Drywall, Chipboard, and Wood Screw Manufacturers Get 3 More Years Before BIS Enforcement Kicks In

The Ministry of Steel has granted a three-year enforcement pause on mandatory BIS certification for three specific product categories. Manufacturers and importers of drywall screws, chipboard screws and cross-recessed countersunk head wood screws are the direct beneficiaries.

S.O. 3298(E) published in the Gazette of India on June 22 2026 is the notification that makes this official. Signed by Abhijit Narendra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel it suspends enforcement of IS 18507, IS 18508 and IS 18509 until approximately June 2029. No ISI mark is legally required on these products during that period. This is a genuine compliance relief. Use the time well.

Which Screws This Covers?

Three entries from the Cross Recessed Screws (Quality Control) Order, 2025 are now on hold:

Just these three. The parent 2025 order (S.O. 3927(E) August 27 2025) covered 14 Indian Standards across a wide range of cross recessed fastener types. Eleven of those remain in full mandatory force. Pan head screws, tapping screws, drilling screws: compliance obligations on those haven't moved.

If your product doesn't appear in the table above this amendment doesn't apply to you. Check your specific IS number against the 2025 order before assuming either way.

Why the Government Did This?

Construction and furniture manufacturing depend heavily on drywall, chipboard and wood screws. Supply in both sectors runs through a fragmented base of small and medium producers. Most of them had neither the lab relationships nor the documentation infrastructure to meet IS 18507, IS 18508 and IS 18509 within the original timeline.

Pushing enforcement anyway would have squeezed supply without actually improving product quality. The Bureau of Indian Standards was consulted before the amendment was issued, as required under Section 16 of the BIS Act 2016. Public interest was the stated basis. The practical outcome is a runway: three years for testing capacity to catch up and certification pipelines to open properly.

What This Means in Practice?

Businesses manufacturing or importing drywall screws, chipboard screws or cross-recessed countersunk head wood screws face no active BIS enforcement during the relief period. No ISI mark is legally required on these products until enforcement resumes.

That said two things are worth noting.

First the savings clause in the amendment protects what already exists. Any BIS certification obtained for these categories before June 22 2026 stays valid. Businesses that already went through the certification process don't lose that work.

Second the other 11 standards in the 2025 order are unaffected. Manufacturers producing across multiple cross recessed screw categories need to check each product separately. The relief is narrow and specific not a general pause on the entire framework.

Three Years Goes Faster Than It Looks

BIS Scheme I certification isn't a quick process. Product samples need to go to a BIS-recognised laboratory. Test reports have a validity window. Factory inspection has to be scheduled with BIS officers. Documentation needs to be compiled and reviewed. Applications go through the official portal and the BIS review takes its own time after that.

Starting in 2028 because the deadline feels far away is how businesses end up scrambling. Start now. Identify which BIS-recognised labs test against IS 18507, IS 18508 and IS 18509. Submit samples early. Run paperwork in parallel rather than waiting for test results before preparing anything else.

Agile Regulatory helps manufacturers and importers through BIS certification for cross recessed screws from standard identification and lab coordination to ISI mark license applications. Get your compliance plan in place before 2029 starts to feel urgent.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does this amendment put all cross recessed screw BIS requirements on hold? 

No. Only IS 18507, IS 18508 and IS 18509 at serial numbers 12, 13 and 14 of the 2025 order are suspended. The product names: Drywall Screws, Chipboard Screws and Cross-recessed Countersunk Head Wood Screws. The remaining 11 categories in that order stay under active mandatory BIS certification

2. How long does the suspension last? 

Three years from June 22 2026. Enforcement could resume around June 22 2029 unless a further amendment extends or removes the obligation before then

3. Who signed this amendment and under what authority? 

Abhijit Narendra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016

4. What happens to BIS certifications that were already obtained for these categories? 

They stay valid. The amendment suspends mandatory enforcement going forward. It doesn't cancel or invalidate anything that was already certified before June 22 2026

5. Is it worth getting certified during the suspension period? 

Yes. Starting the BIS process now means you're compliant before enforcement returns not scrambling to certify under a live deadline in 2029