New Delhi, Feb. 27 -- Amid a rising toll of firecracker-related injuries during festivals, India has, for the first time, issued comprehensive guardrails for the Rs.6,000 crore industry, aiming to shift accountability to manufacturers and stop hazardous or unauthorized devices from reaching consumers, according to two officials and documents reviewed by Mint.

The health and family welfare ministry's framework, issued earlier this month, spans mandatory safety audits, tighter factory design norms, explicit chemical prohibitions, and a transition to 'green crackers' that reduce particulate emissions by 30-35%.

India has an annual incidence of seven firecracker-related injuries per 100,000 population, underscoring the need to contain what ...