BIS Registration & Certification — What to Get Right Before You Start
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification is the quality gateway to the Indian market. For many product categories — from electrical appliances and electronics to steel, cement, packaged water, and toys — it is not optional: selling without a valid BIS licence is a criminal offence under the BIS Act 2016. For other categories, voluntary BIS certification is the single most credible quality signal available to manufacturers.
What You're Really Buying
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body, established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016 (which replaced the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 1986). BIS formulates product and process standards under the Indian Standards (IS) series, operates a product certification scheme, and issues licences — commonly called BIS licences or BIS hallmarks — that authorise manufacturers and importers to affix the ISI mark (for domestic manufacturers) or the CRS/registration mark (for importers under the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme) to their products. In addition, BIS operates the Hallmarking scheme for gold and silver jewellery under the Bureau of Indian Standards (Hallmarking) Regulations 2018.
For the full scope, current process and what PNPC includes, see the dedicated BIS Registration & Certification service page.
Signs This Applies to You
- Your product falls under a Quality Control Order (QCO) issued by any Ministry — BIS certification is mandatory before you can manufacture, import, sell, or stock the product in India; operating without it is a criminal offence under Section 29 of the BIS Act 2016
- You are a foreign manufacturer or Indian importer of electronic or IT products covered under the Electronics and IT Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration) Order — BIS CRS registration is mandatory and must be obtained before the first shipment clears Indian Customs
- Your product is food- or water-contact (packaged drinking water, packaged natural mineral water, certain food additives, certain packaging materials) — BIS certification under the relevant IS standard is mandated under applicable QCOs and is separate from FSSAI licensing
- You manufacture steel, cement, wire ropes, tyres, LPG cylinders, gas appliances, fire safety equipment, electrical wiring accessories, switches, circuit breakers, or other infrastructure/safety-critical products — mandatory BIS licences cover virtually all of these categories
Before You Assume You Need This
- Your product category has no applicable Indian Standard (IS) and no Quality Control Order — in this case BIS certification is not yet possible or required; a sector-specific quality or safety certification may be more relevant
- Your product is a service, software, or intangible — BIS certifies physical products and processes, not software or services (ISO certification administered by other bodies is more relevant for services)
- You are in a pre-production or prototype stage — BIS licences are tied to actual production facilities that BIS inspectors visit; applying before your manufacturing facility is operational creates delays and wasted documentation effort
Questions We're Actually Asked
What is BIS certification and who issues it?
BIS stands for Bureau of Indian Standards — India's national standards body established under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016. BIS certifies that a product conforms to the relevant Indian Standard (IS). Once certified, the manufacturer or importer can affix the BIS mark (ISI mark or CRS registration mark) to the product. BIS also administers the Hallmarking scheme for gold and silver jewellery. BIS is a body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Is BIS certification mandatory for all products?
No. BIS certification is mandatory only for products covered by Quality Control Orders (QCOs) issued by various Ministries under the BIS Act 2016 and sector-specific statutes. For products not covered by any QCO, BIS certification is voluntary. However, the list of QCO-covered products has expanded significantly since 2019, covering electronics, IT products, steel, cement, packaged food and water, chemicals, toys, helmets, certain textiles, and many more. It is essential to verify the current QCO status for your specific product before assuming certification is optional.
What is the ISI mark and who can use it?
The ISI mark (Indian Standards Institute mark) is the conformity mark issued by BIS to manufacturers who have obtained a BIS licence under the Product Certification Scheme (Scheme I). The ISI mark is a circular mark with the letters 'ISI' and a licence number below it. Only licensed manufacturers can affix this mark — affixing the ISI mark without a valid BIS licence, or affixing a counterfeit ISI mark, is a criminal offence under Section 29 of the BIS Act 2016. The mark must appear on the product or its packaging in the format and minimum dimensions specified by BIS.
Working With PNPC Global
Speak with a PNPC Chartered Accountant and BIS specialist before your next product launch — not after Customs holds your shipment or BIS serves a show-cause notice. Our BIS team has managed certifications across electronics, packaged food and water, steel, chemicals, toys, helmets, and dozens of other categories for manufacturers and importers across India and the UAE.
PNPC Global has advised Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad businesses since 1986. Explore the full Registrations & Licences practice for related services, or go straight to the BIS Registration & Certification page for specifics.
Rates, thresholds and filing dates are set by the relevant authority and revised periodically. Treat anything numeric here as "ask PNPC for the current figure," not as a quoted fact.