BIS Registration

BIS stands as the acronym for Bureau of Indian Standards. It is the National Standard Body of India, constituted under the BIS Act 2016. The main objective of BIS certification in India is to develop standardization, marking and quality of goods and matters related to or supplementary to these matters.

All the manufacturers (Indian or foreign) involved in the manufacturing of products under compulsory certification must acquire a BIS registration certificate. Applicants can register online through the BIS portal to proceed with their BIS registration process.

Professional BIS Certification Consultants can help you obtain BIS certification for import, BIS certification for electronic products and BIS certification for domestic products.

The BIS certification process involves a series of steps, such as filing the application, submitting the documents, product testing, product sample submission, evaluation by BIS authorities, review, and approval.

A wide range of initiatives has been taken by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Some of the key initiatives by BIS include:

1. Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) – Manufacturers of electronic products must register their products with BIS under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) in India to comply with third-party guarantees of safety, quality, and reliability.
2. Standard Formulation – BIS standards are continuously prepared and updated to maintain consistency and excellence in product quality.
3. Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) – This scheme essentially mandates foreign manufacturers to certify their products to conform to the Indian quality standards. It ensures the quality of imported goods to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers.
4. Product Certification Scheme – BIS-certified products are quality compliant and instil a sense of confidence in the end-use-buyers.
5. Hallmarking Scheme – Hallmark is a quality compliance scheme exclusive to precious metals and includes gold, silver, and platinum jewellery and artifacts in its gamut.
6. Sale of Indian Standards – BIS plays a pivotal role in making Indian Standards accessible to the public by making them available for sale. 
7. Laboratory Services – To ensure quality compliance, BIS manages laboratories dedicated to testing and certification.
8. Laboratory Recognition Scheme – BIS offers recognition to laboratories for quality testing and certification.
9. Consumer Affairs Activities – BIS undertakes operations with an aim to safeguard the interest of consumers and ensuring that fair trade practices are followed.
10. Information Services – It offers information and resources to improve the understanding of the public about the quality standards that businesses have to adhere to in the country.
11. Promotional Activities – BIS actively undertakes activities that aim at promoting compliance with quality standards amongst manufacturers and consumers.
12. Training Services, National & International – BIS organizes training programs to boost the awareness of standard compliances at national and international levels.
13. BIS Tatkal Scheme – This scheme enables domestic manufacturers to obtain BIS certification on priority within a stipulated time period of 30 days.

The primary objectives of BIS standards include the following:

1. Ongoing Development – Continuous and amicable development of standardization, quality certification, and marking processes.
2. Creating Uniform Strategy – Development of a uniform national strategy for recognizing standards, aligning them with product development and exports.
3. Quality Control – Emphasising on quality control and standardization.

As a National Standards Body of India, BIS strives for the formulation, standardization and quality assurance of goods, services, processes and systems. The Indian Standards established by BIS act as a third-party assurance for product quality, safety, and reliability to the consumers.

BIS certification is voluntary in nature, but the government mandates that certain products adhere to compliance. Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are regulatory processes applied to safeguard the quality of certain products at the time of import, manufacturing, selling, and distribution in the Indian market. BIS is authorized to issue directives regarding the regulation of different product categories, which helps the applicants in BIS registration process.

These needs are derived from factors including public interest, human, animal & plant safety, environmental protection, prevention of unfair trade practices, and national security. For such products, the Indian government mandates using the Standard Mark under the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or License issued by BIS through Quality Control Orders (QCOs).

BIS not only functions as a Certification Authority but doubles as an Enforcement Authority too for products listed under QCO. BIS ensures that businesses comply with the QCOs through regular assessments, testing and penalizations. Some products that the QCOs cover include toys, household electrical appliances, cement, electronics and IT goods.

BIS certification online application is now available to streamline the complex BIS registration process.

Quality control orders are essential processes concerned with safeguarding the quality of significant products. The purpose of issuing Quality Control Orders (QCOs) is:

1. To block the import of cheap and low-grade products to India.
2. To ensure the access of high-quality products to Indian customers.
3. To grant access to various ministries the right to issue Quality Control Orders (QCOs) u/s 16, 17 and 25 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.

Applicants seeking BIS registration for import must follow the due process, from filing an online application to submitting product samples for testing. Upon evaluation and validation, the BIS authorities issue the certification. The BIS certification online application is available, and importers can file their application to obtain their certificate seamlessly. No importer can sell products that require mandatory BIS registration for import.

BIS certification in India is crucial for manufacturers of specific products that fall under the umbrella of the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS). The benefits of securing the BIS registration include:

1. Total Quality Management (TQM) – Prepares the base for implementing Total Quality Management (TQM).
2. Optimum Utilization of Resources –Ensures that resources are utilized to their optimal capacity.
3. Reduced Expenses – Helps avoid overhead expenses during the manufacturing process, considerably bringing down the costs.
4. Global Recognition – Facilitates the opportunity to tap into global markets leading to business expansion and global recognition.
5. Benchmark of Product Quality – Serves as a benchmark of product quality, instilling a sense of confidence in shareholders and customers alike.
6. Bespoke Quality Management – Enables businesses to implement customised quality management practices specific to their needs.
7. Boosts Goodwill – Helps businesses build goodwill and market reputation, strengthening the trust of their customers and stakeholders alike.

Different types of BIS Registration schemes are:

1. BIS CRS Certification (Compulsory Registration Scheme) – As per the order of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), BIS CRS Registration is mandated for products falling under electronics category.

2. ISI Mark/Certification – ISI Mark assures that no sub-standard products are sold in the market. It is mandatory for 644 product (As per the BIS website) categories to comply with ISI Certification to be eligible for selling in the Indian market.

3. Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS Certification) – Mandates foreign manufacturers to certify their products in accordance with Indian quality standards. Prevents the sale of sub-standard products by these manufacturers.

4. Hallmark – Hallmarking is quality compliance for precious metals and includes gold, silver and platinum jewelry and artifacts to protect consumers against adulteration. However, since 1st April 2023, jewelers are mandated to sell gold jewelry bearing Hallmark Unique Identification Number (HUID) on all 14,18 and 22 carat gold jewelry.

5. Management System Certification – BIS offers certification schemes under the Act of Parliament across various management systems, including Quality Management System, Food Safety Management System and Environmental Management System Certification.

6. ECO Mark Certification – Instituted by the Government of India, the ECO Mark scheme certifies products that are sustainable and environment friendly. Some of the product categories included are Soaps and Detergents, Food Items, Paints, Packing/Packaging Materials, Coir & Coir Products etc.

7. Laboratory Recognition Scheme – To protect the interests of the consumers, BIS recognizes labs by granting them license and registration upon meeting stringent certification and testing standards.

8. Recognition of Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) – BIS is engaged in the acknowledgement and certification of entities working towards assaying and hallmarking processes.

The list of product categories covered under Mandatory BIS registration: Scheme – I (ISI Mark Scheme):
-Cement
-Household Electrical goods
-Batteries
-Oil Pressure Stoves
-Automobile Accessories
-Cylinder, Valves and Regulator
-Medical Equipment
-Steel and Iron Products
-Electrical Transformers
-Electrical Motors
-Capacitors
-Chemicals, Fertilizers, Polymers & Textiles
-Kitchen Appliances
-Domestic Water Heaters for use with LPG
-Air Conditioner and its related Parts, Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls
-Plugs and Socket-Outlets and Alternating Current Direct Connected Static Prepayment Meters for Active Energy
-Domestic Gas Stoves for use with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
-Transparent Float Glass
-Domestic Pressure Cooker
-Cables
-Rubber Hose for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
-Aluminum Foil
-Non-Electric Toys
-Electric Toys
-Flat Transparent Sheet Glass
-Safety Glass
-Woven Sacks
-Butterfly Valves
-Reflectors for Bicycles
-Paper
-Cattle Feeds
-Automobile Wheel Rim Component
-Foot Wear
-Press Tool-Punches
-Helmet for riders of Two-Wheeler Motor Vehicles
-Refrigerating Appliances
-Centrifugally cast (spun) iron pipes
-Flux Cored (Tubular) Electrodes
-Sewing Machine
-Water Treatment System
-Jute Bag

List of some products that received BIS certification recently:

1. Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys
2. Plywood and Wooden Flush Door Shutters
3. Water Coolers
4. Door fittings including different types of door closers and door handles
5. Sandals, Slippers and Hawaiian Chappals

Applicants applying for BIS certification for electronic products in India need to follow regulatory and legal compliances to be authorized to file this application. The Bureau of Indian Standards mandates that applicants seeking BIS certification for electronic products follow the due process.

It is important to obtain BIS certification for electronic products to safeguard consumer safety from malfunctioning hazards and maintain BIS compliance.

Electronic products without BIS certification are not legally eligible for sale in the Indian market.The BIS certification online application is available to help domestic manufacturers file their applications hassle-free.

Applicants seeking BIS certification for domestic products must follow all regulatory and legal compliances, which include applying with the documents, product samples, and site inspection.

Once the end-to-end process is complete, the BIS authorities, at their discretion, decide to either approve or decline the request for issuing BIS certification for domestic products.

Local manufacturers can elevate their brand value by getting BIS certification for domestic products to compete with their imported counterparts.

Yes, BIS registration is mandated for foreign manufacturers aiming to export their products to India. Such manufacturers are mandated to conform to Indian standards and adhere to quality requirements. Some of the reasons to obtain BIS Certification include:

1. Validates product quality mandated by the Indian regulatory authority
2. Critical for products manufactured under the categories – electronics, machinery and chemicals
3. Facilitates custom clearance
4. Instils a sense of confidence in Indian customers
5. Advocates reliability of the manufacturer as a responsible contributor to the Indian market
6. BIS Certification Consultants help you solve the complexities of the process

BIS certification requirements mandate the applicants to follow the documentation process to ensure their application is considered for review and evaluation. The validated applications that are approved are granted certification by the authorities. However, BIS certification consultants can help you streamline your process to make it hassle-free.

There are certain documents required for BIS certification. The list of documents needed for BIS Certification is as follows:

1. Name and address proof of the applicant
2. Name and address proof of the factory
3. Proof of Establishment of Manufacturing Unit such as Certificate of Incorporation (COI) or Registration Certificate, MOA, etc
4. SSI or MSME Certificate
5. Details of Outsourcing of the manufacturing process
6. Layout plan
7. Location plan of the factory
8. Manufacturing Process Flow
9. Detailed list of Machinery involved
10. List of Testing equipment and facilities
11. Calibration Certificates of testing equipment
12. 3rd party laboratory test report as per the Indian Standards
13. If an authorized signatory signs the application, an authorization letter from the CEO in the name of the authorized signatory
14. In the case of Overseas or foreign manufacturers, details of the Indian agent and nomination form
15. Technical details of products, such as PCB Layout, Schematic Diagrams, User Manual and Critical Components List
16. Acknowledgement receipt
17. Letter of Consent from the CEO of the company
18. Undertaking and Affidavit attested with ID Proof and the signature of the approved Indian Representative (in the case of a foreign or overseas manufacturer)
19. Original Test Reports from BIS Laboratory
20. Undertaking related to the test report

The BIS License Application Checklist for BIS registration process follows a two-step method as listed below:

Step 1

Licensing

1. Filing of online application by the applicant as specified by BIS.
2. Payment of online fee.
3. Submission of documents in hard copy within 15 days of the filing online application.
4. Failure of hard copy submission renders the application void.
5. Preliminary investigation and factory inspection by BIS officer.
6. Examination of sample products by BIS officer.
7. Filing of a report by the BIS officer after thorough evaluation.

Step 2

Examination

1. Factory visit by examining authority to validate the test reports.
2. Sending product samples to the laboratory by the BIS officer.
3. Filing of a test report with feedback/brief on the inspection.
4. Preparation of performance review report.
5. After validating the reports, the certificate will be issued by BIS.

BIS registration is valid for 1 year after, which it needs to be renewed. For renewal, documents and prescribed fees need to be paid. However, testing is not required during renewal. In case, the licensee fails to apply for renewal post validity period, their BIS license stands cancelled.

Approval for renewal is subject to application fees, processing charges, annual fees, and outstanding dues (if any) prior to submitting the renewal request.

BIS has been actively contributing to the Indian economy by exercising quality control in the following ways:

1. It acts as a barrier to the sale of unsafe, unreliable, and low-grade products to consumers.
2. Prevents the sale of dangerous products, thereby reducing health hazards to consumers.
3. Promotes import and export of quality products.
4. Minimizes the sale of counterfeit products through stringent quality measures, standardization, certification and testing.
5. Promotes a healthy growth of the economy through consumer welfare.

The registration fees for BIS certification depends primarily on the type of BIS registration. It also varies from product to product and the product category. Considering these factors, the BIS certification cost, including the consultancy packages at Corpbiz, starts from INR 30,000 to INR 40,000 and further varies as per the requirement.

BIS Certification Consultants are critical in helping businesses navigate the complex procedures of obtaining BIS certification for their products. The BIS consultants at Corpbiz, with their years of experience, offer expert guidance through end-to-end processes, from application submission to meeting regulatory compliances.

We are proficient in following a seamless process to obtain BIS certification for import, BIS certification for electronic products and BIS certification for domestic products.

Below is a brief breakdown of the timeline for BIS registration in India for your understanding-
-Day 1- Portal Generation and Application Filing
-Day 7- Conduct BIS Audit
-Day 15- Sample Testing Takes Place
-Day 22- Review Test Report by BIS Officer
-Day 30- Grant BIS License