The Indian government has brought smartphone screen protectors under the compulsory-registration framework administered by the Bureau of Indian Standards, creating a mandatory quality threshold for manufacturers and importers serving the domestic market. The requirement will take effect on April 1, 2027, giving the industry slightly more than six months to prepare products, testing arrangements and supply chains for compliance.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology introduced the requirement through a September 21 amendment to the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. Smartphone screen protectors have been added under Indian Standard IS 19348:2025, titled “Glass Screen Protector — Specification.” The BIS compulsory-registration schedule now lists the product as a distinct regulated category.
Once the rule takes effect, covered products will require registration under the prescribed conformity regime before they can be manufactured, imported or sold in India. The intervention extends formal electronics-quality controls into a large accessories category that has traditionally included a fragmented mix of branded products, local manufacturing and low-cost imports.
The government has previously tightened standards for tempered glass used to protect smartphone displays. The new notification moves the finished screen-protector product into the compulsory-registration system, linking market access to compliance with the specified Indian standard.
The measure is expected to affect both domestic manufacturers and the extensive importer and distributor network supplying mobile-accessory retailers and online marketplaces. Industry participants have said a significant share of lower-priced screen protectors sold in India is imported from China. Mandatory registration will require suppliers to demonstrate conformity and could reduce the availability of untested products once enforcement begins.
Optiemus Infracom is among the domestic manufacturers positioned to benefit from the transition. The company has established a screen-protector manufacturing facility in Noida in partnership with US-based specialty-glass company Corning. Optiemus executive chairman Ashok Gupta said the company is working to add capacity for another 20 million screen protectors.
The India Cellular and Electronics Association estimates that the domestic market exceeds 500 million units annually. The industry body projects that formal quality requirements could support a screen-protector industry valued at ₹12,000 crore to ₹16,000 crore, create approximately 60,000 direct and indirect jobs and generate around ₹2,000 crore in goods-and-services-tax revenue. These figures are industry estimates rather than government targets.
The compliance window will be significant for testing laboratories, component suppliers, handset brands and accessory companies that sell through multiple distribution channels. Companies will need to establish which product lines fall within IS 19348:2025, secure the applicable registrations and align inventory cycles before April 2027.
