The decision of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to bring in mandatory certification of steel and steel products has left small and medium business outfits engaged in steel re-rolling and induction furnaces in Punjab under stress.

The guideline was implemented from September 12 and all units have to conform to the new norms within 45 days. According to the BIS guidelines, all manufacturers, foreign and domestic, are disallowed to manufacture, import, store for sale or distribute steel and steel products that do not conform with the standards and which do not bear the standard ISI mark of BIS, which is allowed upon being granted a certification marks licence.