How to Get BIS Certification for Electronic Products in India?

Introduction

Electronic products are everywhere today - from laptops and smart TVs to power adapters, LED products, CCTV cameras, mobile phones, speakers, as well as many other connected devices. But before an electronic product can be legally manufactured, imported, sold, stored, or distributed in India, businesses need to check whether it falls under a mandatory compliance requirement and needs important regulatory approvals like BIS certification for electronic products.

This guide explains the process of getting a BIS certification for electronic products under CRS in simple language and answers the practical questions manufacturers, importers, startups, brand owners, and foreign companies usually have about BIS CRS Registration for electronic products.

What is BIS CRS Registration?

BIS CRS Registration is a compulsory registration approval that is mainly applicable to specified electronic, IT, and certain other notified products in the Indian market.

CRS (Compulsory Registration Scheme) was introduced by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for notified electronics and IT products. The system is actually intended to make sure that notified electronic products meet the relevant Indian safety standards before they enter the Indian market. Under CRS, the manufacturer is responsible for making sure that the product complies with the applicable Indian Standard.

Since BIS CRS is mandatory, non-conformance with the same can lead to various fines and penalties for businesses selling or importing notified products in the Indian market. 

Why is BIS CRS Registration Important for Electronic Products?

For a business, BIS CRS is not simply another certificate to add to a compliance file.

Where CRS is mandatory for a product, registration becomes a mandatory requirement for legally selling or importing that product in the Indian market. A BIS CRS certification helps businesses with the following:

• Meet mandatory Indian regulatory requirements
• Demonstrate conformity with the applicable Indian Standard
• Establish product safety as well as quality compliance
• Build confidence among distributors and customers
• Avoid regulatory problems that are associated with non-compliant products
• Support smoother import and market-entry planning
• Maintain documented evidence of product compliance

For an importer or brand owner, there is another practical consideration: the registration is connected to the manufacturer and manufacturing location, not simply to the person who is importing the product.

Which Electronic Products Need BIS CRS Registration?

Businesses should know that not every electronic product requires BIS CRS Registration. CRS mainly applies to products that have been specifically notified under the relevant government orders and standards. The official BIS Scheme II list includes various electronic and IT categories. Examples include:

• Laptops, notebooks and tablets
• Electronic games
• LED/LCD/Plasma televisions
• Microwave ovens
• Visual display units and video monitors
• Set-top boxes
• Automatic data processing machines
• Printers and plotters
• Scanners
• Power adapters for IT equipment
• Certain electronic musical systems
• Certain amplifiers
• Other notified electronics and IT products

If you don’t know whether your products need to be registered under CRS, check your product eligibility for a BIS certification today, and ensure market readiness.

Why does checking the product eligibility and exact product category matter?

Suppose a company sells a device that is described commercially as a "smart display."

That name alone may not tell the business about:

• Which regulatory category applies
• Whether the product is covered under CRS
• Which Indian Standard applies
• Whether its screen size or technical configuration affects applicability
• Whether another approval, such as WPC or TEC, may also be relevant

This is why a BIS CRS applicability assessment should be done before testing or proceeding with the BIS certification application.

Do Electronic Products Also Need an ISI Mark Certificate?

No, not necessarily. BIS CRS Registration and BIS ISI Mark Certification are two different BIS certification schemes, and an electronic product that is covered under the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) does not need a separate ISI Mark certificate.

For many notified electronic and IT products, BIS CRS Registration is the applicable requirement. Under CRS, the manufacturer gets the product tested against the relevant Indian Standard at a BIS-recognized laboratory and then obtains BIS registration based on the test report.

The ISI Mark is generally associated with product categories that are covered under the BIS certification/licensing under Scheme I, particularly products for which a Quality Control Order or applicable BIS product certification requirement mandates the use of the Standard Mark.

Who Can Apply for BIS CRS Registration?

A BIS CRS registration can be obtained by businesses of notified IT and electronics functioning as:

• Indian manufacturer
• Foreign manufacturer

Importers/traders/distributors/brand owners must know that the BIS certification cannot be obtained by them directly, since it is granted only to the actual manufacturer of the product. They can ask for a BIS license copy to ensure continued compliance and thoroughly check and ensure that the actual manufacturer of the product holds a valid BIS certificate.

How to get a BIS CRS Certification for Electronic Products?

Here is a step-by-step process to get a BIS CRS Certificate for electronic products in the Indian market:

Step 1: Check BIS CRS Applicability Before Doing Anything Else

Before proceeding with the laboratory testing, it is important to first confirm whether the product actually falls under CRS. Businesses need to determine the product category, technical specifications, product configurations, manufacturing details, etc.

Step 2: Identify the Applicable Indian Standard

The Indian standard specifies the safety as well as the technical requirements against which the product will be evaluated. It is essential to identify the applicable IS for the product to proceed with the certification requirements.

Step 3: Prepare the Product for Testing

Once the standard is identified, the manufacturer needs to prepare a product sample for testing. The laboratory testing stage is absolutely important because the BIS application depends on the test report.

Step 4: Register on the BIS CRS Portal

The manufacturer needs to create an account on the official CRS portal. During organization registration, information relating to the company and manufacturing unit is required.

Step 5: Generate the Test Request

After obtaining the required portal access, the manufacturer can generate the test request for the product. The CRS system also provides laboratory selection and testing workflows through the BIS system.

Step 6: Submit the Sample to the BIS-Recognized Laboratory

Once the test request is generated and the laboratory is selected, the product sample must be submitted according to the prescribed procedure by the BIS. The laboratory will then evaluate the product against the relevant Indian Standard.

Step 7: Get the BIS CRS Test Report

After testing, the laboratory issues the test report. This report is one of the most important documents in the CRS application.

Note: The test report that is submitted with the application should generally not be more than 90 days old at the time of online submission. That means businesses should plan their application timeline carefully. A top BIS CRS certification consultant in India can help you reduce delays and obtain the CRS certificate on time. 

Step 8: File the BIS CRS Application

After receiving the satisfactory test report, the manufacturer can proceed with the BIS registration application.

Step 9: Grant of CRS Certification

After reviewing all the details and specifications, the BIS issues the CRS certificate to the applicant along with the R-number for products that have been notified. 

What Documents Are Required for BIS CRS Registration?

The required documents for BIS CRS Certification can vary depending on the product, applicant, manufacturer location, as well as current BIS requirements. However, businesses should generally be prepared with documents such as:

• Trademark/ Brand Registration Certificate
• Factory address proof
• Lab test reports of the product
• PCB layouts & Critical Component Lists (CCL)
• Product user manual
• Appointment of AIR (Authorized Indian Representative) in case you are a foreign manufacturer

How Much Does BIS CRS Registration Cost?

There is no single price or a specific BIS certification cost for every electronic product. The total cost of the same generally depends on several components, like lab testing charges, model number, type of product, application fee, BIS CRS registration renewal fee, and additional compliance requirements. However, here is a simple breakdown of the common BIS fees:

Note: The fees will be paid on an annual basis despite the 5-year validity of the BIS CRS registration.

What Happens if you Launch a New Model?

This is another area where businesses frequently misunderstand CRS requirements. Suppose you already have BIS CRS Registration for a particular product and then launch additional models under the same brand and product category. You may not necessarily need to start the entire registration process from zero.

The CRS system provides a process for model inclusion for new models of the same product and brand under the same registration number, subject to applicable requirements.

Accordingly, manufacturers can request inclusion of new models, and the test report used for an inclusion request should not be more than 90 days old at the time of online submission. 

This is an efficient way, but the new model must still meet the applicable technical and grouping requirements. If there is even the slightest change in any configurations or technical specifications, there will be a requirement for a separate or new BIS CRS registration.

BIS CRS Registration Mark: What Should Businesses Know?

Once registration is granted, the manufacturer is permitted to use the applicable BIS Registration Mark in accordance with the relevant BIS requirements. BIS confirms that electronic products that have been notified under the Compulsory Registration Scheme are marked with the Registration Mark. 

However, businesses should not treat the mark as a generic "BIS logo." The marking and labeling must follow the applicable BIS requirements.

Before mass production, companies should therefore verify the following:

• BIS registration number
• Product/model scope
• Brand
• Required marking
• Label placement
• Packaging requirements
• User manual requirements
• Other applicable declarations

Incorrect marking can create a compliance problem even after registration has been obtained. Thus, ensuring comprehensive compliance management is important, and top and trusted BIS consultants can help businesses with the same.

How Can a BIS Consultant Help With CRS Registration?

A BIS compliance consultant can help businesses manage the technical as well as procedural parts of the process. For businesses who are unfamiliar with Indian regulatory requirements, professional assistance can be useful for the following:

• Identification of the Indian Standard
• Laboratory coordination
• Test report review
• Documentation preparation
• Application filing
• Query response
• Model inclusion
• Renewal of the BIS certification
• Post-registration compliance

How Brand Liaison Supports BIS CRS Registration in India?

Getting BIS CRS Registration involves more than simply submitting an application. Choosing the right Indian Standard, arranging the correct testing, preparing documents, as well as ensuring that the manufacturer, brand, model, and factory details are consistent can make a significant difference to the overall process.

Brand Liaison, the top BIS CRS certifiate consultant in Delhi, India, helps manufacturers, importers, as well as businesses manage the BIS CRS Registration process for electronic and IT products in India. With 10+ years of experience in regulatory compliance, Brand Liaison provides end-to-end assistance, from understanding whether your product requires CRS registration to coordinating testing and supporting the BIS application process.

Here is how Brand Liaison helps businesses:

• BIS CRS eligibility check for your electronic product
• Guidance on BIS-recognized laboratory testing
• Assistance with test samples and technical documentation
• Preparation and submission of the BIS CRS application
• Assistance with BIS queries and clarifications
• Support for foreign manufacturers through AIR services
• Guidance on renewal and post-registration compliance
• Dedicated compliance guidebooks for product approvals

Call our team of expert professionals today and ensure hassle-free compliance for the Indian market.

Conclusion 

For businesses that are entering the Indian electronics market, BIS CRS Registration can initially appear complicated. But the process becomes much clearer when it is approached in the right order. For companies that are planning to manufacture, import, or sell electronic products in India, checking BIS CRS requirements before product launch or shipment is one of the simplest ways to reduce compliance risk and avoid costly surprises later. Top compliance consultants and BIS CRS agents can simplify the entire process for making businesses eligible for smooth sales and trade in the Indian market.