Pune: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will soon begin taking action against unregistered safe-making units in Pune. This initiative follows a period of raising awareness among manufacturers and the public about the importance of BIS registration for home and commercial safes. BIS deputy director Nikhil Chandatre said that while few units have registered so far, the department is providing ample time for compliance due to current low awareness levels. “After this grace period, the BIS will initiate search and seizure operations against non-compliant manufacturers,” he said. Chandatre made these remarks in Pune on Thursday at a security solutions event organized by the Godrej Enterprises Group.Pushkar Gokhale, business head of Godrej Security Solutions, highlighted a significant concern regarding the unorganized sector. “Many unregistered safe makers utilize used steel from ship-breaking yards, which is unsuitable for manufacturing durable, fire-resistant, or tamper-proof safes,” he said.In Dec 2023, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued a quality control order setting standards for production, import and sale of safes, directing all manufacturers to register with BIS and comply with the standards. Some of the standards set specify the thickness of the walls of the safe and its doors and include features such as anti-rust and fire resistance.“The response from manufacturers to register is poor till now,” Chandatre said, adding that the bureau has given micro and small enterprises time till December to comply with the guidelines for manufacturing safes.Gokhale said there is a rising demand for home safes that can be stored underground in the case of bungalows or in the form of drawers for senior citizens. “There is a demand for technologically advanced safes that have multiple access points and can be tracked via GPS,” he said.“Market penetration for home safes is low in comparison to commercial safes used by banks and jewellers. With rising demand for gold loans and gold prices, commercial players are seeking advanced safes. The demand for safes is also coming from tier II and tier III cities,” Gokhale added.
