New safety regulations for machinery, equipment to affect MSMEs: GTRI

The new safety regulations for machinery and electrical equipment issued by the government will affect domestic production by the MSME segment and delay the import of essential equipment, think tank GTRI said on Monday.

It suggested extending the compliance timeline, implementation in a phased manner, and extending government support to help the industry deal with the regulations.

It said that while large corporations may have the resources to meet new safety standards, MSMEs face unique challenges in complying with the Ministry of Heavy Industry's (MHI) order.

These challenges include financial, technical, and infrastructural constraints, making compliance a significant burden for small businesses, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said.

On August 28, 2024, the Ministry introduced the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024, which is set to take effect on August 28, 2025.

These comprehensive regulations bring in stringent saf