I. Introduction of India ISI

In accordance with the BIS Act, 1986, BIS certification scheme is basically voluntary in nature. However, for a number of product compliance to Indian Standards is made compulsory by the Central Government under various considerations and public interest, protection of human, safety of environment, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security. For such products, the Central Government directs mandatory use of Standard Mark under a license or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) from BIS.

Indian Standards Institution, ISI, is one the strictest certifications in India, including factory review and product testing. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) presents Scheme I (ISI Mark Scheme) which covers building materials, chemicals, household electrical goods, medical textiles, and automobile accessories. Products listed in Scheme I are required to obtain ISI certificate before they are introduced to the Indian market.

II. India ISI Certification Requirement

• Manufacturers outside India are required to establish a liaison office or subsidiary in India, and the liaison office or subsidiary shall abide by all laws, regulations and rules under the Bureau of Indian Standards; or, overseas manufacturers can designate an authorized agent in India (also called AIR, Authorized Indian Representative). AIR is qualified to sign an agreement with the manufacturer according to BIS regulations, and declare compliance with relevant laws and regulations on behalf of the manufacturer and is responsible for it.
• Indian Standard Specifications (ISS) shall be applied to applicable products;
• The factory shall own its manufacturing machinery and testing facilities;
• The factory laboratory shall be equipped with the testing equipment involved in the Indian Standard (ISS) and relevant quality testing personnel; and
• The manufacturer shall accept the terms and conditions of the BIS license.

III. ISI Procedure 

IV. ISI Factory Audit and Sample Testing

ISI certification shall follow the "factory audit+sample testing" model. 

Factory audit: Test sample shall be prepared before the factory audit. The whole audit may cost 5 days (2 days for formal audit). During this period, samples will be tested based on relevant ISS and the test result shall conform to the ISS. After the test, samples shall be sealed to the BIS recognized laboratory for further inspection.

BIS recognized lab: The BIS recognized laboratory will conduct relevant tests after receiving product samples. If the test result complies with the ISS value or requirements, then this product is identified as qualified. If the initial testing result is unqualified, a second testing will be conducted. If the second testing result remains unqualified, then BIS Certificate will not be issued to the factory.

V. ISI Mark

The ISI mark consists of the license number "CM/L-XXXXXXX" at the bottom of the ISI mark and the Indian standard number "IS:XXXX" at the top. After obtaining the BIS certificate, the manufacturer can use the ISI mark on their product package.

VI. License Renewal

The initial validity period for the ISI license lasts 1 year and the validity period of license renewal will be extended to 5 years.

Stakeholders are required to submit application documents and manufacture report of certified products in the past 1 year. Sample testing and factory audit are not required in license renewal. The renewal fee is calculated based on the export volume of the past 1 year, and the renewal cycle is about 1 month.

VII. License Extension

Samples shall be sent to BIS recognized lab or other BIS accredited labs (independent or official). After the test report is completed, application documents can be submitted to the BIS. The completion period is about 1 month after the test report is issued.

The List of products under compulsory certification is available in our ChemRadar: List of Products under Compulsory Certification (BIS).