Most products do not need it
BIS, the Bureau of Indian Standards, runs a certification scheme that is voluntary for most goods. It turns compulsory only when the Central Government issues a quality control order, or QCO, for a product. The government does this for reasons like public interest, health, the environment, fair trade and national security. So many everyday products need no BIS mark at all. But toys and two-wheeler helmets do. Your job is to find out which side your product is on.
What a quality control order means
Each QCO names the products it covers and the Indian Standard they must meet. It also sets a start date. After that date, BIS says no person may make, import, sell, store or exhibit for sale a covered product without the Standard Mark. The mark must come under a valid BIS licence or certificate. That list includes selling and storing, so it reaches resellers, not just factories. Breaking an order is punishable under the BIS Act, 2016 with prison, a fine or both.
Examples of covered products
BIS sorts covered products into schemes. Scheme I is the ISI mark, granted under a BIS licence. Toys, both electric and non-electric, sit here under the Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020. So do helmets for two-wheeler riders, and electric kitchen appliances under a 2023 order. Scheme II is a registration scheme for electronics, built on the maker's own declaration that the product meets the standard. Laptops, tablets and TVs of 32 inches and above are on that list. A registered product carries an R-number instead of an ISI licence number.
How to check your product
- Open the Products under Compulsory Certification page on the BIS website.
- Go through each scheme list and search for your product and its Indian Standard.
- Note the order that covers it and the date it came into force.
- Read the order for exemptions, such as goods made only for export.
- If the list is unclear, ask the ministry that issued the order, or BIS for questions about the standard.
Buying from suppliers and importers
If you buy covered goods, ask your supplier for the BIS licence number or the R-number. Then check it in the BIS Care app. 'Verify Licence Details' checks an ISI mark, and 'Verify R-Number under CRS' checks registered electronics. The app also lets you report misuse of a BIS mark or a poor quality product. Imports follow the same rules as goods made in India. A foreign maker needs its own BIS licence under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. Keep the proof with your purchase invoices.
Keep an eye on the list
The list changes. New orders come with a future start date, and BIS keeps a page of orders due to start. Old orders can also be withdrawn. The two footwear orders, for example, now show rescind orders on the BIS list. Standards change too. When BIS revises a standard under an order, both versions run side by side for a while, and makers must switch by the date BIS sets. So check again before you add a new product line. On The Storemate, every product gets its own page with a description you control, so you can show the licence or registration number there. If you are unsure about a product, check with a lawyer.