On the occasion of National Consumer Day 2025, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, the Hon’ble Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Pralhad Joshi, released IS 19445:2025 – Bomb Disposal Systems — Performance Evaluation and Requirements, an Indian Standard aimed at strengthening safety and standardisation in bomb disposal operations.

Need for the Standard

The formulation of IS 19445:2025 was initiated following a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL), DRDO, in view of the following factors:

• Increasing deployment of bomb disposal systems across security and civilian agencies
• Absence of a dedicated Indian Standard for performance evaluation of such systems
• Limited access to international standards and their partial misalignment with Indian threat profiles, munitions, and operational conditions

Bomb disposal systems such as bomb blankets, bomb baskets, and bomb inhibitors are commonly used to mitigate explosive threats. While several public and private sector entities manufacture these systems in India, their safe and effective field deployment requires rigorous and standardised performance evaluation.

Key Provisions of IS 19445:2025

The standard provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating bomb disposal systems, particularly with respect to blast loads and splinter effects. It specifies:

• Requirements for test equipment and test range conditions
• Evaluation procedures to objectively assess system performance
• Defined test methodologies, apparatus, test specimens, and acceptance criteria

The standard serves as a reference for test sponsors, manufacturers, and accredited testing agencies, enabling uniformity in testing, certification, and procurement practices.

Development Process

IS 19445:2025 has been developed through a consensus-based process under the Arms and Ammunition for Civilian Use Sectional Committee (PGD 28). For this purpose, the Bomb Disposal Systems Panel (PGD 28/P1) was constituted under the convenorship of TBRL, DRDO.

The formulation involved wide stakeholder participation, including:

• Defence and internal security agencies: DRDO, NSG, MES, DGQA, Central Armed Police Forces
• Central and State Government organisations: State Police authorities, Airports Authority of India (AAI), NCRTC
• Research and development institutions: BPR&D, NRAI, TBRL, NSFU
• Public and private sector manufacturers
• Testing and certification experts

Active involvement of government user agencies ensured that the standard reflects operational realities, safety considerations, and field-level requirements of personnel engaged in bomb detection and disposal.

Alignment with Global Practices

While developing IS 19445:2025, due consideration was given to international best practices and globally accepted performance concepts, suitably adapted to Indian threat scenarios and operating environments. This approach promotes global alignment while maintaining national relevance and supports Indian manufacturers in enhancing international competitiveness.

Key Benefits

The newly released standard addresses the growing operational risks faced by the Indian Armed Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, State Police, and civilian agencies due to unexploded bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and hand grenades encountered in conflict zones, cantonment areas, and public places. The standard is expected to provide the following benefits:

• Clearly defined and objective performance evaluation criteria
• Enhanced safety of operators, first responders, and bystanders
• A transparent and uniform basis for procurement, testing, and certification
• Support for indigenous development and innovation under Make in India
• Improved reliability and interoperability of equipment across agencies

Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Smt. Nidhi Khare, stated that IS 19445:2025 is intended for voluntary adoption by procurement agencies, manufacturers, and testing bodies, and is expected to bring uniformity in evaluation practices, promote quality-driven manufacturing, and enhance confidence in bomb disposal systems deployed in critical security operations.

The release of IS 19445:2025 reaffirms the commitment of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to advancing national priorities through timely and relevant standardisation, contributing to public safety, national security, and technological self-reliance.

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RT/SB