The government has banned the sale of low-quality smartphone screen protectors that do not meet prescribed quality standards, with mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification becoming effective from April 1, 2027. According to a notification dated September 21, 2026, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has brought smartphone screen protectors under the mandatory BIS registration framework. The provisions of the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, shall apply to screen protectors for smartphones for conforming to the corresponding Indian standard IS 19348:2025. The notification specifically states that "the introduction of mandatory BIS standards for screen protectors marks an important milestone for the category and a welcome step towards building a quality-led, Made-in-India ecosystem." The government has provided a transition period until March 31, 2027, ensuring manufacturers and importers have adequate time to comply with the standards. The amendment brings screen protectors sold in India—whether imported or made in India—under the Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) framework, with the notification issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
The mandatory BIS certification is expected to curb sales of low-quality smartphone screen protectors and help domestic manufacturers like Optiemus Infracom, which has significantly expanded its production capabilities. According to reports from Business Standard, Optiemus Infracom executive chairman Ashok Gupta stated that the introduction of mandatory BIS standards marks an important milestone for the category and a welcome step towards building a quality-led, Made-in-India ecosystem. The company has set up a production unit in Noida to manufacture tempered glass screen protectors using technology from US material technology firm Corning and expects to start shipments from January 2027. As per the latest notification, "At Optiemus Infracom, we are building on our existing screen-protector manufacturing capabilities, with a planned additional capacity of 2 crore units, to meet emerging demand and contribute to the growth of the domestic ecosystem." The company—which recently launched its RhinoTech brand using glass engineered by Corning—operates an annual capacity of 24 million units and plans to eventually scale production up to 100 million units. The six months to the deadline give domestic manufacturers time to set up production lines, qualify their processes against the standard and secure BIS registration before enforcement begins. The notification specifies that the requirement will not amount to an immediate ban on smartphone screen protectors currently available in the market, instead introducing a mandatory standards-based registration requirement from April 2027.
The domestic market for tempered glass screen protectors is estimated at 500 million pieces with a retail value of ₹20,000 crore in 2025, as reported by Business Standard. Mobile device makers body ICEA chairman Pankaj Mohindroo projected that mandatory BIS certification from April 1, 2027, will catalyse a ₹12,000-16,000 crore quality-driven industry. The initiative is expected to generate around 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute an estimated ₹2,000 crore in GST revenues. Additionally, Optiemus expects ₹1,800-2,000 crore revenue in the current financial year from its tempered glass screen protectors business, with the company's planned capacity expansion of 2 crore units to meet emerging demand in the domestic market. For consumers, the change could bring greater standardisation to the smartphone screen protector market once the rules take effect, though any impact on pricing or product availability will depend on how manufacturers and importers meet the new compliance requirements. The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) estimates that India consumes approximately 500 million screen protectors a year, of which more than 90% is currently imported, highlighting the significant opportunity for domestic manufacturers.
The regulatory framework addresses a significant quality crisis in the current market, where roughly 98% of products are currently imported, predominantly via unorganised grey-market channels from China at nominal unit costs of 2 to 3 rupees ($0.02 to $0.04). Quality tests cited by an Axis Capital report based on Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) data revealed that five out of seven grey-market glass samples displayed zero compressive stress despite being sold as tempered glass. Under the new framework, manufacturers will have to meet stringent quality requirements and ensure screen protectors are properly tested before selling in India. According to the latest notification, manufacturers must provide key product details on packaging, including the manufacturer, batch number and thickness. The new IS 19348:2025 standard sets comprehensive quality and testing requirements for glass screen protectors, covering various aspects of product quality and safety. The industry chamber noted that "the screen protector market had become systematically distorted without the mandatory quality control, with sub-standard items misrepresented as 'tempered glass' despite lacking proper tempering." Prices of screen protectors range from ₹50 to ₹2,500 with no correlation to actual quality, while unfair trade practices such as under-invoicing and misdeclaration are rampant. The notification specifies that the requirement will not amount to an immediate ban on smartphone screen protectors currently available in the market, instead introducing a mandatory standards-based registration requirement from April 2027.
The formalisation of India's domestic screen-protector market could unlock significant export potential, with the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) estimating that India could capture 15% of the global screen-protector trade, representing a ₹20,300 crore ($2.4 billion) export opportunity. This represents a substantial growth opportunity for domestic manufacturers like Optiemus Infracom, which has positioned itself to meet both domestic and international demand. The ICEA estimates suggest that formalising the domestic market could stimulate growth across local packaging, logistics, and retail supply chains, creating a comprehensive ecosystem of quality-focused manufacturing and distribution. The policy shift aims to regulate a market where current quality issues have been widespread, with the new BIS certification requirements ensuring that only compliant products enter the market, potentially transforming India from a low-cost manufacturing hub to a quality-focused global supplier in the screen-protector segment. The amendment will also create approximately 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and position India as a global manufacturing hub for quality screen protectors, bringing this trade into the formal economy and creating a level playing field for compliant manufacturers.
