BIS Certification & ISI Mark: 2026 Guide for Manufacturers & Importers
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body. For many products, carrying the ISI mark or a BIS registration is legally mandatory before they can be sold — and the list of covered products keeps expanding.
The Two Main Schemes
- ISI Mark (Scheme I): A product-certification scheme covering items like electrical appliances, cement, steel, packaged water, and food-contact materials. The ISI mark is stamped on the product.
- CRS (Compulsory Registration Scheme): Covers electronics and IT products — mobile phones, LED lighting, power banks, laptops. Products carry a "Self-Declaration of Conformity" with a BIS registration number.
Who Needs It?
Both Indian manufacturers and foreign manufacturers (through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme) must obtain certification if their product falls under a mandatory Quality Control Order. Importers cannot clear such goods through customs without it.
The Application Process
- Step 1: Identify the applicable Indian Standard (IS) and confirm whether it is under a mandatory QCO.
- Step 2: Get the product tested at a BIS-recognised laboratory.
- Step 3: File the application on the BIS portal with test reports and factory details.
- Step 4: For ISI, a BIS officer conducts a factory inspection; for CRS, registration is largely test-report based.
- Step 5: Receive the licence/registration and apply the mark.
Timeline
CRS registration typically takes 3–5 weeks; ISI certification, which involves a factory audit, can take 8–12 weeks. Foreign manufacturer certification takes longer due to overseas inspection logistics.
Penalties
Selling covered products without BIS certification can attract fines and imprisonment under the BIS Act, along with seizure of goods.
Statura guides manufacturers and importers through BIS certification, ISO standards, and CE marking for export markets.