A blanket ban on all non-ISI helmets, effective from 1 June, has been announced in India. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had issued a notification “Helmet for riders of Two Wheeler Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020” on 26 November, 2020. The notification stated that all two-wheeler helmets sold in India must comply with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards and should bear the Indian standard (ISI) mark.
According to the notification, the manufactures, sellers, or importers of non-ISI helmets can face a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh or an imprisonment of one year. With this ban, MoRTH aims to eliminate the sale of fake two-wheeler helmets. As per the norms announced last year, imported helmets will also need to comply with ISI norms before being sold. The additional certification requirement could result in a price increase of imported helmets.
Speaking about the development, Rajeev Kapur, President, Two wheeler helmet manufacturer association, said that this implementation will generate more revenue in terms of taxes and duty which was earlier hogged up by unorganised players.
