Will Tempered Glass Get Costlier? All About Government's New Screen Guard Rules

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has announced new rules for screen protectors by putting them under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) registration. The government has taken strict action against the sale of substandard smartphone screen protectors, also known as screen guards or tempered glass. The government has added "screen protectors for smartphones" to the compulsory registration framework for electronic goods in a September 21 notification. The decision aims to protect users from poor-quality mobile accessories. 

The government notification simply means that all manufacturers and importers selling glass screen guards in India must get their products tested and certified as per the benchmark IS 19348:2025. This particular benchmark will regulate key features like glass strength, thickness, scratch resistance, adhesives, and special coatings.

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Will screen guards rule change immediately?

No, it won't be implemented immediately, as the deadline is set for April 2027. Meanwhile, users can continue buying screen guards as usual.

But once implemented, buyers will no longer have to guess whether a guard is reliable. Looking for the BIS Hallmark / IS 19348 mark will guarantee that the guard meets official safety and strength standards.

What are the new guidelines?

Durability: The manufacturers will now have to ensure that the glass actually absorbs impact during a fall.

Safety coatings: The officials will also check anti-shatter layers to ensure that the broken pieces stay together without causing injury.

Material: The government has also regulated extra features like oleophobic (fingerprint-resistant) coatings, anti-glare finishes, and blue-light filters.

Packaging rules: After the latest regulations, manufacturers must clearly state certain key information like name, batch number, date of manufacture, exact glass thickness, and, of course, display the BIS standard mark.

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Will tempered glass get expensive?

While prices will not spike overnight, industry experts expect the cost of basic screen protectors to go up, probably because of additional testing and registration costs as manufacturers and importers will have to pay for lab testing and legit certifications. These added compliance costs will likely trickle down to buyers.

As per the news agency PTI, smartphone screen protectors are the 66th item to be notified under the rule. Other items in the list include smartphones, laptops, mobile and laptop chargers, LED televisions, microwave ovens, printers, and set-top boxes, among others.

"The introduction of mandatory BIS standards for screen protectors marks an important milestone for the category and a welcome step towards building a quality-led, Made-in-India ecosystem. At Optiemus Infracom, we are building on our existing screen-protector manufacturing capabilities, with a planned additional capacity of 2 crore units, to meet emerging demand and contribute to the growth of the domestic ecosystem," Optiemus Infracom executive chairman Ashok Gupta said as quoted by the news agency.

The domestic market for tempered glass screen protectors is estimated at 400 million pieces with a retail value of Rs 20,000 crore in 2025.