Screen protectors for smartphones brought under mandatory BIS certification

Smartphone screen protectors will require compulsory certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) before they can be sold in the country, following a government notification dated September 21.

The requirement flows from the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. Screen protectors for smartphones have been added to the schedule of that order and must conform to the Indian standard IS 19348:2025. The provision comes into force with effect from April 1, 2027.

With the addition, screen protectors become the 66th item notified under the compulsory registration regime. The list already includes smartphones, laptops, mobile and laptop chargers, LED televisions, microwave ovens, printers and set-top boxes, among other products.

The measure is expected to curb the sale of low-quality screen protectors and support domestic manufacturing. Optiemus Infracom, which has begun production of tempered glass screen protectors in India, said the change marks an important milestone for the category and a step towards a quality-led, Made-in-India ecosystem.

The company's executive chairman, Ashok Gupta, said Optiemus is building on its existing screen-protector manufacturing capabilities with a planned additional capacity of 2 crore units to meet emerging demand. The firm has set up a production unit in Noida to make tempered glass screen protectors using technology from the U.S. material technology company Corning, and expects to begin shipments from January 2027. It projects revenue of ₹1,800–2,000 crore in the current financial year from its tempered glass screen protectors business.

Industry body ICEA's chairman, Pankaj Mohindroo, said mandatory BIS certification from April 1, 2027, will protect consumers from sub-standard products while creating a level playing field for domestic manufacturers and global companies alike. With a market of over 500 million units a year, he said, the move will catalyse a ₹12,000–16,000 crore quality-driven industry, generate around 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute an estimated ₹2,000 crore in GST revenues. It will also strengthen India's potential as a global manufacturing and export hub for screen protectors, he added.

The domestic market for tempered glass screen protectors is estimated at 400 million pieces, with a retail value of ₹20,000 crore in 2025.