India BIS Certification

The Bureau of Indian Standards has expanded its mandatory certification programme aggressively since 2017, when the BIS Act 2016 came into force. What was once a voluntary quality mark for a limited range of steel and food products has become a mandatory gate for over 800 product categories including LED lighting, solar photovoltaic modules, electronic toys, set-top boxes, mobile phones, chargers, laptop adapters, refrigerators, washing machines, cement, steel, and a wide range of chemicals and food contact materials. The pace of new mandatory orders has accelerated each year, meaning companies that assessed BIS requirements two years ago may now find new product lines have been brought into scope.

For non-Indian manufacturers, the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) provides a direct route to BIS certification without requiring a local manufacturing partner. Under FMCS, the foreign factory applies directly, submits to testing by a BIS-recognised laboratory in India, and agrees to factory audits by BIS officers — a process that requires significant lead time and local coordination. Indian importers cannot substitute for FMCS certification; if a mandatory order covers a product, the manufacturer must be the certificate holder.

A critical practical point is that BIS certification is linked to the specific manufacturing site and cannot be transferred when a factory moves or when production is shifted to a new facility. In addition, the BIS standard mark must be physically stamped, etched, or labelled on each product unit — not just on packaging — and the marking must remain legible throughout the product's normal use life. Sustalium tracks your active BIS licences alongside their renewal dates and audit schedules, and maintains the documentation that BIS officers request during factory surveillance visits.