Placing a product on the Indian market increasingly means certifying it first. India has expanded mandatory product standards rapidly, and for a growing list of goods, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification is a precondition to import, sale or even stocking. For corridor businesses, this is the India-side counterpart to the UAE’s conformity regime, and it catches many exporters by surprise.
ATB Legal advises importers, manufacturers, brand owners and foreign producers on India product compliance – whether a product is covered by a Quality Control Order or registration requirement, which BIS route applies, how foreign manufacturers obtain certification, and what to do when goods are held or face market-surveillance action.
1. Product Market Access in India
Market access for goods in India is governed in large part by the Bureau of Indian Standards under the BIS Act 2016, which makes BIS the national standards and conformity-assessment body. For an expanding range of products, certification against the relevant Indian Standard is mandatory before the goods can be imported, sold or stocked – and India has been issuing new mandatory standards at pace.
Knowing whether a product is covered, and by which scheme, is the first question. ATB Legal advises on the BIS and standards position for specific goods and on the certification path to market.
2. BIS & the ISI Mark
BIS certification against an Indian Standard entitles a product to carry the ISI mark, the long-standing sign of conformity. For products under mandatory certification, the mark is not a marketing choice but a legal precondition to sale, and using it without certification – or selling covered goods without it – is an offence under the BIS Act.
ATB Legal advises on BIS product certification, on the standards a product must meet, and on the licensing that allows the ISI mark to be used.
3. The Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS)
For electronics and IT goods notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, BIS operates the Compulsory Registration Scheme – a registration based on testing against the relevant Indian Standard and a self-declaration of conformity. Covered products must be registered before they can be sold in India.
ATB Legal advises on whether an electronic product falls under the CRS, on the registration, and on the labelling and compliance the scheme requires.
4. Quality Control Orders (QCOs)
The principal driver of mandatory certification is the Quality Control Order. Issued by the relevant line ministry, a QCO makes BIS certification mandatory for a notified product – barring its import, sale or stocking without certification – and specifies the product, the applicable standard and the effective date. India has been issuing QCOs rapidly: by 2025 well over 180 QCOs covering several hundred products were in force, and the list continues to grow, with periodic additions and exemptions.
Because the scope changes frequently, the practical risk is being caught by a new QCO. ATB Legal advises on whether a product is under a QCO, on the certification required, and on planning for QCOs that are notified but not yet in force.
5. The Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS)
A manufacturer located outside India that wants to export covered products to India obtains BIS certification through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme – the route by which an overseas factory secures a BIS licence and the right to apply the ISI mark. It involves application, testing and, typically, a factory assessment.
ATB Legal advises foreign manufacturers – including UAE-based producers exporting to India – on the FMCS process and on maintaining the licence once it is granted.
6. Imports, Customs Interface & Enforcement
BIS compliance is enforced at the border and in the market. Customs looks for the required certification before clearing covered goods, and consignments without it can be held or refused; in the market, BIS and the authorities can act against uncertified or wrongly marked goods through seizure, recall and penalties under the BIS Act.
ATB Legal acts where goods are held at customs over BIS certification, where a product faces enforcement action, and on the corrective steps to bring a product into compliance.
7. Keeping Pace with Expanding QCOs
The defining feature of this area is its pace: new QCOs are notified regularly, often with transition periods, and a product that needs no certification today may need it within months. For importers and foreign manufacturers, monitoring the pipeline is part of compliance.
ATB Legal helps businesses track the QCOs relevant to their products and plan certification ahead of effective dates, so a new mandatory standard does not strand a supply chain.
8. Our Process
A typical engagement runs in four steps: a review to determine whether a product is covered by a QCO, the CRS or another mandatory standard; advice on the BIS route – domestic certification, CRS registration or FMCS for foreign makers; support through certification and the customs interface; and representation if goods are held or face enforcement. Corridor matters – the wider India–UAE trade corridor – are coordinated with our UAE product-conformity advice. Remote handling is available throughout.
Frequently asked questions
When is BIS certification required to sell a product in India?
For a growing range of goods, BIS certification against the relevant Indian Standard is mandatory before import, sale or stocking – under a Quality Control Order or the Compulsory Registration Scheme. Whether a specific product is covered is the first question, and we advise on it before you ship.
What is BIS and the ISI mark?
The Bureau of Indian Standards is India’s national standards body under the BIS Act 2016, and the ISI mark shows a product is certified against an Indian Standard. For products under mandatory certification, the mark is a legal precondition to sale, not a marketing choice.
What is the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS)?
A BIS scheme for notified electronics and IT goods, based on testing against the Indian Standard and a self-declaration of conformity; covered products must be registered before sale. We advise on whether a product falls under the CRS and on the registration.
What is a Quality Control Order (QCO)?
An order issued by a line ministry making BIS certification mandatory for a notified product – barring import, sale or stocking without it – and specifying the product, standard and effective date. We advise on whether a product is under a QCO and on the certification required.
How many products are covered by Quality Control Orders in India?
India has expanded QCOs rapidly – by 2025 well over 180 QCOs covering several hundred products were in force, and the list keeps growing, with periodic additions and exemptions. Because it changes often, we check the current position for a specific product rather than rely on a fixed list.
How does a foreign manufacturer obtain BIS certification?
Through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS), which lets an overseas factory obtain a BIS licence and the right to apply the ISI mark, typically involving application, testing and factory assessment. We advise foreign manufacturers, including UAE producers, on the process.
Is BIS certification checked at customs?
For covered goods, yes – customs looks for the required certification before clearing, and consignments without it can be held or refused. We advise on the certification and on resolving holds.
What happens if goods lack required BIS certification?
Uncertified or wrongly marked goods can be held at customs and, in the market, seized or recalled, with penalties under the BIS Act. We act on customs holds and enforcement action and on the corrective steps to bring a product into compliance.
Are new Quality Control Orders being added?
Yes – new QCOs are notified regularly, often with transition periods, so a product that needs no certification today may need it soon. We help businesses track the pipeline and certify ahead of effective dates.
Can you coordinate India BIS/QCO with UAE conformity?
Yes – we coordinate India’s BIS/QCO requirements with UAE conformity (ECAS/EQM), so a corridor business meets both countries’ product-standard requirements in one relationship (see our UAE product page).
⭐ Representative Experience (anonymised)
An importer was advised on whether its product line had come under a newly notified Quality Control Order and on obtaining BIS certification before the effective date.
A UAE-based manufacturer exporting to India was advised on the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme and on securing its BIS licence.
A business whose consignment was held at customs for want of BIS certification was supported through certification and clearance and on bringing the product line into compliance.
🏆 How we work
- Coverage-first – whether a product is under a QCO, the CRS or another mandatory standard, before money is spent shipping it.
- All routes – domestic BIS certification, CRS registration and the FMCS route for foreign manufacturers.
- Pace-aware – tracking the fast-expanding QCO pipeline so a new standard does not strand a supply chain.
- Border and market – customs holds and market-surveillance enforcement handled, not just applications.
- Corridor coverage – India BIS/QCO coordinated with UAE ECAS/EQM conformity in one relationship.