The Undisputed Significance of Acquiring BIS Certification

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) – the National Standards Body of India was setup by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 under the guidance of the Ministry of Public Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. This authority is responsible for issuing BIS Certification to a variety of products and systems. Its predecessor was the Indian Standards Institute (ISI) setup by the Department of Industries and Supplies in 1946. The ISI was mainly responsible for certifying industrial products. In this article, we will discuss Significance of Acquiring BIS Certification.

How many products were initially identified for BIS Certification?

Till date, there are about 136 such products that have been identified for compulsory ISI registration. Products include – cement, LPG cylinders and valves, automobile tyres, kitchen appliances, wiring cables, electric motors and other electrical appliances etc. These products cannot be sold or commercially distributed, imported or exported without the ISI Certification in India. The proof of having obtained the ISI certification is that the product is required to bear the ISI Mark which is a guarantee that the product conforms to the corresponding Indian Standards developed by BIS. Other than these identified and listed products, manufacturers of all other types of products in India could apply for voluntary BIS certification and use the ISI Mark.

Which Products need mandatory BIS Registration?

However, in 2012, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a notification that listed about 15 products that needed mandatory BIS registration before being sold, distributed or stored for sale in the country. Such products were classified under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) Scheme – II. The difference between certification of these electronic and IT related products and ones listed by the Ministry of Public Affairs, Food & Public Distribution was – the former products were classified under the Scheme – I of CRS and required the ISI Mark as a proof of being registered whereas these products required to bear the Standard Mark as a proof of certification and conformance to the relevant Indian Standard.

Later the Ministry revised the list to include 15 more products in 2014 and 13 additional products in 2017. In 2017 the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy passed an order to include 6 products related to photovoltaic equipment for compulsory registration under Scheme – II.

Important Facts about CRS

4 important points that need to be noted about CRS are: –

• The BIS registration number and the ISI Registration number are unique and is issued only to the manufacturer of the products.
• They are specific to the manufacturer, the location of manufacture, the brand and the product type.
• For products being manufactured at different locations, the manufacturer needs to apply for separate registration.
• For different brands being produced in the same location, the manufacturer is required to apply for separate registrations.

Let us discuss in detail the BIS registration process, the applicable fees and the documents required to get two products-cash registers and copying machines/duplicators registered with BIS under CRS Scheme-II.

Products under Discussion

1. Cash Registers
2. Copying Machines/Duplicators

Both these product types are governed by the Indian Standard number IS 13252(Part 1):2010* called the Information Technology Equipment Safety: General Requirements. Whether it is an Indian manufacturer or foreign based, in order to manufacture, store for sale, import, sell or distribute such products within the geographical boundaries of the country, the manufacturer needs to first get his product tested at a BIS-approved lab and then apply for BIS certification. The lab tests whether the manufacturer’s product conforms to the laid down safety standards in the IS 13252(Part 1):2010*. The scope of the standard, however, does not cover the functional and performance aspects of the equipment. The primary objective of the standard is to reduce risks pertaining to different kinds of identified hazards to the user of these equipment as well as servicing personnel.

BIS Registration Process

The registration process for the products mentioned above includes the following steps:-

1. Getting the sample tested

The first step is for the manufacturer to contact an authorized lab from BIS-approved list of labs in the country and send his sample product for testing for conformance. He is also required to deposit the requisite lab fees for getting the test done. The lab takes about 15 days to generate the test report.

• Filling application online

Once the test report is received, the manufacturer or his authorized applicant needs to apply online for BIS certification. Form VI needs to be filled in online at https://www.crsbis.in/BIS/login.do.

• Submission of fees

The government fees need to be deposited online via NEFT or via a Demand Draft. Details of the lab fee and the government costs have been mentioned below.

• Submission of required documents

There is a list of mandatory documents that the applicant needs to upload online so that the application can be processed for BIS registration. The test report needs to be uploaded too.

• Hard copy to send to BIS headquarters

After online submission of the application form, fees, and documents, the same needs to be sent to the headquarters of the Bureau in New Delhi within 15 days of submission of the form online.

• Review of application

The concerned department of BIS now reviews and inspects the entire application form in detail. Different queries are raised, and they might even ask for additional documents. There might be shortcomings in the application all of which needs to be answered by the applicant appropriately.

• Product certification approved

Once the documents and processes are found to be satisfactory by the Bureau, it goes ahead with certifying the product. The status is uploaded online. Once registered, the manufacturer needs to ensure that the product and the packaging bear the Standard Mark before being launched and sold in the market.

Details of applicable fees

BIS Certification cost has two distinct components to it – the lab fees and the government fees. Details as below –

S. No.	Product	Lab Fees (Rs.)	Government Fees   (Rs.)
1.	CASH REGISTERS	40,000/-	53,000/-
2.	COPYING MACHINES/DUPLICATORS	40,000/-	53,000/-

Documents required for BIS certification

Here is a checklist of the essential documents without which the application forBIS registrationis considered incomplete.

1. Confirmation of online submission of the Form.
2. Acknowledgment of payment received via NEFT. In case sending Demand Draft, the same needs to be sent with the hard copy of the form and the documents.
3. Completed and signed Form VI.
4. Original test report.
5. Proof of address of the manufacturing unit – the Business License or any other Government document.
6. In case the form is signed by an authorized signatory an authorization letter from the CEO.
7. Two undertakings – one accompanying the Test report which in essence means that the product conforms to the required IS and the other related to IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 amendment 2.
8. Proof of the brand being registered – in case the brand is registered, the brand registration certificate and in case it is still under registration, the application form for Trade Mark registration.
9. Foreign manufacturers who have a liaison or branch office in India, need to submit a Government document to prove the registration of the branch office along with an affidavit cum undertaking on the prescribed format – Format A – signed by the CEO or the MD of the company. In case the affidavit cum undertaking is signed by an authorized signatory, it needs to be accompanied by an authorization letter from the CEO/MD along with the photo ID of the signatory.
10. Indian manufacturers need to submit an affidavit as per Format C signed by the CEO. In case the affidavit is signed by an authorized signatory, then an authorization letter from the CEO needs to accompany the affidavit along with his ID proof.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much is the ISI Certification cost?

In order to get a product ISI certified, manufacturers of such products need to bear theISI Certification cost. This typically includes – Application fees, testing charges, factory audit charges by BIS officials, annual license fee and performance bank guarantee.

2. What are the guidelines for the Standard Mark?

The labeling specifications pertaining to Standard Mark is as mentioned below-

• The monogram that is a pictorial representation needs to be present. It can be enlarged or reduced in size.
• The Mark can be in a single color or multi-color. There are specifications pertaining to a multi-colour pattern that manufacturers need to stick to.
• BIS permits the use of either the Standard Mark or the words, “Self-declaration-conforming to IS (Number)” on the product and the packaging. The Registration number needs to be mentioned alongside the words or below the Standard Mark.
• The Standard mark needs to be either printed or embossed so that it is visible, legible, non-removable and indelible.

3. What is the renewal process of the certificate?

The BIS certification is valid for a period of two years from the date of registration. It needs to be renewed once every two years. The renewal process needs to start at least a month prior to the expiry of the current certificate. The process is as follows –

• The renewal process can be initiated online at https://www.crsbis.in/BIS/renewalInst.do.
• Form IX needs to be filled up, signed and uploaded online.
• The relevant renewal fees need to be submitted online.
• The production report needs to be filled in.
• Foreign manufacturers and registered users with BIS who do not have their liaison office in India need to appoint their Authorized Indian Representative as per specifications of the Bureau.
• Foreign manufacturers and registered users of BIS with their liaison office in India need to submit an affidavit cum undertaking as per Format A or Format B whichever is applicable.
• Indian manufacturers registered with BIS need to submit an affidavit cum undertaking as per Format C.
• The list of major distributors of the product needs to be uploaded too.
• After the online submission is completed, the hard copies of all the documents and forms submitted online need to reach the BIS office within 15 days of online submission.

4. What needs to be done by the applicant before applying online for BIS registration?

• The first step is to confirm if the product falls under the purview of the CRS.
• If the product is a part of the CRS scheme it needs to be tested. Remember the test report that is submitted along with the online form during application cannot be more than 90 days old.
• It is the job of the applicant to ensure that the applied product complies with the relevant IS, as mentioned in the test report.
• The Authorized Indian Representative needs to be appointed by foreign manufacturers who do not have a branch office or liaison office in India.
• Signup on the website of BIS (site address given above) to obtain the User Id and password.
• Once the User Id and password is obtained, the applicant needs to sign in on the site and start the process by clicking on the New Product registration.

5. How does BIS start with the scrutiny of my application form?

The Bureau works on a first come first basis. Hence forms that reach first are scrutinized before others.

6. Are scanned and stamped hard copies accepted by BIS?

No. The Bureau accepts hard copies that are signed by ink by the authorized signatory only. Signature stamped and scanned copies are notified as shortcomings. A point worth noting here is that a technical person might need to give a demo of the product and give clarifications too if asked for.

BIS Certification consultants

Enterslice is one of the leading companies with several qualified and experienced BIS certification agents who help manufacturers in getting their products registered on time and at affordable rates. As it is evident, the process of obtaining BIS certification involves thorough and detailed paperwork. Any document missing or incomplete can delay the process unnecessarily. At the same time, it is also important to follow all the steps with precision for BIS registration.  There are queries and shortcomings that the Bureau expects timely and prompt redressal. As BIS certification consultants, we are quite are experienced with the process and hence help the manufacturers to compile with specifications in a time-bound manner. We liaison on behalf of the manufacturers so that the registration gets done within a stipulated time period. We charge quite nominally for the consultancy and services offered.