Overview
- Union Minister Pralhad Joshi released IS 19412:2025 on National Consumer Day, formally establishing national quality and safety rules for agarbattis.
- The standard prohibits insecticidal and synthetic fragrance chemicals including alethrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, benzyl cyanide, ethyl acrylate and diphenylamine due to concerns over health, indoor air quality and ecological safety.
- It classifies incense sticks as machine-made, hand-made or traditional masala and prescribes requirements for raw materials, burning quality, fragrance performance and chemical parameters.
- Manufacturers that meet the requirements may display the BIS Standard Mark to help consumers identify compliant products.
- Officials say the framework supports a roughly Rs 8,000 crore industry that exports about Rs 1,200 crore to more than 150 countries, with an eye to strengthening market access for artisans and MSMEs.