The Indian Standards Institution (ISI) has been certifying products in India since 1955. In 1987, the newly founded Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) took over some of the tasks of the older authority. Today, the BIS, headquartered in New Delhi, is the authority responsible for certification. However, it still issues two types of certifications, BIS-ISI and BIS-CRS. In contrast to the Indian Standards Institute Certification Scheme (ISI), CRS stands for Compulsory Registration Scheme.
Since certification has been combined under one authority, BIS-ISI is also known as Registration Scheme I, while BIS-CRS is known by analogy as Registration Scheme II.
A first overview of which certification your product needs can be found in our list of BIS mandatory products.
However, the regulations are often unspecific and change frequently. Therefore, we will be happy to check for you in detail which certification your product needs.
For the manufacturing company, the main difference between the two certifications is that only BIS-ISI certification requires a factory audit.
Manufacturers of IT and consumer electronics can usually avoid a factory inspection, because their products are covered under the BIS-CRS scheme. Also, under this scheme, product tests are not necessarily requested every year, but this must be determined on a case-by-case basis.
BIS CRS India certification
For BIS-CRS, the certification process looks like this:
BIS ISI India certification
Almost all other product groups require BIS-ISI certification. Here, a factory inspection is needed, which is usually performed a few months after application. During the factory inspection, the auditor selects test samples, which must then be sent to India for testing.
Thus the certification process for BIS-ISI is this:
In order to avoid revisions, it is extremely important that the information on all documents is correct. There are several test laboratories in India that can perform BIS inspection and safety BIS testing of the parts.
Here is a brief video about the BIS certification, presented by Julian Busch, director of
MPR International GmbH:
An Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) performs three essential tasks without which a certification cannot be completed. He is a customs agent, submits test reports and must be able to answer queries at any time.
According to the Indian certification regulations, a customs agent is required to receive the shipment in India and forwards it to the BIS-accredited test laboratory.
In addition, an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) must be appointed to submit the test reports to the relevant authority within 90 days for final assessment of your application.
The AIR must also be available for queries at all times.
There are two markings that could be applicable to your product:
The BIS-CRS and the ISI marking (see below).
The BIS Standard Mark (left) and the ISI label (right).
Please note that “component level parts” of a BIS mandatory “complete system” may also require BIS approval. As documentation is often inconsistent, test laboratories may have differing opinions on the exact types or applications which require mandatory certification. Conversely, if a system does not require compulsory BIS registration, its sub-system components would not require BIS type approval either when included in a “system.” However, these components may be subject to needing BIS certification as a stand-alone product. It is important that your products arrive at customs with the proper documentation to avoid problems.
The BIS certificate is valid for two years and can be renewed if there are no changes of the product or the BIS standard.
After the end of the BIS certification process, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) may ask for random sample tests and randomly assign a test lab to carry out the BIS surveillance. Normally, the factory/local representative has then 15 business days to comply with this order and coordinate the sample testing. The testing facility will then provide the report to MeitY.
Here you can find an overview of our BIS Certification Service Package.
For more information regarding the BIS certification process, please read our free information booklet “BIS Certification – The Booklet“.
