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Qualification lock-in - electrical equipment (type approval)
What it is
Utilities require equipment to pass type tests at accredited laboratories and the manufacturer to be prequalified with proven supply references before it can bid. Approvals are voltage-class and product-specific
BIS certification adds a parallel mandatory layer for many products
Impact on industries
- The core barrier to entry in electrical equipment - a competitor cannot enter on price alone without years of testing and reference-building
- Protects incumbents against import competition as effectively as any tariff, and applies to foreign suppliers too
- Slow and expensive for the manufacturer, with testing capacity itself a bottleneck and no revenue during the qualification period
- It is why order books rather than capacity determine near-term revenue - only prequalified vendors can bid the work that exists