The Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has clarified the permissibility of using customary units such as inches, feet, square feet, yards, and dozen as supplementary declarations alongside standard SI metric units under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009. The advisory reiterates that SI metric units shall continue to remain the legally recognized standard for all commercial transactions, regulatory compliance, and consumer protection purposes. However, customary units may be displayed as additional information for ease of trade, consumer understanding, and alignment with international commercial practices, provided the standard SI units are prominently declared and prevail in case of any dispute or inconsistency. The circular further emphasizes that supplementary declarations must not mislead consumers or create ambiguity regarding measurements, dimensions, quantity, or volume. Manufacturers, importers, dealers, and other stakeholders have been directed to ensure compliance with mandatory SI unit declarations while using customary units only in a non-misleading and explanatory manner to maintain uniformity and legal sanctity under the legal metrology framework.
I-9/1/2026-W&M Section
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES UNIT
Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi
Date: 18.05.2026
To
The Controller of Legal Metrology,
All States/UTs
Subject: Use of Customary Units as Supplementary Statements alongside Standard Units under the Legal Metrology Framework — reg.
It has come to the notice that in certain sectors of trade, commerce, industry and day-to-day transactions, customary units such as inches, feet, yards, square feet, dozen etc. are commonly used for ease of understanding and commercial convenience.
2. In this regard, it is clarified that under the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and the Rules made thereunder, the units of weight and measure prescribed are based on the metric system and the International System of Units (SI units), which shall continue to remain the legally recognized standard units for all purposes of transaction, protection and regulatory compliance.
3. However, use of customary units as supplementary or additional statements may be permitted, provided that:
i. the corresponding standard SI unit prescribed under the Act and Rules is declared prominently;
ii. the customary unit is used only as additional information and not as a substitute for the standard unit;
iii. in case of any inconsistency or dispute, the declaration in standard SI units shall prevail;
iv. the supplementary declaration shall not mislead consumers or create ambiguity regarding quantity, dimension, area, volume, number or measurement.
4. For the purposes of this advisory, “customary units” means units other than the standard units prescribed under the Act and Rules, which are used only for supplementary information along with their equivalent declaration in standard SI units.
Illustrations:
i. 1 metre (39.37008 inches)
ii. 1 metre (3.280840 feet)
iii. 1 square metre (10.7639 square feet)
iv. 12 numbers (1 dozen)
v. 139 cm (55 inches television screen size), etc.
5. The above approach is intended to facilitate ease of trade, consumer understanding, international commercial practices and practical market usage, while maintaining the primacy, uniformity and legal sanctity of standard SI metric units prescribed under the legal metrology framework.
6. All manufacturers, packers, importers, dealers and other stakeholders are requested to ensure that the mandatory declarations prescribed under the Legal Metrology framework are made in standard SI units and that any supplementary customary units are displayed only in a non-misleading and explanatory manner.
Yours faithfully
(Ashutosh Agarwal)
Director (Legal Metrology)
Phone: 011-23389489
dirwm-ca@nic.in
Copy to: All Stakeholders
