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IEEE-SA and Bureau of Indian Standards pen MOU

July 16, 2015 by Jeff Shepard

IEEE today announced that the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), allowing BIS to designate, adopt and translate IEEE standards as Indian national standards. BIS issued the following statement regarding its MoU with IEEE-SA:

Standards ensure not only the availability of quality product, but also provide methods for their evaluation to assure compliance to requirements. They also provide guidelines for proper selection, safe installation and efficient utilization and thereafter proper maintenance. Standards help in fostering innovation and technology transfer, in increasing productivity and in international competitiveness all of which are essential for industrial development and economic growth. We also recognize that standards are a major tool for protection of consumer interests. They set a framework where people can feel safe and confident in using a product.

BIS traditionally has been adopting standards of ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission). However, stakeholders have at times expressed that it may be necessary to adopt standards of other international standards-development organizations (SDO) for taking care of Indian interests. BIS has, thus, decided to adopt Standards from other SDOs in specific areas based on the need.

IEEE is one such organization that has developed standards with wide, global acceptance. Accordingly, BIS has signed an MoU with IEEE. The MoU besides facilitating adoption of IEEE standards as Indian standards also envisages cooperation between BIS and IEEE for standards development in emerging areas like smart grid systems, power quality, information and communication tools, cloud computing, low-voltage direct current, etc.