BIS Certification in India: ISI Mark, CRS and Scheme X
BIS certification is the licence or certificate of conformity granted by the Bureau of Indian Standards, under the BIS Act, 2016, permitting a manufacturer to apply a Standard Mark showing that a product conforms to an Indian Standard. The scheme is voluntary in principle, but for a long and growing list of products the Central Government has made conformity compulsory through Quality Control Orders, and for those products the mark is a precondition to doing business at all.
Once a Quality Control Order commences, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale the covered product without the Standard Mark under a BIS licence. The obligation applies equally to imports, so overseas manufacturers must obtain a licence through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. Contravention is punishable under Section 29 of the BIS Act, and consignments can be detained at customs.
This guide covers the scheme types — Scheme I for the ISI Mark, Scheme II for the Compulsory Registration Scheme, Scheme X for machinery and electrical equipment, plus hallmarking — how to check whether your product is under a QCO, the application route on the correct portal, testing and factory inspection, fees and MSME concessions, validity and renewal, and the penalty exposure. Voluntary management system certification is a separate thing entirely, covered in ISO registration.
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What is BIS certification?
BIS certification is a product conformity licence. The Bureau assesses whether your product meets the relevant Indian Standard — through testing, and in most schemes through inspection of the factory and its in-house quality control — and if satisfied grants a licence under Section 13 of the BIS Act, 2016 to use the specified Standard Mark on that product.
The mark is a claim made to the public, so the licence comes with continuing obligations: maintain the testing facility and records, operate the scheme of inspection and testing, submit to surveillance, report changes, and pay marking fees linked to production. A licence is not a one-time clearance.
BIS is both the certification authority and the enforcement authority. The same organisation that grants your licence runs enforcement operations against spurious marks, which is why misuse of the mark is treated more seriously than a simple licensing lapse.
Is BIS certification mandatory?
BIS certification is basically voluntary in nature. However, for a substantial number of products the Central Government makes conformity with Indian Standards compulsory by issuing a Quality Control Order, in the public interest or for protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of the environment, prevention of unfair trade practices, or national security.
The powers used are those under Section 16 read with Section 17 and Section 25(3) of the BIS Act, 2016. After the commencement date in the order, the covered product cannot lawfully be manufactured, imported, distributed, sold, hired, leased, stored or exhibited for sale without the Standard Mark under a BIS licence.
The list of products under compulsory certification changes frequently as ministries notify new orders and amend existing ones. The only reliable answer for a specific product is the current list of products under compulsory certification on the BIS website, read together with the notified order and any exemptions in it — we check that before advising on a route.
What are the BIS certification scheme types?
The BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 set out several schemes in Schedule II. Choosing the wrong one wastes months, because the portal, the evidence and the inspection regime all differ.
| Scheme | Mark or output | Typical products | Assessment basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheme I | ISI Mark licence | Industrial and consumer goods — cement, steel, food and water products, toys, appliances | Factory inspection plus sample testing |
| Scheme II (CRS) | Registration with a unique R-number | Electronics and IT goods and other notified categories | Self-declaration supported by a BIS-recognised lab test report |
| Scheme X | Standard Mark under Scheme X | Machinery and electrical equipment under the machinery safety order | Technical file and conformity assessment, type or unit based |
| FMCS | ISI Mark licence to a foreign manufacturer | Any QCO product made outside India | Factory inspection abroad plus Indian representative |
| Hallmarking | Hallmark with HUID | Gold and silver jewellery and artefacts | Registration of jeweller plus assaying and hallmarking centre |
| ECO Mark | ECO Mark with the ISI Mark | Environmentally preferable products | Scheme I assessment plus environmental criteria |
Scheme allocation follows the notified order for your product rather than your preference. A product notified under a Compulsory Registration Order goes through CRS; a product under an ISI-based QCO goes through Scheme I; machinery under the machinery and electrical equipment safety order goes through Scheme X.
What is the difference between the ISI Mark and CRS registration?
Scheme I is third-party certification. BIS inspects the factory, evaluates the in-house quality control and testing capability, draws samples, and grants a licence to apply the ISI Mark. Surveillance inspections continue through the life of the licence.
Scheme II, the Compulsory Registration Scheme, works on self-declaration of conformity supported by a test report from a laboratory recognised by BIS under CRS. There is no routine factory inspection, and the output is a registration with a unique R-number that must appear with the Standard Mark on the product and packaging.
CRS was introduced for electronics and IT goods under the Compulsory Registration Order notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in 2012, with categories added repeatedly since, and it now also carries notifications from other ministries. Applications are filed on the dedicated CRS portal rather than the general BIS certification portal — using the wrong portal is a common and avoidable delay.
Who can apply for BIS certification?
- The manufacturer or factory owner of the product — certification attaches to the manufacturing premises
- Each factory separately, even where one company runs several plants
- Each product and variety separately, within the varieties listed on the licence
- Original equipment manufacturers and contract manufacturers, for what they produce
- Foreign manufacturers, through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
- Brand owners only through the actual manufacturer — a trader cannot hold the licence for someone else's factory
- Jewellers, as registered entities under the hallmarking scheme
- Importers, indirectly — they must ensure the overseas manufacturer holds the licence
A foreign manufacturer with no liaison or branch office in India must appoint an Authorised Indian Representative in the prescribed nomination form. The registration or licence issues in the manufacturer's name, but the representative files the application and carries compliance responsibility within India. An importer can act as representative only if specifically appointed and authorised in writing.
What documents are required for BIS certification?
- Completed application form for the applicable scheme
- Proof of establishment — incorporation certificate, factory licence or municipal trade licence
- Address proof of the manufacturing premises and, where relevant, the registered office
- Process flow chart and manufacturing details for the product
- List of plant, machinery and in-house testing equipment with calibration records
- Details of the technical personnel operating the quality control function
- Test report against the relevant Indian Standard from a BIS-recognised or approved laboratory
- Product details — models, varieties, ratings, sizes to be covered by the licence
- Trademark registration or authorisation for the brand to be marked
- Layout plan of the factory where the scheme requires it
- Nomination form and affidavit-cum-undertaking, in the prescribed format
- Undertaking of conformity and, for CRS, the declaration of conformity
- Authorised Indian Representative nomination and undertaking for foreign applicants
- Fee payment proof for application and, where applicable, inspection charges
Under CRS the test report must be current when the application is submitted — the portal guidance requires it to be not more than 90 days old at online submission — and ink-signed hard copies of the application, test report and undertaking must reach BIS within 15 days of filing online, failing which the application is treated as closed.
How do you apply for BIS certification?
- 1.Identify the exact Indian Standard applicable to your product and variety
- 2.Confirm whether the product is covered by a Quality Control Order and under which scheme
- 3.Choose the correct portal — the BIS certification portal for Scheme I and Scheme X, the CRS portal for Scheme II
- 4.Get the product tested at a BIS-recognised laboratory following the sampling guidelines for that product
- 5.Prepare the factory: in-house testing facility, calibrated instruments, records and trained personnel
- 6.Create the applicant account and complete the prescribed application form online
- 7.Upload the document pack and pay the application fee
- 8.Submit ink-signed hard copies where the scheme requires them, within the time allowed
- 9.Facilitate the preliminary factory inspection and sample drawal for Scheme I and FMCS
- 10.Clear queries and shortcomings communicated through the portal promptly
- 11.Pay the annual licence fee and the applicable marking fee once grant is decided
- 12.Receive the licence or registration letter on the portal and begin marking within the permitted scope
BIS states a normal processing time of about 20 working days for CRS registration from receipt of a complete application with hard copies, processed on a first-come-first-served basis, with the applicant responsible for delay caused by an incomplete application or slow query response. Scheme I timelines are longer because they include inspection and sample testing.
What happens during a BIS factory inspection?
For Scheme I and FMCS, a BIS officer visits the manufacturing premises and evaluates whether the factory can consistently produce conforming product. That means looking at the process, the raw material controls, the in-house laboratory, the calibration status of test instruments, the competence of the quality personnel and the records that show routine testing actually happens.
Samples are drawn during the visit and sent for independent testing. A licence is considered on the combined strength of the inspection report and the test results, and deficiencies are listed for rectification before grant.
After grant, surveillance continues. Market samples and factory samples can be drawn, and a failure can lead to stop-marking directions, suspension or cancellation of the licence under the conformity assessment regulations.
What does BIS certification cost?
Government charges come in layers — application, inspection, annual licence fee and a marking fee linked to the quantity marked — and product-specific marking rates are prescribed in the regulations. Testing is usually the largest single external cost.
| Cost head | Charged by | Indicative basis |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | BIS | Fixed per application; long prescribed at a nominal level |
| Preliminary inspection fee | BIS | Per man-day of inspection, payable before the visit |
| Product testing | BIS-recognised laboratory | Per sample, per standard; the dominant cost for most products |
| Annual licence fee | BIS | Fixed per licence per year |
| Marking fee | BIS | Product-specific rate in the regulations, linked to quantity marked |
| Surveillance and sample testing | BIS and laboratories | Recurring through the licence period |
| FMCS additional charges | BIS | Overseas inspection costs and prescribed deposits |
| Professional fees | Consultant | Scoped after a short discovery call |
Fee concessions apply to smaller applicants: BIS has notified enhanced concessions on the fee payable by large-scale enterprises for micro, small and startup enterprises, with an additional concession for women entrepreneur enterprises, available for a notified window. Concession rates, eligibility definitions and the end date are set by notification and change, so we confirm the current position before quoting.
How long is a BIS licence valid and how is it renewed?
Under Scheme I a licence is typically granted initially for up to two years and covers only the varieties listed on it. Renewal is applied for with the prescribed fee and documents, and licences may be renewed for a longer period — commonly up to five years — once a satisfactory performance record exists.
CRS registration has generally been granted for two years at a time, renewable on application, with registered manufacturers able to add new models within the covered scope by the prescribed route. Validity periods are set by the regulations and guidelines for each scheme and are revised from time to time, so confirm the term on your own grant letter rather than relying on a general figure.
Operating on an expired licence is treated as operating without one. Apply for renewal well before expiry, because marking product in the gap between expiry and renewal is a marking offence, not a paperwork lapse.
What is the penalty for selling without BIS certification?
Contravention of a Quality Control Order is punishable under Section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016, with imprisonment or fine or both. The commonly cited structure for QCO contravention under sub-section (3) is imprisonment which may extend to two years, or a fine of not less than ₹2 lakh for a first offence and ₹5 lakh for subsequent offences, with the fine capable of extending to a multiple of the value of the goods.
Separate consequences follow from misuse of the Standard Mark, which BIS pursues through dedicated enforcement operations against spurious marks and unlicensed marking. BIS publishes examples of genuine versus spurious marks and operates complaint channels including a mobile app and its complaints department.
For imports the practical exposure arrives earlier than any prosecution: consignments of QCO-covered goods without a valid BIS licence can be detained at customs, with re-export, confiscation or destruction as the realistic outcomes. Penalty provisions are amended from time to time, so treat these as statutory ceilings and confirm the current text before relying on a figure.
How does BIS certification affect importers?
Domestic rules apply to imports on the same footing. If a product must comply with an Indian Standard when made in India, the same product imported must comply too, which means the foreign manufacturer needs a BIS licence or certificate of conformity — normally through FMCS for ISI-based orders, or CRS registration for notified electronics.
An importer cannot cure the gap by testing the goods after arrival. The mark must be on the product when it is imported, so the sequence is licence first, shipment second. Importers should also align their import export code and ICEGATE registration so the clearance documentation matches the licence details.
Where an importer acts as Authorised Indian Representative, it takes on compliance responsibility in India for the foreign manufacturer's registration. That is a real liability and should be documented rather than assumed informally.
What is BIS hallmarking for jewellery?
Hallmarking is a separate BIS scheme for precious metal articles. Jewellers register with BIS, and articles are assayed and hallmarked at recognised assaying and hallmarking centres, carrying the BIS mark, the purity or fineness and a unique identification number that can be checked by the consumer.
Mandatory hallmarking has been rolled out district by district and extended to additional purities and districts in phases, with exemptions for specified categories, export consignments and turnover thresholds. Because the covered districts, purities and exemptions have changed with each phase, the applicable position for a given store must be checked against the current order.
What are the common reasons BIS applications are delayed?
- Applying under the wrong scheme or on the wrong portal
- A test report older than the permitted window at the time of submission
- Testing done at a laboratory not recognised by BIS for that product
- Hard copies with scanned or stamped signatures instead of ink signatures
- Hard copies not reaching BIS within the permitted days, closing the application
- In-house testing equipment absent or out of calibration at inspection
- Product varieties or models applied for that the test report does not cover
- Brand marked without trademark ownership or written authorisation
- Slow response to shortcomings raised on the portal
- Foreign applications filed without a properly nominated Authorised Indian Representative
Why choose Arjun Filings for BIS certification?
Arjun Filings runs BIS certification as a checklist-first engagement: a qualified CA or CS scopes the work, tells you exactly which documents are needed, and reviews every form before it is signed and submitted. You get a named specialist, a status update at each stage, and a compliance calendar for whatever comes next.
- End-to-end help for BIS certification
- Department-ready document pack
- Application tracking updates
- Renewal calendar starter