What is BIS certification?

Komal30 August 2025

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India’s national standards body and comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. BIS certification is India’s national system for assuring that the products meet Indian standards for safety, quality and performance. BIS is responsible for formulation of Indian Standards (IS), certifying products and systems and ensuring the quality, safety and reliability of various products such as steel, cement, footwear, toys, electronic appliances, etc.

The legal foundation of BIS and its certification system comes from BIS Act, 2016 and BIS Rules and Regulations, 2018 which establishes Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India and it gives the BIS power to:

Formulate Indian Standards
Issue, suspend or cancel licenses for ISI mark/ BIS registration.
Conduct inspections and take legal action against misuse of marks.
Enforce mandatory certification schemes.

There are different types of BIS certification. They are as follows:

Scheme – I (ISI Mark Certification): ISI Mark certification is a type of BIS certification in which the products carry the ISI logo upon their packaging, which shows that the products are complying with that specific Indian standard. For example: If a consumer buys cement with ISI Mark IS:269, it ensures the quality of cement as per that Indian standard.

Scheme – II Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS): It is applicable to Electronics and IT goods. In it, both the foreign as well as Indian manufacturers must get their products tested in BIS recognized labs and then get themselves registered with BIS. Instead of ISI logo, these products carry a BIS registration number and a standard number. Some examples of these products include LED Lights, Mobile Phones, Laptops, Batteries, Power Banks, etc.

Hallmarking for Precious Metals: BIS also certifies gold, silver and platinum jewellery and under the hallmarking scheme of BIS, it ensures the purity and fineness of the metal. 22 carat Gold and 18 carat Gold being hallmarked is an example of it.

Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS): It was introduced in the year 2000 and allows overseas manufacturers to get BIS certification and use the ISI mark for products which are exported to India. It also ensures that the imported products meet the same safety and quality as the goods which are manufactured in India. A local Authorized Indian representative (AIR) is necessary for overseas manufacturers and a single AIR cannot represent multiple foreign manufacturers.

Scheme – IV Certification Certificate of Conformity (CoC): A BIS Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is a mandatory certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for certain goods and products sold in India, assuring they meet specific Indian Standards (IS) and quality benchmarks. The CoC is awarded after the manufacturer’s premises, production processes, and quality control are assessed, and products are tested to ensure compliance with relevant standards. This certification, often referred to as the “Scheme IV” certification, also requires the products to be made from materials that themselves conform to BIS standards.

Scheme X: It is a special certification scheme under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) that allows manufacturers to get their products certified without establishing a full-fledged manufacturing unit in India. It is mainly applicable for imported products where testing and certification are carried out batch-wise or consignment-wise.

Batch/Consignment Certification – Each consignment or batch of the product is tested and certified separately.

Useful for Foreign Manufacturers – Particularly beneficial for overseas manufacturers who do not have continuous production in India but want to sell their products in the Indian market.

No Continuous Surveillance – Unlike regular certification schemes, Scheme X does not involve continuous factory surveillance; instead, certification is granted for each batch based on testing.

Cost-Effective for Small Volumes – Suitable for companies importing smaller quantities or occasional consignments where regular BIS certification is not practical.

Ensures Compliance – Even though it is limited in scope, Scheme X ensures that imported products meet the relevant Indian Standards before entering the market.

The Central Government makes the BIS certification mandatory for a product by issuing Quality Control Orders (QCO)s under Section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016 and Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018 and under compulsory registration scheme (CRS) for electronics and IT goods as per the 2012 order by Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY).

These Quality Control Orders specify which products must conform to the Indian standards and carry BIS/ISI marks before their sale in India. For example, the Indian government has issued QCOs for cement, steel, toys, electrical appliances, footwear, chemicals, drinking water, helmets, etc. Under compulsory registration scheme As per MeitY, more than 70 categories of electronics/IT goods must be registered with BIS before sale in India.

If there is non-compliance for a product whose certification with BIS is mandatory for a manufacturer or a business, then under Section 29 of the BIS Act, a fine of Rs. 2 Lakh and upto 2 years of imprisonment can be imposed upon that manufacturer.