BIS Certification | BIS Certification Schemes in India

BIS certification refers to the process of obtaining a quality standard certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for manufacturing and selling various products in India. The Indian BIS certification schemes are primarily voluntary, offering businesses the flexibility of seeking certification or not. However, for certain products, the Central Government enforces mandatory certification to ensure compliance with Indian Standards. These mandatory certification schemes have several important goals: safeguarding the public, ensuring the safety of people, animals, and plants, promoting environmental protection, preventing unfair business practices, and maintaining national security. In such instances, the Centrals Government mandates using the Standard Mark obtained through a License or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Now, let's delve into the role of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in ensuring the quality standards of products in the Indian market.

Introduction to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is an Indian Standard Organization functioning under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, within the Government of India. BIS is responsible for ensuring the quality, stability, and reliability of products for end users. This is accomplished through the issuance of numerous quality certifications and active involvement in managing, grading, establishing industry standards, and conducting tests for products sold and distributed in India.

In 1986, a law was enacted, empowering BIS to offer a voluntary product certification scheme to the manufacturers. This certification enables manufacturers confident in their product's compliance with Indian standards to use the standard mark, signifying their adherence to prescribed quality standards.

It is important to note that the sale of BIS Mandatory Products within the country requires adherence to applicable Indian standards and the inclusion of the standard mark. Failure to meet these criteria results in the prohibition of selling such products within India.

Now, let's explore the activities undertaken by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Activities of BIS

Let’s see the activities of the Bureau of Indian Standards.

• Standard Formulation
• Product Certification and Marking
• Testing Services
• Training Services
• System Certification
• Industrial Awarness

In the preceding paragraph, we learned about BIS and its activities. Now, let us look at the various certification schemes offered by BIS.

BIS Certification Scheme

Various certification scheme is run by BIS for issuing a number of quality certifications for different products. It aims to ensure that the general public receives high-quality, risk-free products. BIS runs a product certification scheme to grant manufacturers a BIS license to use the standard mark on products and sell them into the Indian Market. Although the product certification scheme is voluntary, the Indian government made it mandatory to obtain BIS certification for several products, including aluminium foil, helmets, pressure cookers, toys, water heaters, cables, etc. The manufacturer must get a BIS licence to use the BIS standard mark on products and sell them in the Indian market.

let's go over the different types of BIS certification schemes.

Types of BIS Certification

• Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme
• Domestic Manufacturer Certification Scheme,
• Compulsory Registration Scheme
• BIS Hallmarking Scheme
• Eco Mark Scheme

Now, since you know about various BIS certification schemes, Let’s understand each certification scheme one by one.

Foreign manufacturer certification scheme:

Let's first understand the foreign manufacturer certification scheme of BIS for the foreign manufacturer.

In compliance with BIS Act 2016,The Bureau of Indian Standards has been running the Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme since 2000. This scheme allows foreign manufacturers to use the standard ISI mark on their product and sell it in India.Under the FMCS scheme, the Bureau of Indian standards grants a BIS license to foreign manufacturers to use the ISI mark on a product that conforms to applicable Indian standards. The foreign manufacturer certification department (FMCD) is the only eligible authority granting foreign manufacturers manufacturing licenses. The major motive BIS giving quality certificates to foreign manufacturers is to ensure that the public receives high-quality, risk-free products.Except for Electronics & IT goods, FMCS is applicable for the issuance of certification mark licenses for all products.The manufacturer must obtain BIS certification for import under the FMCS scheme if the imported product is other than electronics and IT goods.

For Complete Information about ISI Mark for Foreign Manufacturer
Click Here: Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme

Domestic Manufacturer Certification Scheme:

BIS operates a product certification scheme, also known as an ISI mark certification scheme, for the purpose of granting a licence to a manufacturer in accordance with the conformity assessment scheme - I of Schedule II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulation, 2018. Under this scheme, BIS grants manufacturers a licence to use the ISI mark on products that meet applicable Indian standards.

ISI Mark:

ISI Mark is a standard mark awarded by the Bureau of Indian Standards to use on the product. The presence of an ISI mark on a product ensures that it meets the requirements of applicable Indian standards. The ISI mark is a symbol of trust for buyers.

To use ISI Mark on the product, the manufacturer shall have to obtain a BIS licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards. To get a BIS license, the manufacturer must ensure that their product conforms to applicable Indian standards. BIS licenses are only provided to the manufacturers for their products that meet all relevant Indian standards.

For Complete Information about ISI Mark Click Here: ISI Mark certification scheme
ORWatch Our YouTube Video How to Get ISI Mark Certification

Compulsory Registration Scheme:

BIS also operates a Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) for Electronics and Information Technology Goods for the product categories notified by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This scheme was introduced in 2012 by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to safeguard Indian consumers from spurious and substandard goods.

According to Compulsory Registration Scheme Orders, no one shall manufacture or store for sale, sell, import, or distribute goods that do not conform with the Indian standards specified in the order and do not bear the Standard Mark with a unique registration number obtained from BIS.

BIS Certification for Electronics and IT Products comes under BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (BIS CRS) / BIS Registration Scheme. Before releasing electronic and information technology items to the market, BIS registration is essential. Manufacturers of products covered under Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) must apply for BIS Registration after getting their product tested in a BIS-approved laboratory. BIS grants manufacturers a license to use or apply the Standard Mark with a unique R-number on electronics and IT goods. BIS Registration is based on your self-declaration of conformity for goods and articles as per Indian Standards.

Compulsory Registration Scheme:

BIS also operates a Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) for Electronics and Information Technology Goods for the product categories notified by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). This scheme was introduced in 2012 by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to safeguard Indian consumers from spurious and substandard goods.

According to Compulsory Registration Scheme Orders, no one shall manufacture or store for sale, sell, import, or distribute goods that do not conform with the Indian standards specified in the order and do not bear the Standard Mark with a unique registration number obtained from BIS.

BIS Certification for Electronics and IT Products comes under BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (BIS CRS) / BIS Registration Scheme. Before releasing electronic and information technology items to the market, BIS registration is essential. Manufacturers of products covered under Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) must apply for BIS Registration after getting their product tested in a BIS-approved laboratory. BIS grants manufacturers a license to use or apply the Standard Mark with a unique R-number on electronics and IT goods. BIS Registration is based on your self-declaration of conformity for goods and articles as per Indian Standards.

For Complete Information about BIS Registration for Electronics and IT Products
Click Here: BIS Registration Scheme
ORWatch Our YouTube Video How to Get BIS Registration for Electronics & IT Products

Hallmarking Registration:

In order to protect customers against adulteration and obligate jewellers to maintain a legal standard of purity, BIS introduced a gold hallmarking scheme in 2000 and a silver hallmarking scheme in 2005. The precise determination and official recording of the proportionate amount of precious metal in precious metal items are known as hallmarking. As a result, a hallmark is an official mark that is used in many countries to ensure the purity or fineness of precious metal items.

BIS registration is mandatory for jewellers to manufacture or sell gold or silver jewellery. Under the hallmarking scheme, BIS grants registration to jewellers to manufacture and sell hallmark jewellery. BIS gives registration to jewellers for the specified location under the hallmarking scheme. Assaying and hallmarking centres must also be BIS-approved. The assaying and hallmarking centre shall also be recognized by BIS for the assaying and hallmarking of jewellery in accordance with ISO 15820:2009.

For More Information Check : BIS Hallmarking Scheme

Eco mark:

The Bureau of Indian Standards administers ECO Mark Scheme for labelling environmentally friendly products. The Scheme covers various product categories like Soaps and Detergents, Paints, Food Items, Lubricating Oils, Packing/Packaging Materials, Architectural Paints and Powder Coatings, Batteries, Electrical and Electronic Goods, Food Additives, Wood Substitutes, Cosmetics, Aerosols and Propellants, Plastic Products, Textiles, Fire-extinguisher, Leather and Coir & Coir Products. The presence of the ECO Logo beside the ISI Mark on a product indicates that it meets specific Environmental criteria as well as the Quality requirements specified in the applicable Indian Standard.

BIS is responsible for the implementation of the Scheme including the renewal, suspension, and cancellation of licenses, as well as conducting inspections and collecting samples for analysis of any material or substance in regard to which the ECO Mark has been applied.

For More Information Check : ECO Mark Certification Scheme

Products Under BIS Certification Scheme:

Let's take a look at the product covered under the BIS Certification scheme.

Obtaining BIS Certification is not mandatory for all product manufacturers. However, different product categories are required to have BIS certification. 380 items in total require BIS certification. Click Here to view a bis mandatory list of products that must be BIS-certified.

Any manufacturer can also get voluntary BIS certification for their products, which indicates to customers that the products are of high quality and as per Indian standards. Click Here to view a list of 738 products for which a manufacturer may apply for voluntary BIS certification.

However, the BIS takes electronic goods very seriously; therefore, before an electronic product is introduced to the market for general sale, it must first have a BIS Registration.There are around 1687 standards for electronic products in total, each of which specifies the product's safety, dependability, and performance. So far, the compulsory BIS registration has covered 79 goods in the compulsory registration order. Here is a list of the 81 products covered under the Compulsory Registration Scheme.

Benefits of Obtaining BIS certification:

• Manufacturers can win consumer trust by getting BIS certification.
• Consumers become aware that the product is safe and reliable and of good quality
• A manufacturer can get a competitive edge over rivals by obtaining BIS certification.
• The manufacturer can guarantee that the product meets applicable Indian standards.

Process to obtain BIS Certification:

• Documentation
• Application Submission
• Scrutiny of application
• Audit of manufacturing Premises
• Sample collection and testing
• Grant of Licence

Documents required for BIS Certification:

• Business licence
• Trademark licence
• Application form
• Air details
• Authorization letter
• Flow chart of the manufacturing process
• Product Literature
• List of testing equipment & machinery
• Technical specifications
• Any additional documents, if necessary

Costing:

AIR Roles:

All foreign manufacturers shall have to appoint an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) in order to get BIS certification in India under the BIS FMCS scheme or BIS registration under the CRS scheme. The domestic manufacturer may apply directly to BIS online through the BIS login portal without nominating an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR). AIR will be responsible for compliance with the provisions of the Indian BIS Act, Rules, Regulations, and Terms & Conditions given in the BIS Licence guidelines.

The nomination of AIR shall vary as per the following:

• If the manufacturer has a liaison or branch office in India, they will be designated as the AIR.
• If the manufacturer does not have a liaison office/branch office in India, but the proprietor/registered user of the brand/trademark appearing on the object is located in India, the proprietor/registered user will become AIR.
• If the manufacturer has a liaison office in India and there is no proprietor/registered user of the brand/trademark appearing in the article in India, the other organization will be designated as the AIR.

This was all about BIS Certification for the manufacturer for the use of the standard mark. I hope I've addressed all of your concerns about BIS certification.

Conclusion:

As you are aware, it is mandatory for manufacturers to obtain a BIS Certification under various Schemes for uninterrupted exporting and selling of their products in the Indian market. If you're getting your BIS certification for the first time, you might need clarification on the process. That’s why It is best to seek expert advice and support so that they can handle the entire process and assist you in obtaining a BIS certificate.

Aleph India provides consultation to product Manufacturers all over the globe. Aleph team will help you get an ISI mark for your product from BIS in a short span of time. Aleph India empowers Industries to achieve higher production efficiency and quality standards by implementing a proven and internationally accepted quality assurance system.

Aleph India is committed to delivering world-class auditing and quality control assurance services. Aleph Team ensures that the manufacturing process and unit comply with international standards for hustle-free business.

For any query regarding BIS Certification, Product testing, Compliance, Auditing, etc., get in touch with us at +91 9990136656.