BIS vs AGMARK: Difference and Comparison

The Bureau of Indian Standards is known by the acronym BIS. The Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, has its headquarters in Old Delhi’s Manak Bhawan.

Agricultural marketing is the full name of AGMARK. AGMARK was founded in India in 1937 under the Grading and Marketing Act, which was later revised in 1986 and covers agricultural produce. Faridabad, Haryana, is home to the AGMARK’s headquarters.

Key Takeaways

  1. BIS is a national standardization body that focuses on ensuring quality and safety in various products and services, while AGMARK is a certification mark focusing on agricultural products.
  2. BIS is mandatory for certain products, such as electronics and chemicals, while AGMARK is voluntary for agricultural products.
  3. BIS covers a wide range of products and services, while AGMARK is specific to agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, and spices.

BIS vs AGMARK

The difference between BIS and AGMARK is that the Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, was established by the Indian government’s Food & Public Distribution arm in collaboration with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Consumer Affairs. On the contrary, the AGMARK was established by the Indian government as a service provided by the Department of Agriculture’s Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, as well as Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, which is part of the ministry of Farmers and Agricultural Welfare.

BIS vs AGMARK

BIS, or the Bureau of Indian Standards, has its headquarters in Old Delhi’s Manak Bhawan. The main responsibility of BIS is to establish standardized efforts in a coordinated manner by labeling and quality monitoring goods and offering certification.

BIS is a highly large and diverse organization in India, covering a wide range of products. BIS has established over 20,000 standards in many areas, including for Indian producers, Indian importers, and international manufacturers.

The AGMARK’s headquarters are in Faridabad, Haryana. AGMARK is a sort of certification given to all types of agricultural products manufactured and produced in India. In comparison to BIS, AGMARK covers fewer items and standards.

They cover around 205 different commodities based on quality standards, including essential oils, vegetable oils, cereals, pulses, semi-processed items such as vermicelli, and many others.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonBISAGMARK
Known asBureau of Indian StandardsAgricultural marketing
EstablishmentIndian Standards Act of 2016.Grading and Marketing Act, 1937
Set up underFood and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer AffairsDirectorate of Marketing and Inspection
StandardsMore than 20,000Around 205
Head OfficeManak Bhawan, Old DelhiHaryana, Faridabad

What is BIS?

BIS is a large and diverse organization in India that regulates a wide range of items. BIS has established about 20,000 standards in many areas, such as for Indian manufacturers, Indian importers, and international producers.

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They also offer certifications for management systems.

However, it became effective on October 12, 2017. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is headquartered in Manak Bhawan, which is in Old Delhi.

The main responsibility of BIS is to coordinate the growth of standardized activities by labeling and quality-checking items and granting certification.

The Bureau of Indian Standards is abbreviated as BIS. The Bureau of Indian Standards, or BIS, was established by the Indian government’s Food & Public Distribution unit in collaboration with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs Department of Consumer Affairs.

The Indian Standards Act of 2016 established BIS in India’s territory.

What is AGMARK?

AGMARK is a sort of certification that is given to all types of agricultural products created and produced within the Indian territory.

In comparison to BIS, AGMARK covers a smaller number of items and standards. Agricultural marketing is the full version of AGMARK.

The AGMARK’s corporate headquarters are in Faridabad, Haryana. They cover over 205 different commodities according to quality standards, including essential oils, vegetable oils, cereals, pulses, semi-processed items like vermicelli, and many others.

The AGMARK is a service provided by the Department of Agriculture’s Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, as well as Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, which is part of the Ministry of Farmers and Agricultural Welfare.

AGMARK was founded in India under the Grading and Marketing Act of 1937, which was later revised in 1986, and falls under the category of agricultural produce.

Main Differences Between BIS and AGMARK

  1. BIS is the acronym used for the Bureau of Indian Standards. On the other hand, the full form of AGMARK is agricultural marketing.
  2. The Bureau of Indian Standards or commonly known as BIS, was set up by the government of India under the Food & Public Distribution unit along with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs under the Department of Consumer affairs. On the other hand, the AGMARK was set up by the Government of India as a service by the Department of Agriculture in its Directorate of Marketing and Inspection along with Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, which comes under the ministry of Farmers and Agricultural Welfare.
  3. BIS was established in the territory of India by the Indian Standards Act of 2016. However, it was effective from 12 October 2017. On the other hand, AGMARK was established in India under the Grading and Marketing Act, 1937, further amended in 1986, which comes under agricultural produce.
  4. The headquarters of BIS or the Bureau of Indian Standards is located at Manak Bhawan, which is at Old Delhi. On the other hand, the head office of the AGMARK is located in Haryana at Faridabad.
  5. The main responsibility of BIS is related to the development of the standardization activities in a harmonious way by marking and quality checking by providing the certification of goods. On the other hand, AGMARK is a type of certification that is provided to all types of agricultural products that are being manufactured and produced within the territory of India.
  6. BIS is a very wide and broad body covering a variety of products in India. Even more than 20,000 Standards have been set by BIS in various aspects like for Indian manufacturers, Indian importers, foreign manufacturers. Moreover, they also provide management system certifications. On the other hand, AGMARK covers comparatively lesser products and standards in comparison to BIS. They cover about 205 varieties of commodities according to quality guidelines spanning a variety of essential oils, vegetable oils, cereals, pulses, semi-processed products like vermicelli, and many more.
References
  1. https://gatesopenresearch.org/documents/3-1043
  2. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/T-Krishnakumar-2/publication/350376343_Quality_Management_of_Agricultural_Products_in_India/links/605c802c458515e8346cffeb/Quality-Management-of-Agricultural-Products-in-India.pdf
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Last Updated : 17 July, 2023

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