BIS Certification

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is an international agency established in Geneva, Switzerland in the year 1947. The goal is to establish universal standards and to ensure high quality and proper usage of the goods that are distributed to the public. There are 161 member countries as of April 2018 and each member country has a government-regulated body to carry out the similar functions at the national level. Thus, in India, we have a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for this purpose.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the India’s national standards body operating under the aegis of the Government of India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Health & Public Distribution. Throughout the mid-1980s it was considered appropriate to place a statutory status on the operation of ISI which contributed to the enactment of BIS Act 1986. ISI has been called the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to facilitate harmonious implementation of standardization and product quality inspection, with specific regulatory control. The Act has now been revised as the BIS Act 2016, and it establishes the National Standards Body as BIS. This is created by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 1986, which came into force on 23 December 1986. The ex-officio President of the BIS is the Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative power of the BIS.

The ‘BIS’ in BIS certification stands for the Bureau of the Indian Standards and is the regional Indian inspection agency under the Indian Ministry of Consumer Safety, Food & Public Distribution ‘s umbrella. Formerly recognized as the Indian Quality Institution (ISI) this organization is the biggest of all Indian rating agencies and plays an ever-greater role in standardizing quality levels. In this position, it is responsible for a range of important Indian industry certifications.

The Mandatory Registration Order 2012 was issued by the Indian Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEIT) effective from 3 April 2013. Many products now have to follow Indian safety requirements and get BIS approval for electronic devices before they can be imported, shipped or sold into India. Both goods must have compulsory BIS authorisation or certification approval for public health and safety. Without BIS certification, such products cannot be manufactured or sold.

BIS has developed eight central, four regional, and three branch laboratories in the country to check product samples during preliminary and surveillance operations. Thus, the BIS Certification is encouraged by the government for the following purposes:

• For providing a safeguard to the public health;
• For providing quality assurance;
• For protecting the consumer from hazardous products;
• For promoting consumer confidence.

The BIS Act 2016, Rules and Regulations specified therein authorizes BIS to perform commodity, facility, program, and procedure compliance evaluation. Under the product certification scheme(PCS) – I, BIS provide licenses to use the standard mark or conformity certificates as laid down in the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The conformity assessment systems are set out in the 2018 BIS (Compliance Evaluation) Regulations and are based on IS / ISO / IEC 17067:2013 requirements.

The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology came in an order issued on October 2012, says that no one is authorized to manufacture or store such products. It released “Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Company Registration Requirement) Order, 2012 and offered 15 categories of electronic goods which are excluded from the sale, import, or distribution.

Thus, it is mandatory for the manufacturer of the listed electronic products to apply for BIS registration by following the prescribed procedure:

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) enrolls the manufacturers under its registration scheme at that point.
• Enlisted manufacturers may declare that their products conform to the specified Indian Standards.
• Certified producers shall then have the right to show that their goods are using the standard mark notified by the Bureau.
• Provisions of Chapter IVA of BIS Rules 1987, regulates the CRS (Compulsory Registration Scheme).

As new products are constantly being added to the BIS catalogue, it makes sense to clarify with the authorities the certification requirements for the individual products. In some cases, it even makes a difference when you register your product because the standards are so rapidly changing for the moment that the officials themselves are not always up to date. The list is constantly expanding and already covers a wide range of different product groups, such as construction products and materials, household products, consumer and office electronics, dairy products, and raw materials. It is anticipated that BIS will continue to take over from other authorities more and more areas of product certification.

In India, the BIS qualification is issued for products under different scheme types which include as follows:

Normal procedure for domestic manufacturers – The applicant is expected to apply the application for BIS certification with the necessary documentation and charge. A formal factory evaluation is carried out by a BIS officer after the application has been submitted. Samples are first checked in the warehouse and then drawn for internal research as well. Certification of the BIS shall be given where the sample is appropriate. In this method, it is expected that the BIS Certification will be granted within 4 months of the application being submitted.

Simpler Domestic Manufacturing Procedure – In the simplified process, the applicant submits a check report of the product from a BIS certified laboratory along with a BIS Certification form. If the test report is satisfactory then a BIS officer conducts a verification of the factory premises. BIS Certification shall be granted where the BIS Officer verification is satisfactory. Under this process, a license with the necessary documentation and test report is supposed to be issued within 30 days of submission of the BIS Qualification application.

ECO Mark Scheme – The eco-friendly BIS product license is granted in a separate scheme from the normal BIS certification process. Eco-friendly goods would meet with additional criteria to apply for the ECO label laid down in Indian Norms. However, the authorizing process is close to that of the system for domestic manufactures.

Tatkal Scheme – Manufacturers needing a standard BIS label as provided by government notification may obtain a BIS license under the tatkal scheme. Under the tatkal program, the request is handled under tight deadlines and the cumulative processing period is set as 30 days.

Foreign manufacturers certification scheme – In the year 2000, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced and has continued the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS). Overseas applicants / foreign manufacturers are granted a license to use the ISI mark within a period of 6 months under a separately designed scheme.

BIS Registry Information System is one of the biggest schemes worldwide with more than 26500 licenses covering over 900 products. It helps the producer to use the famous ISI mark on their goods that means the product is safe and pure. BIS Registration Product Scheme also operates Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme under which a license to use the BIS Standard Mark may be granted to overseas manufacturers.

The BIS certification process always includes

• Application
• Product tests in India
• Certification
• Marking

Factory inspection and follow-up testing may also be required, depending on the form of certification and which goods are affected. The auditors may pick test samples during the audit if a factory inspection is needed, thereby extending the certification period by several months.

The following measures ought to be taken in the licensing process-

• Application will be submitted
• The BIS officer then goes on a provisional inspection
• The samples should be checked during the Inspection
• The final result will be derived after all the evaluation has been completed

• According to the scheme, Manufacturers of the products are notified which is located in India or outside India.
• The separate registration number for the goods being produced at various locations.
• The separate registration number for each brand that is manufactured at the same location.

• PCB Layout
• Schematic Diagram
• Critical Components List
• User Manual
• Acknowledgment proof of online file submission;
• Proof of identity, including business license, and other government documents;
• Application signed by the company’s CEO, or a letter of authority from the CEO;
• Brand name registration certificate, or a copy of the trade mark application (if requested) or a letter of authorisation from the brand owner;
• Affidavit and undertaking for the approved Indian representative along with proof of identity of the individual signing an affidavit, if the manufacturer is located outside the country;
• Undertaking for test report; and
• Original test report(s) from the specified laboratory, not being older than 1 month mentioning all the requirements as per the relevant category
• Form VI and VII;

This process is considered by the Competent Authority after verification of required documents submitted by the applicant. After processing of grant of license is complete, the applicant is advised to deposit the advance minimum marking fee and the annual BIS license fee within 7 days, after which the approval letter of grant of license is issued. The process is expected to be completed within 30 days of submission of the application.

The initial validity period of the license is one year and may be renewed for further period of one/two years as per the guidelines of BIS.

The foreign manufacturer has to set up a branch office in India with the required permissions to the foreign manufacturer can nominate an Agent in India.

• Application Form has to be submitted with the BIS in the prescribed format along with the requisite fee and the documents.
• Preliminary Inspection shall be carried out at the applicant’s manufacturing and testing units. Sample(s) will also be drawn for independent testing
• If the BIS is satisfied with all the requisites, the BIS Certificate shall be granted following which the applicant shall pay annual minimum marking fee and annual license fee. BIS certification will be valid for one year.

The BIS License is valid for two years and must be extended unless the substance and the norm are modified. Renewal of the certificate is performed for a fixed duration of one year and a limit of five years. However, the extension relies on the yearly licensing charge, so the required labeling amount is skipped. In the case that the renewal request is rendered after the license has been approved, the applicant must incur five thousand rupees late charge.

In the area of compliance testing practices of all kinds, we at Global Omega are a leading consulting company and supplier of support services in India, including drug certification (both domestic and foreign), BIS registration of electronic & IT goods, BEE permits, TEC registration and hallmarking. In fact, we also aim to award certified certificates for all forms of management systems. The registration of BIS is necessary for all electronic goods specified in the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) and sold in India. To ensure the seamless export and sale of the drug to the Indian market, both international and Indian manufacturers have to apply for this registry. The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standard), Delhi Office undertakes a detailed review of the consistency and functionality of the drug and consequently issues the certificate of registration for BIS.

Those who are looking for a well-versed BIS Certification Consultant, we are here to help you in every possible way.

For obtaining BIS Approval, Global Omega offers advisory services to the client and importer for all types of management systems. We have accomplished a technologically trained and professional squad. We help organizations design their products according to BIS requirements. Over 400 projects of electronic equipment falling under Deity have already been completed by our organization. We support Research, Information organizations, etc. We provide BIS approval for the following products:

• N95 mask
• PPE Coverall
• Surgical masks
• Eye protector or Goggles
• Face Shield
• PP/HDPE Woven sacks
• Product certification (ISI mark)
• Hallmarking of precious metal/jewellery
• Manufacturing and supply of testing equipment