What are the BIS certification mandatory products? Get List

Hello readers, hope all of you are doing well…

As you are reading this article, it’s obvious that you are a manufacturer,  

In this article, we are going to explore multiple dimensions of the BIS certification mandatory products in the following sequence : 

1. Why BIS Certification is important for you?
2. Under which BIS schemes, you can get your products certified?

Let’s get started with the context of Bureau of Indian Standards –

In 1991, India faced a balance-of-payments crisis due to microeconomic imbalance. We were unable to pay for imported essential goods and services. Hence, India executed LPG (Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) reforms, with the IMF (International Monetary Fund) playing a significant role.

From 1991 till today, the business landscape has become highly competitive. In this contemporary globalized and neoliberal world, we need government regulation of the private sector to ensure the prevention of monopoly in the market, fair trade practices, and most importantly safeguarding the interest last man (customer/end-user) in the market. 

Hence to take care of the objectives mentioned above, we needed a regulating body to ensure the quality, safety, and reliability of products and services in India.

The Parliament of India, passed BIS Act, 2016 to establish the Bureau of Indian Standards as the national standards body.

The BIS is responsible for the development, implementation, and promotion of standardization activities across a wide range of industries. Through its comprehensive system of standards and certification schemes, the BIS helps to safeguard the interests of both consumers and manufacturers, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability. 

Why BIS Certification is important for you as a manufacturer?

For manufacturers, obtaining BIS certification is like showing their commitment to safety, quality, and fair trade practices that will benefit the consumer.

The certification process entails meticulous testing and assessment by BIS inspectors, They scrutinize everything from the raw materials, and production processes to the final outputs. 

Such superintendence by BIS provides peace of mind, both for the manufacturer and the end-user, knowing the product has been meticulously evaluated and marked as safe and reliable to use. Hence in this competitive manufacturing scenario, BIS certification has become an indelible mark of distinction.

What are the BIS certification mandatory products?

Products under Compulsory Certification

The BIS certification scheme is voluntary. Except, for a multitude of products, compliance with Indian Standards is mandated by the Central Government for to following reasons –

• Public interest
• Ensuring the well-being of human, flora and fauna
• Security of environment hence steps towards sustainability
• Prevention of unfair trade practices
• National security

The misuse and mismanagement of products can put the above objectives in jeopardy; for such products, the Central Government has directed the mandatory use of Standard Mark from BIS under the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) by issuing the Quality Control Orders.

Following is the indexing under which products that need mandatory BIS certification can be categorized:

1. Scheme I (ISI Mark Scheme)
2. Scheme II (Registration Scheme)
3. Scheme – IV ( Grant Of Certificate Of Conformity )
4. Scheme – X (Certification)

Let’s dive into the details of each one –

Scheme-I (ISI mark scheme)

Under this scheme, the products are granted ISI Standard Mark by the Bureau of Indian Standards. 

The product must be manufactured at the manufacturing site and conform to all the requirements of the relevant Indian Standard(s).

Scheme – II (Registration Scheme)

Scheme 2 is also known as the Compulsory registration scheme (CRS). The regulating act of CRS is the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. It is a self-conformity scheme, which means an audit of the factory is not required, it only applies to electronics and IT products. 

CRS is a safety certification for products coming in the Indian market. The manufacturers of the products listed under Scheme 2 shall apply for registration from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Primarily this scheme is governed by the following 03 orders:

• The Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012 was issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017 issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• The Electrical Equipment (Quality Control) Order, 2020 issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

According to above mentioned Orders : 

• Manufacturers of these products must apply for registration at the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) website after getting their product tested from BIS-accredited labs in India.
• The manufacturing or storage for sale, import, sell, or distribution of goods not conforming to the specified Indian Standards is prohibited. 

Following is the difference between Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 : 

Scheme – IV (Grant Of Certificate Of Conformity)

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued the  Certificates of Conformity according to Scheme-IV of Schedule II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulation, 2018. 

The Bureau issues a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for goods and articles (products) that are manufactured according to the specifications outlined in the relevant Indian Standards. 

A Certificate of Conformity from BIS is required for every manufacturer of a product covered by a CoC. 

The products covered under the mandatory CoC should be marked with the CoC Number. All CoC-covered products must be manufactured using BIS ISI Marked materials.

BIS has added two products in compliance with the CoC scheme, which are –

• Stampings/laminations/cores of transformers (with or without winding)
• Requirement of Retro-Reflective Devices for Bicycles

Scheme – X (Certification)

The BIS Scheme X Certification was introduced under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Conformity Assessment Regulations, 2018 

This scheme is an important development in the regulatory framework for product certification in India. It was further clarified by the BIS Conformity Assessment (Amendment) Regulations, 2022. 

Let’s understand the details of Scheme X –

Products requiring specific technical and safety standards; for them, Scheme X is designed which facilitate conformity assessment. This scheme covers a wide range of products, for whom – strict adherence to safety is a must.

Scheme X differs from the other schemes by offering the option to the manufacturer to choose between a license for continuous production and a certificate of conformity for batch production. This flexibility is very useful for products that are not manufactured on a continuous basis but need to meet high-quality standards.

The following products are enlisted under Scheme X –

• Low – Voltage switchgear and control gear – Notified by Ministry of Heavy Industries
• Machinery and Electrical Equipment are covered under Omnibus Technical Regulation.