The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a central body responsible for the standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods, has directed cement manufacturers to refrain from making claims that are not backed by the relevant Indian standards. Cement manufacturers may soon have to change the way they market or differentiate their products.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a central body responsible for the standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods, has directed cement manufacturers to refrain from making claims that are not backed by the relevant Indian standards.

The cement department comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution."Manufacturers are making various objective claims – such as "Protect Steel in Concrete", "Protect Concrete from Corrosion", "Corrosion Resistant", "Weather Proof", "Damp Proof" – for describing their product," the bureau said in a circular on August 28.

"These objective claims are not prescribed and not verifiable as per the relevant Indian Standard for the product," it added. A spokesperson for a top cement manufacturer said the reason for the sudden move was because some players had made absurd claims, including that cement protects from the COVID-19 virus.

"Some of the points, like being corrosion-resistant or giving more strength, have been there for centuries. In the name of hanging some, BIS is hanging everyone. A move like this will choke the industry and take away advertising liberties," the person, who requested anonymity, added.

According to the circular, manufacturers are also making various subjective claims such as "Stronger", "High-Performance Cement" which are also not backed by the relevant Indian standard. Some of the claims may even form part of the registered trademark of the manufacturer.

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