BIS Certification Process Step by Step: 9 Critical Stages for 2026

The BIS certification process step by step runs in nine stages. Confirm applicability under a Quality Control Order, identify the Indian Standard, then select the scheme. Close factory and laboratory gaps, prepare the technical file, and test at a BIS recognised laboratory. File on Manakonline, answer deficiencies, then apply the mark correctly after grant. The shape is the same in every scheme, and only the evidence changes. For help running it end to end, see our BIS Certification Services.

Scheme I requires a factory inspection, and that single fact changes how the BIS certification process step by step plays out for a manufacturer. Scheme II, the Compulsory Registration Scheme, does not. FMCS repeats Scheme I with the inspection carried out overseas.

Who This BIS Certification Process Guide Applies To

This guide is for manufacturers preparing a first application, and for teams recovering a rejected one. It covers all three main routes, with electronics used as the worked example where they diverge. Durations, fees and the document checklist each have a dedicated guide. For wider support, review our Import Export Consultancy Services.

What You Need Settled Before Stage One

Detail	Where to find it	Common mistake
The Quality Control Order	Gazette notification from the line ministry	Relying on a blog list instead of the order
The Indian Standard	Named inside the order, with part and section	Choosing the parent standard, not the section
The applicant entity	Must be the manufacturer	An importer applying for a foreign factory

Get these wrong and every later stage is repeated. Getting them right is what makes the rest of the BIS certification process step by step feel like administration rather than firefighting. Get them right and the rest is administration.

Step-by-Step: BIS Certification Process Workflow

Step 1: Confirm Applicability

Match the product by HS code and by written description, the first real move in the BIS certification process step by step. Orders carve out capacity ranges, voltage ranges and end uses.

Common mistake: relying on an HS code alone. Expert tip: ask for the gazette notification number. If nobody can cite the order, the check has not been done.

Step 2: Identify the Correct Indian Standard

One product can map to several IS codes depending on construction and rating.

Common mistake: picking the parent standard when a section standard applies. Expert tip: check whether the standard was revised, and when the concurrent running period closes.

Step 3: Select the Scheme and Applicant

Situation	Scheme	Mark
Indian factory, notified non electronics product	Scheme I	ISI Mark, CM/L number
Electronics, IT goods, LED lighting, solar	Scheme II, the CRS	Standard Mark, R number
Overseas factory, ISI category	FMCS	ISI Mark, CM/L number
Overseas factory, CRS category	Scheme II	Standard Mark, R number

Common mistake: an Indian importer applying for a foreign factory. Expert tip: for FMCS, appoint the Authorized Indian Representative before anything else.

Step 4: Close Factory and Laboratory Gaps

This applies to Scheme I and FMCS, not to the CRS, and it is one of the few places the BIS certification process step by step really forks. BIS assesses whether the plant can reproduce the tested result consistently.

Common mistake: buying test equipment after the inspection is scheduled. Expert tip: calibration certificates must be current on the inspection date, not merely on file.

Step 5: Prepare the Technical File

Assemble the file before you draw samples. Rework here is cheap, and rework after filing is not.

Expert tip: freeze one master specification sheet and generate every document from it. Full lists sit in the BIS certification documents checklist.

Step 6: Test at a BIS Recognised Laboratory

Samples are drawn and tested against the applicable Indian Standard.

Common mistake: using a laboratory accredited but not BIS recognised for that standard. Expert tip: book the slot before fixing an application date, because capacity sets the timeline.

Step 7: File on Manakonline and Pay Fees

Applications go through the BIS Manakonline portal. CRS applications run through the CRS portal.

Common mistake: details differing across the report, the application and the artwork. Expert tip: claim the MSME concession at filing, since it cannot be applied retrospectively.

Step 8: Answer Deficiencies and Host the Inspection

BIS may raise scrutiny queries, and for Scheme I and FMCS will schedule a factory visit.

Common mistake: slow responses, because deficiency windows are finite. Expert tip: nominate one internal owner who can release documents the same day.

Step 9: Grant, Marking and Ongoing Compliance

Apply the mark exactly as prescribed, with the licence number and the IS number.

Common mistake: printing packaging before the number is issued. Expert tip: build the annual fee date into a calendar immediately, as covered in BIS Certificate Renewal Process.

What changed in 2026: the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on 25 February 2026, extended licence validity to up to five years. Fees are now payable annually in advance with production details. Non payment triggers a ninety day suspension, revocable on dues plus a ₹5,000 late fee.

BIS Certification Process Step by Step for Electronics

For a CRS product the BIS certification process step by step compresses to six stages, because there is no factory inspection.

1. Confirm the product sits in a notified CRS category.
2. Identify the IS code and check for a recent revision.
3. Fix the model list and the grouping argument.
4. Test at a laboratory with recognised scope for that standard.
5. File on the CRS portal with artwork and declaration.
6. Receive the R number, then mark and maintain.

Scheme rules are covered in What Is CRS Scheme BIS.

What BIS Is Assessing at Each Stage

Stage	The question BIS is answering
Scrutiny	Is this application complete and internally consistent
Testing	Does one sample meet the standard
Factory inspection	Can this plant reproduce that result every day
Grant	Are the licence conditions accepted
Surveillance	Is the product still conforming after grant

Applicants over prepare for testing and under prepare for inspection. That imbalance is the most common way the BIS certification process step by step goes wrong. Inspection is where most first attempts stumble.

Common Errors That Stall the BIS Certification Process

• Wrong scheme chosen at the start: the whole application is returned at scrutiny.
• Laboratory without recognised scope: the report is unusable and testing repeats.
• Contradictory documents: a report saying 240V and an application saying 230V will be returned.
• No in house laboratory: disqualifies a factory under Scheme I and FMCS.
• Model added after testing: usually needs a fresh report and a fresh queue.
• Artwork printed early: packaging carries the wrong number format.
• Slow deficiency response: finite windows mean applications lapse.

Timing consequences are quantified in BIS certification processing time.

How JPARKS Helps With the BIS Certification Process

If you remember one thing about the BIS certification process step by step, make it this. Three points are worth carrying away. Applicability, standard selection and scheme choice decide the outcome before any sample is drawn. Testing and filing are executable tasks, while the first three stages are judgement. Response speed is the variable you control most directly.

JPARKS INDIA handles BIS certification alongside ICEGATE registration, AD Code mapping, IGCR clearance and Importer of Record work. We have served 500+ importers and exporters since 2018. Our team carries 40 years of EXIM experience and a 5.0 Google rating.

If you want a second opinion on where you sit in the BIS certification process step by step, send us the product and the HS code. We will confirm the scheme and the standard before you spend on testing. Visit JPARKS INDIA or use the Contact Page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is the first step in the BIS certification process?

Confirming whether a live Quality Control Order covers the product is stage one of the BIS certification process step by step, matched by both HS code and description. Everything else depends on that answer.

Q2. Can I apply for BIS certification myself?

Yes. Manufacturers can file directly on Manakonline. Most rejections come from scheme selection and file quality rather than from the filing itself.

Q3. Is factory inspection part of the process?

For Scheme I and FMCS, yes. For the Compulsory Registration Scheme, no. That single difference reshapes the whole sequence.

Q4. What is the Scheme of Testing and Inspection?

It is the agreed plan describing how the manufacturer will test and control quality during production. Acceptance is a condition of the ISI licence.

Q5. What happens if BIS raises a deficiency?

You receive a notice with a response window. Supply the evidence inside that window, since missing it can require a fresh application.

Q6. Can one test report cover multiple models?

Often yes, within the series and grouping guidelines for that category. Build the model list before testing rather than after.

Q7. Where do I file the application?

On the BIS Manakonline portal for most schemes, and on the CRS portal for Compulsory Registration Scheme applications.

Q8. Does grant end the process?

No. Annual fees, production statements and surveillance continue for the life of the licence.