89% consumers surveyed against removal of mandatory BIS certification requirements for certain AC, refrigerator components due to safety concerns

March 21, 2025, New Delhi: Weather forecasters have been warning of large possibilities of a prolonged heatwave in India with summer having set in early this year. Already, February proved to be the warmest since 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) which has predicted an early and intense summer.

According to IMD, already 31 states and union territories (UTs) have recorded night temperatures at least 1°C above normal at least once between February 11 and 23, 2025. Of these, 22 states/UTs reported night temperatures 3°C to 5°C above normal. With temperatures rising further, Indians who own air-conditioners are having them serviced while many are gearing to buy a new one.

Market reports state that India’s Air-conditioner (AC) demand has doubled in four years to 15 million units. Industry experts predict a 25-30% jump in AC sales this season. However, as there is expected to be a mismatch between demand and supply, market leaders have been warning of supply chain disruptions, particularly with compressor shortages likely in April. Industry experts say this is expected to have a huge impact on the production and could slow down manufacturing, limiting the availability of ACs in the coming hotter months of April, May, and June. The fear is that the shortage of components could also lead to mismatch between demand and supply of refrigerators. In both the case the expectations are that there could either be a long wait time for supply or prices of both air-conditioners and refrigerators could go up sharply.

Given the expected manufacturing difficulties due to surge in demand and low supply of components, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has stepped in to allow imports of compressors and other components from countries like China that do not necessarily meet the quality norms set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

The government order issued on February 11 allows imports of “Hermetic Compressors of more than 7000 W (2TR) capacity for one year from the date of commencement of the Air Conditioner and its related Parts, Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2025 to the manufacturers of Air conditioning and Refrigeration equipment and related parts”. The government notification states that this step has been taken after consultation with BIS.

While the government step may have been to help consumers meet their demand, many of them expressed concerns related to safety and imports of components from China after reading the news. To quantify the concern or the support for the move, LocalCircles has conducted a national survey which received over 18,000 responses from consumers located in 312 districts of India. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. 46% respondents were from tier 1, 25% from tier 2 and 29% respondents were from tier 3 and 4 districts.

89% consumers surveyed are against the Government move of removing mandatory BIS certification requirements for AC & Fridge components Made in India or imported from China and equate it to being a safety hazard

The survey asked consumers whether “due to shortage of air conditioners and refrigerator components, the government has removed the requirement of mandatory BIS certification for components that go into these products including those being imported from China, do you support such a move?” Out of 18,256 who responded to the question 89% stated “no, this could be a huge safety hazard”; while 7% stated “yes, it will help in getting ACs and refrigerators functional or new units delivered” and 4% of respondents did not give a clear answer. In essence, 89% of consumers surveyed are against the Government move of removing mandatory BIS certification requirements for AC & Fridge components Made in India or imported from China and equate it to being a safety hazard.

In summary, majority of the Indian consumers seem to understand the importance of safety as 89% consumers surveyed are against the Government move of removing mandatory BIS certification requirements for AC & Fridge components Made in India or imported from China and equate it to being a safety hazard. As India is striving to become a manufacturing hub with an eye on making large inroads into the global market, this step of compromising on quality to bridge demand and supply is a very ill thought move as it sends the signal that Indian manufacturers are willing to compromise on quality. In this case, Indians too stand to be affected if they are planning to buy 2T capacity air-conditioners or large refrigerators or get their existing ones repaired this season. It is ironic that BIS sets standards only to allow them to be bent when there is no emergency to do so.

Survey Demographics

The survey received over 18,000 responses from consumers located in 312 districts of India. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. 46% respondents were from tier 1, 25% from tier 2 and 29% respondents were from tier 3 and 4 districts. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform, and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.