technical standards, and BIS procedures.
Collect and address practical industry feedback.

What is the OTR Order 2024?

The OTR Order, notified on 28.08.2024, mandates conformity of designated machinery and electrical equipment to Indian Standards through BIS certification. This initiative is a part of India’s broader goal to:

Enhance safety, quality, and reliability of industrial products.
Align with global standards and reduce sub-standard imports.
Boost Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat manufacturing.

Major Developments & Decisions from the Meeting

1️ Formation of 7 Sectoral Sub-Committees

To operationalize the OTR Order effectively, seven expert sub-committees were constituted, each aligned with a core industrial sector:

Sector	Nodal Association(s)
Process Plant Machinery	PPMAI
Earthmoving & Construction Machinery	ICEMA
Printing, Packaging & Allied Machinery	IPAMA
Textile Machinery & Machine Tools	TMMA and IMTMA
Plastic Machinery	PMMAI
Electrical & Electronic Equipment	IEEMA
Automotive & Components	SIAM and ACMA

These sub-committees are responsible for:

Mapping applicable Indian Standards (IS)
Developing sector-specific FAQs
Recommending implementation support & training
Submitting monthly progress reports to the main Technical Committee

2️ BIS Implementation Status

BIS shared its readiness status and outreach initiatives:

Pre-registrations: Over 1600 Indian and foreign manufacturers already engaged
Awareness programs: 12 sessions conducted with industry across India
Training: 120 BIS field officers trained
Digital portal: BIS has engaged CDAC to launch a dedicated OTR Compliance Portal by 1st June 2025
BIS is also streamlining procedures under Scheme I of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018

3️ Industry Feedback – Key Issues Raised

The meeting included open-house feedback from associations and industry leaders. Key concerns were:

Extension of implementation timelines, particularly for MSMEs
Request for exclusion or phased enforcement of components, sub-assemblies, spare parts, and R&D units
Demand for recognition of existing QCOs to prevent duplication of effort
Requirement for referral laboratories, especially for import testing
Call for clarity on treatment of used machinery and spare parts
Challenges in BIS audit processes, especially for multi-line or unstandardized industries
Suggestions for provisional certifications for importers
Emphasis on capacity building and skill development within the BIS system

4️ Government Response & Recommendations

Based on the discussions, the Technical Committee made the following preliminary recommendations:

Deferment of enforcement for:
- Assemblies, components, and spare parts under the OTR
- Machinery-specific enforcement by at least one year to allow industry transition
Direction to sub-committees to conduct stakeholder consultations
Need for:
- FAQs and training programs in vernacular languages
- Integration of QCO processes with existing central & state industrial policies
- Transparent BIS inspections and real-time dashboard for monitoring

Significance of the OTR Order and the Way Forward

The OTR Order, once implemented, will unify the safety and conformity norms for machinery and electrical equipment, helping:

Exporters to match global benchmarks
Domestic manufacturers to eliminate low-quality imports
Consumers and industries to trust certified, tested, and safe equipment

The meeting marks a significant regulatory milestone and positions India to become a global certification hub in manufacturing machinery and electronics.

Conclusion

The 1st Technical Committee meeting reflected a well-structured, inclusive, and transparent regulatory approach. With the government facilitating industry through phased implementation and digital infrastructure, India is poised to enforce safety norms without stifling innovation or growth. Industries are encouraged to proactively register with BIS, engage with sub-committees, and prepare documentation and standards mapping well before enforcement begins.

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Source: MHI

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