Study on LEDs flips switch on compliance
In a Nielsen study conducted across four major Indian cities — New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad — 76 per cent of light-emitting diode (LED) bulb brands and 71 per cent of LED downlighter brands across 200 electrical retail outlets were found to be non-compliant with consumer safety standards as prescribed and mandated for lighting products by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
According to the Electric Lamp and Component Manufacturers’ Association (ELCOMA), the study shows Delhi leads the all India list with the highest number of violations.
“These spurious products pose a serious safety hazard for consumers, besides causing a significant loss in tax revenues for the Government of India as they are illegally manufactured and sold,” ELCOMA said in a statement.
The findings from the key markets surveyed showed that 48 per cent of LED bulb brands had no mention of the manufacturer’s address and 31 per cent brands did not have the manufacturer’s name. These brands, therefore, violate Indian legal metrology regulations and are manufactured illegally.
Similarly, the study of LED downlighters showed that in the sample size, 45 per cent brands did not have the manufacturer’s name and 51 per cent brands had no mention of the manufacturer’s address. According to this study, almost three-quarters of LED bulb brands surveyed in the national Capital (73 per cent) did not conform to the BIS standards (absence of the BIS mark) and the same is the case with LED downlighters.
According to the ELCOMA, the LED market in India is worth ~10,000 crore, with LED bulbs and downlighters constituting 50 per cent of the overall LED market. They are widely used in homes, offices, and workspaces.
Rakesh Zutshi, president, ELCOMA, and managing director, Halonix Technologies, said: “This threatens fair competition in the LED lighting market, especially for those companies that are compliant with all mandatory consumer safety standards. It is very unlikely that the manufacturers of these spurious products pay the goods and services tax.”