BIS Certification Online: ISI Mark Licence and CRS Registration

BIS certification is proof from the Bureau of Indian Standards that a product meets the Indian Standard (IS) written for it. When BIS is satisfied, it lets the maker put a Standard Mark on the product. That mark tells buyers, customs officers and marketplaces that the goods were tested and that the factory is under BIS watch.

BIS stands for Bureau of Indian Standards. It is the National Standards Body of India. Its older avatar was the Indian Standards Institution, set up on 6 January 1947. That is where the letters on the famous ISI mark come from.

What "BIS certified" means on a product

A product is BIS certified when it carries a valid BIS mark linked to a live licence or registration. You will usually see one of these:

• ISI mark with the IS number above it and a licence number starting with CM/L below it. This is the product certification mark under Scheme-I.
• Standard Mark with an R-number, used on electronics and IT goods registered under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS).
• Hallmark with a six-character HUID on gold jewellery and artefacts.

BIS certificate, BIS licence and BIS registration

People use these words loosely. In BIS language, an ISI mark is granted through a licence. Electronics under CRS get a registration. A few schemes give a certificate of conformity. All three are BIS certification in the everyday sense, and this page covers all of them.

The certification is voluntary for most goods. It becomes compulsory when the Central Government issues a Quality Control Order (QCO) for a product, as explained below. Source: the BIS product certification page.

Two documents run the whole system: the BIS Act, 2016 and the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The Act gives the powers. The Regulations set the schemes, forms, fees and procedures.

The Regulations have been amended many times. The latest big change is the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026, dated 25 February 2026. It moved most licences to an initial term of up to five years and rewrote the Scheme-II (CRS) fee table.

BIS certification is mandatory only for products covered by a Quality Control Order (QCO) or a similar order under Section 16 of the BIS Act. For every other product it is voluntary. A QCO names the product, the Indian Standard, the scheme and the date from which the mark is compulsory.

Who issues QCOs

QCOs come from the ministry in charge of the product, after consulting BIS. Examples include DPIIT (toys, appliances, footwear, furniture), the Ministry of Electronics and IT (CRS electronics), MNRE (solar modules and inverters), and the steel, chemicals and textiles ministries.

How many products are covered

In a Lok Sabha reply of 12 March 2025, the government said 187 QCOs covered 769 products. The list keeps moving, both up and down:

• Withdrawn: on 13 November 2025 the government reportedly scrapped QCOs for 14 chemical and petrochemical products, such as PTA, MEG, polyester fibre, PVC resin and polycarbonate. QCOs on some metals, such as aluminium, nickel and zinc, were reportedly dropped at the same time.
• Revoked: the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 was withdrawn by the Ministry of Heavy Industries on 16 January 2026.
• Added: the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, notified on 6 April 2026, applies from 1 October 2026 under IS 302 (Part 1):2024. Small units get until 1 January 2027 and micro units until 1 April 2027, as reported.

Always check the live BIS list of products under compulsory certification. It was last updated on 24 September 2026 when we checked.

Decision table: do you need BIS?

Most businesses meet one of four routes. The 2026 amendment groups the ten schemes by whether BIS visits your site: Schemes I, IV, V, IX and X include a site assessment, while Schemes II and VII do not.

Which one applies to you?

You do not choose the scheme. The QCO or the Indian Standard decides it. For example, a power bank is a CRS item, while a domestic pressure cooker needs an ISI licence. Our first step is to read your product's QCO and confirm the scheme and IS number.

Under the Transition QCO

From 25 June 2026, the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 offers a Scheme-II route instead of Scheme-I for products in ten QCOs, such as toys, footwear, air conditioners, furniture and appliances. Only companies that get permission from a DPIIT committee can use it. Details are in the 2026 section below.

An ISI mark licence lets an Indian factory stamp the ISI mark on a named product made at a named address. BIS grants it after it checks your factory set-up and tests samples against the Indian Standard.

Two options for grant

These targets come from the BIS product certification FAQs. They assume your replies, samples and fees are on time.

What BIS expects inside your factory

• Machinery that can make the product to the standard.
• An in-house lab with the test equipment listed in the product's Scheme of Inspection and Testing.
• Calibrated instruments, with valid calibration certificates.
• Trained quality control staff and test records.
• Raw material checks and a traceable batch system.

One licence, one product, one factory

BIS needs a separate application for each product and IS number, even in the same factory. It also needs a separate application for each factory, even for the same product. Extra varieties of the same product can be added later through an inclusion request.

BIS CRS registration is the Scheme-II route for notified electronics and IT goods. There is no factory audit. You get your product tested at a BIS-recognised lab, file the report with a self-declaration, and BIS issues a registration number that you print as an R-number with the Standard Mark.

Electronics and IT items under CRS

The BIS Scheme-II product list shows 64 entries under the Ministry of Electronics and IT order, plus solar PV items under MNRE and a few chemical items. Common ones are:

• Mobile phones, laptops, tablets and notebooks
• Power banks and power adaptors for IT equipment
• LED lamps, LED luminaires and LED modules
• CCTV cameras and recorders
• Smart watches, wireless earphones and speakers
• Solar PV modules, inverters and storage batteries

What the 2026 rules ask for

• A separate application in Form-I for each product, with third-party test reports.
• An undertaking in Form-II and an affidavit in Form-III A, B or C, based on the type of applicant.
• A nominated Indian representative in Form-IV if the maker is outside India.
• Quality complaints must be looked into and closed within 90 days, not counting testing time.

Marking the product

After registration, print the Standard Mark with your R-number and the IS number on the product, packaging or label, as the labelling guidelines say. A registration covers only the brand, models and factory listed in it. New models need a scope extension.

A foreign factory that wants an ISI mark applies under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS). Electronics under CRS follow Scheme-II instead. In both cases the application must come from the manufacturer, not the importer.

Authorised Indian Representative (AIR)

The BIS FMCS FAQs set these rules for an AIR:

• The AIR is nominated with the application.
• It should be a senior person of the maker's Indian office. If there is none, the maker nominates someone on its letterhead in the set format.
• The AIR should be an Indian national living in India. A foreign national working for the Indian office and living here may also act.
• One AIR represents only one manufacturer. The limit does not apply to makers in the same group of companies, or to a related importer acting as AIR.

FMCS steps in short

1. Application and fee on Manak Online.
2. Scrutiny and queries by email.
3. Factory inspection abroad, with samples drawn.
4. Samples tested only in BIS labs or BIS-recognised labs in India.
5. Licence fee and advance minimum marking fee paid.
6. Agreement, indemnity bond and a performance security of USD 10,000 from an RBI-approved bank branch in India.

BIS says FMCS takes about six months on average from a complete application.

Can you import without a BIS certificate?

Not for goods under a QCO that is in force. Section 17 of the BIS Act bars their import without a valid licence and mark, and customs checks this at clearance. Goods outside every QCO can be imported freely. You will also need an Import Export Code; see our IEC registration page.

• Legal right to sell: for QCO products, the licence is the only way to make, import or sell in India.
• Smooth customs clearance: importers of QCO goods avoid detention and re-export orders.
• Marketplace listing: online marketplaces ask for the licence or R-number before listing regulated goods.
• Tenders: government and PSU buyers, including GeM listings, often ask for ISI-marked goods.
• Buyer trust: shoppers know the ISI mark. They can check your number on the BIS Care app in seconds.
• Better process control: the in-house lab and test records cut rejections and returns.
• Lower risk: you stay clear of seizure, fines and the prosecution set out in Section 29.

For micro and small units, the fee concessions running to 31 May 2029 make the licence cheaper than it was a few years ago.

The list depends on the scheme. Keep scans ready in PDF, signed by the authorised signatory.

Small things that save weeks

• Use one legal name and one factory address in every paper.
• Check the expiry date on each calibration certificate.
• If the brand belongs to someone else, get a signed brand authorisation. Register your own brand early through trademark registration.
• Keep the Udyam certificate current. Our MSME registration page explains it.

All BIS applications and payments are made online. Product certification runs on Manak Online, as the BIS apply-for-a-licence page says. Here is how we handle it for you.

1. Free first call: we note your product, brand, factory, size of business and target date.
2. Scheme and standard check: we read the QCO, confirm the IS number, the scheme and any start date or exemption.
3. Gap check: for ISI, we compare your machinery and lab with the Scheme of Inspection and Testing and list what is missing.
4. Lab booking: we help you choose a BIS-recognised lab with the right scope and send samples.
5. Portal registration: we create or update your login and fill the application form.
6. Fee payment: you pay BIS fees online on the portal, at actual.
7. Queries: we draft replies to BIS queries. The Regulations give 30 days to remove a deficiency, extendable for good reason.
8. Factory visit (ISI and FMCS): we prepare you with a checklist and a mock walk-through.
9. Grant: once tests and the visit are fine, you pay the licence fee and minimum marking fee and BIS grants the licence or registration.
10. Handover: you get the licence copy, the marking rules for your product and a calendar of annual dues and renewal.

Testing and the factory visit

For Option-2 ISI and for CRS, the lab report is the core evidence. Only reports from BIS labs or BIS-recognised or empanelled labs count. For ISI, a BIS officer usually spends one day at an Indian factory and two days at a foreign one. The officer checks production, lab and records, and may draw a sample plus a counter sample.

Time is driven by lab queues and how fast you reply. These are BIS's own targets or averages, from a complete application.

Lab testing is often the longest single step. Our own work, from complete documents to filing, usually takes three to five working days. Start at least six months before a QCO start date.

BIS certificate cost has three parts: BIS fees, lab testing charges and our professional fee. Each is paid to a different party. Only the BIS fees are fixed by law.

Scheme-I (ISI) government fees

Concession on the minimum marking fee (notification CMD-2/G-18 of 17 March 2026, valid to 31 May 2029): 80% for micro units, 80% for start-ups, 50% for small units, and an extra 10% for women-led micro, small or medium units, all measured against the large-unit fee.

Scheme-II (CRS) government fees

Concession on the CRS processing fee up to 31 May 2029: 80% for micro units and start-ups, 50% for small units and 20% for medium units. From 1 June 2029 it becomes 20% for all MSMEs. Source: the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026.

FMCS extras

Foreign makers pay in US dollars (SAARC makers may pay in rupees). On top of the ₹1,000 fees, there are visit charges of ₹7,000 per man-day, travel and stay of officers, a ₹10,000 contingency fund, and the USD 10,000 performance security.

Worked example: a micro unit filing CRS for one product

A large company would pay ₹27,000 in BIS fees for the same filing. That gap is why we always ask for your Udyam certificate first.

Our fee

TaxCaller's fee starts at ₹11,999 + GST for one CRS registration with one test report. ISI and FMCS work is quoted after we read your QCO. Government fees, lab charges, inspection travel and the bank security are paid separately at actual, directly to BIS or the lab.

Since 25 February 2026, a BIS licence under Scheme-I is granted initially for up to five years and can be renewed for up to five more years. Before that date, the first term was one to two years. CRS registrations also run for up to five years, renewable for up to five more.

Keeping the licence alive

• Annual fee in advance: the licence fee and minimum marking fee are paid every year before the due date.
• Production statement: file it with the annual dues so BIS can work out the actual marking fee.
• Missed dues: the licence is suspended for 90 days. Pay within that window with a ₹5,000 late fee and the suspension is lifted. If not, the licence is cancelled.
• CRS renewal: apply in Form-VI three months before expiry.
• ISI renewal: apply on Manak Online from the licensee dashboard before expiry, with production details.

Changes during the licence

Tell BIS before you change the factory address, name, brand or models. A licence covers only the factory address named in it, so ask BIS before you move production. New varieties or models need an inclusion or scope extension. BIS also inspects factories and picks market samples during the licence term.

Anyone can check a BIS licence in under a minute. Use the free BIS Care app on Android or iPhone, or the licence search links on bis.gov.in.

The app shows the details BIS holds against that number. If the details do not match the product in your hand, you can complain through the same app. Complaints cover misuse of the ISI mark, Registration Mark or Hallmark, poor quality and misleading ads.

BIS certificate download

BIS issues the licence or registration online. The licensee downloads it from its own login on the BIS portal once it is granted. Buyers do not get a copy from BIS. They verify the number on the app instead. When we file for you, we hand over the PDF and your login details.

The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 sets heavy penalties. The value of the goods drives the fine, so large stocks mean large fines.

• If the value of the goods cannot be found, a year's production is presumed and the last year's turnover is taken as the value.
• The Section 29(3) offence is cognizable. A police officer of DSP rank or above can search and seize without a warrant (Section 32).
• Directors and officers in charge are also liable for a company's offence (Section 30).
• A licensee must compensate a consumer hurt by marked goods that fail the standard (Section 31).

BIS also runs search and seizure drives and can suspend or cancel a licence under Regulations 10 and 11.

Most delays come from a handful of avoidable errors. Here is what we see most often, mapped to the rule it breaks.

Pre-filing checklist

• QCO, IS number and scheme confirmed
• Lab with the right scope booked
• Machinery and test equipment list ready
• Calibration certificates valid
• Brand ownership or authorisation in hand
• Udyam or start-up proof for the concession
• Same legal name and address everywhere

Hallmarking is BIS certification for gold and silver articles. It runs under Sections 14 and 15 of the BIS Act and the BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018. For gold jewellery and artefacts, it is mandatory in notified districts under the Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Order, 2020.

• The jeweller registers with BIS. The article is then tested and marked at a BIS-recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
• Each hallmarked gold article carries a six-character HUID, which buyers can check on the BIS Care app.
• The sixth phase from 2 March 2026 added seven districts, taking coverage to 380. The order was amended again on 28 April and 3 August 2026, and coverage passed 390 districts by November 2026, as reported. Check the current district list.
• Silver hallmarking remains voluntary, as reported in November 2026, but hallmarked silver must carry a HUID from 1 September 2025.

Hallmarking is a separate registration from the product licences on this page. Tell us on the first call if you need it.

2026 was a busy year for BIS rules. These are the changes that matter for a new applicant, with the official source where we could open it.

1. Longer licences: the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026 (F. No. BS/XI/11/01/2025-26, 25 February 2026) set the first term at up to five years for Schemes I, II, IV, VII, IX and X, renewable for up to five years. A corrigendum of 28 April 2026 changed "for five years" to "up to five years" for certificates of conformity.
2. Annual fees in advance: the same amendment requires annual dues in advance, a 90-day suspension for non-payment, a ₹5,000 late fee to revive, and cancellation after that. Suspension for other reasons generally needs 21 days' notice.
3. New CRS fee table: processing fee of ₹25,000 per year, ₹20,000 per extra report, ₹30,000 per scope extension, and renewal three months before expiry in Form-VI. MSME concessions of 80%, 50% and 20% run to 31 May 2029.
4. Marking fee concession extended: notification CMD-2/G-18 of 17 March 2026 kept the 80% (micro and start-up), 50% (small) and extra 10% (women-led) concessions on the Scheme-I minimum marking fee until 31 May 2029. A similar notice covers Scheme-X.
5. Machinery order revoked: the Omnibus Technical Regulation for machinery and electrical equipment was withdrawn on 16 January 2026, so machinery under that order no longer needs Scheme-X certification.
6. Appliance QCO: the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 was notified on 6 April 2026 and applies from 1 October 2026.
7. Transition QCO: DPIIT notified the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 on 25 June 2026 (see the PIB release of 25 June 2026). It offers a risk-based Scheme-II route for ten QCOs. Units with three years of clean QCO compliance are also covered.
8. Hallmarking: a sixth phase from 2 March 2026, more districts added later in the year, and the BIS (Hallmarking) Amendment Regulations of 14 September 2026.

The late-2025 withdrawal of QCOs on chemicals, polymers and some metals also still matters. If you were holding a licence only because of those QCOs, it is now your choice to keep it.

BIS and ISO answer different questions. BIS product certification says a product meets an Indian Standard and lets you use a legal mark. ISO 9001 and similar certificates say your management system meets an international standard. Private certification bodies issue those after an audit.

Many factories hold both. An ISO system helps you run the in-house lab and records that BIS checks. Read our ISO certification guide for that side.

Not sure which licences your business needs overall? Our business licences guide maps them by business type. A new manufacturer usually also needs GST registration and Udyam. Start-ups recognised by DPIIT get the start-up concession, so see Startup India registration too.

TaxCaller has handled registrations and tax work since 2018, from our office in Ghaziabad and online across India. For BIS work we keep it simple and checkable:

• QCO first: we read the order and standard before you spend on testing.
• Fees kept apart: BIS fees and lab charges are paid by you at actual. Our fee is shown separately, plus GST.
• Concession check: we apply the MSME, start-up and women-entrepreneur concessions where you qualify.
• One expert, start to finish: the same person tracks your portal, queries and factory visit.
• After the grant: reminders for annual dues, production statements and renewal.

Talk to us through the contact page, or try the calculators on our tools page for your other compliance dates.