Bicycle manufacturers urge PM Modi to put DIPP’s order on reflectors at abeyance for a year

Ludhiana August 23, (KNN) Indian Bicycle Manufacturers Association (IBMA) has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention over Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)’s order mandating bicycle manufacturers for using specific reflectors in the bicycle from September 1, 2016. In a letter, the association has urged the PM to put the order at abeyance for at least one year.

“The Supreme Court had formed a committee on Road Safety which has made mandatory use of specific reflectors on the bicycle which are not currently manufactured in India and have to be imported from China.  This decision is being implemented through DIPP making it mandatory from September 1,” said IBMA

R D Sharma, President, IBMA said, “We have requested the Prime Minister to intervene as to stop the implementation of order till the recommended specific reflectors are made in India.”

“This order has created lot of complications not only jeopardizing the “Make in India” mission of the country but also forcing closure of hundreds of MSME units of bicycle manufacturers as well as the existing companies manufacturing reflectors presently being used by the industry,” he added.

Sharma said that reflectors with these standards (ISO-6742, international standard) are manufactured by only one company named Satellite in China. This decision is not only creating monopoly for one Chinese company but also putting a question mark why a product which is currently not manufactured in India is being made mandatory.

“Set of ten reflectors recommended by the committee is already being used by all bicycle manufacturers, but the new specifications set by the Supreme Court committee are Global standard not BIS specific. The decision is only helping Chinese manufacturers.  As per the experts It will take at least one year to get the said manufacturing technology in India and put up new units with the said standards but implementing the above decision from 1st Sept’16 has left the bicycle manufacturers with only one alternative to import it from above Chinese company and also closure of existing MSME units,” he added.

The President suggested, “As the current reflectors are already being manufactured in India by local industry employing lakhs of workers, it is very unfair to suddenly change the standards and close existing industry. For the last almost 70 years there was no law for bicycle rider safety and this decision is highly appreciated but it should be implemented in stages without any side effects.” 

“Therefore, IBMA requests that the order should be put at abeyance for at least a year till the specific product (reflectors are manufactured in India.  Simultaneously, industry should be given one year time to develop new reflectors as per (ISO-6742) so that existing industry could import technology instead of importing finished goods from china and from next year new standard should be made mandatory,” he said. (KNN Bureau)