
India’s New Regulatory Shift: FSSAI License Replaces BIS Certification for Packaged Drinking Water
In a significant update to regulations concerning the packaged drinking water sector in India, the government has announced an important change: the requirement for Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification has been removed. Now, manufacturers must acquire a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license to ensure the safety and quality of their bottled water products. This decision follows an FSSAI notification issued on October 17, 2024, which aims to simplify and strengthen the regulation of packaged water. Overview of the New Regulations Under the revised guidelines, packaged drinking water manufacturers are no longer required to seek BIS certification to market their products. BIS, which had previously served as a quality control standard, has now been replaced by an FSSAI Food Safety License or Registration. Manufacturers can conveniently…