An Overview of BIS Certification in India

BIS stands for Bureau of India Standards. It lays down the standards for various product manufacturing and if the companies manufacture their products as per the standards set by BIS then they can get a certification mark for that product. The design of the mark may differ based on the type of mark. This standard certification mark has another associated term, the ISI Mark. The manufacturers use it to assure their consumers about the quality of the products. Multiple schemes of BIS provide certification for various products. The process is simple and you can apply for this certification online through the web portal managed by BIS.

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Who Needs BIS Certification

The Central Government has notified a set of compulsory items to get BIS registration. If your product is not covered under the list of products that need mandatory certification then it is your choice to either obtain the certification or not. For that, you must follow the standards as published by the Bureau of Indian Standards and if the product satisfies those requirements then BIS can grant the certification.

Advantages of BIS Certification

The BIS certification has various benefits for consumers, manufacturers, distributors and the environment. Some of the major ones are as follows-

• Customer Identifies Quality Products With the Mark
• Improves Brand Image of the Manufacturer
• Gives Recognition in Global Markets
• Proves the Legality of the Product and Process
• Promotes Environment-Friendly Products

BIS Certification Schemes

There are multiple active schemes by the Bureau of Indian Standards in which manufacturers may apply to get the certification. The names of these schemes are as follows-

• Standard Certification Scheme
• Compulsory Registration Scheme
• Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
• Hallmarking Scheme
• Laboratory Recognition Scheme

Standard Certification Scheme

This scheme is the basic scheme where manufacturers submit their products and the Bureau of Indian Standards grants the certification to this product after evaluating it on certain set standards. This scheme gives a right to the producer which empowers him to use the certification mark on his products.

Compulsory Registration Scheme

The Central Government has notified a list of products for compulsory BIS registration. If the manufacturer is producing these products then he needs to register them at the web portal of the Bureau of Indian Standards. before any sale or distribution. This list mostly includes electronic devices and makers cannot sell or distribute these products without BIS certification.

Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme

Under this scheme, the BIS provides certification to foreign manufacturers who want to get the certificate voluntarily for the product they are manufacturing. This scheme is not available to the products that are notified for the Compulsory BIS Registration Scheme by the Indian Government. After obtaining the certification, these foreign manufacturers can use the standard mark for the products that conform to Indian Standards.

Hallmarking Scheme

The Bureau of Indian Standards provides the certification to use the hallmark in the products. This mark and certificate are provided for the precious metal articles. These hallmarks guarantee the purity of the material used to produce such articles. It prevents consumers from the adulteration of precious metals.

Laboratory Recognition Scheme

Apart from the products, BIS also recognises and certifies the laboratories. The objective of such recognition is to have certified labs across the country test the products and accordingly set standards or evaluate the products before granting them a BIS certification. If you have a laboratory and want to get the certification then your lab should conform to the standards of recognition. It must have appropriate, infrastructure, testing facilities and manpower.

Documents Required for BIS Certification

You need to submit a set of documents along with your application form. It is advisable to check the web portal of BIS from time to time for the updated list. Because there may be some other requirements that BIS communicates online and you need to fulfil them at the time of application. The list of documents and details that you need to submit for this purpose are as follows-

• Name & Address Proof of Office
• Name & Address Proof of Factory
• Valid MSME Certificate
• Authorised Representative Letter
• Manufacturing Process Flow Chart
• Manufacturing Machinery List
• Outsourced Manufacturing Operation
• Agreement on Outsourcing of Manufacturing Operation
• Testing Equipment List
• Testing Arrangement Outside the Factory
• Valid Calibration Certificates of Testing Equipment
• In-House Test Report
• Third-Party Laboratory Test Report

For proof of identity and address, you can submit Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, GST Registration, CIN Certificate etc. You may not need all of these documents based on the nature of the entity you are but you should not lack any necessary documents that apply to your firm. For example, if you are not outsourcing any manufacturing operation then you do not need to submit the agreement on the same.

How to Get BIS Certification in India?

The Standard BIS Certification process requires above mentioned documents and completes in multiple stages. Two major events of the process are as follows-

• Assessment of Manufacturing Infrastructure through a visit
• Conformity of Product Standards through testing in a laboratory

Application Submission for BIS Certification

• You need to submit Form V to get the Standard BIS Certification.
• You also need to submit the documents as prescribed above with this form.
• The BIS team will visit the factory of the applicant to test the capability of the manufacturer and assess the manufacturing infrastructure.
• The team will take the samples for further testing in a laboratory.
• The samples are not mandatory if they consider granting the licence based on factory testing only. It happens for certain products.
• BIS uses the test reports of the collected samples for the purpose of reviewing the application.
• The applicant needs to register himself online on the software provided by BIS and get a unique code. He has to submit this code to the laboratory along with the samples and receive a receipt. He needs to submit this receipt back to the software online. This applies to the applications made under the second option.

Valid Laboratories to Test Samples for BIS Certification

• Only the laboratories recognised or established by BIS and the government laboratories empanelled by BIS and any other laboratory as allowed by the executive committee of the bureau are valid to test the samples and generate test reports.
• The test report submitted for the BIS certification shall not be more than ninety days old. If the applicant submits multiple reports, then the latest report should not be more than ninety days old and the oldest report shall not be more than one hundred and eighty days old.
• In case the reports are not as per the time limits prescribed, the bureau may still consider the application after due verification and proper reasonable justification.
• The raw materials of the product should also conform to Indian Standards. BIS confirms it using the following documents-

1. ISI mark on the raw materials
2. Test report from a valid laboratory
3. Test certificate of raw-material manufacturer
4. In-house factory test report

• If the test requires more than thirty day’s time to complete then the applicant gets some relaxation and also needs to submit the undertakings as required for long-term tests.

Factory Visit and Testing for BIS Certification

• The factory visit normally takes one day for the Indian manufacturers and two days for the foreign manufacturers. However, if in special circumstances, there is any need for excessive time then the Branch Office Head takes a decision.
• The BO Head performs factory testing to conform to various requirements such as workmanship, visual characteristics, surface defects, description, taste, flavour etc.
• In case of partial report is submitted by the applicant then the inspection fee is also collected from him.
• For bulky products, they should measure the dimensions and test it at the factory itself as it can not be taken to the laboratory for testing.
• If the team observes non-conformity in the factory testing then it does not collect samples and advises the applicant to make improvements.
• The team collects the samples and sends them to the laboratory following the guidelines issued by the Laboratory Policy & Planning Department for the sealing and dispatch of the samples.
• If a product characteristic needs more than thirty days for testing then in such cases the BIS accepts test reports of any laboratory including the firm's own laboratory as evidence of conformity. In this case, the applicant needs to submit an undertaking that his license is subject to cancellation in case of non-conformity of samples or inability to submit the test report within thirty days of the issue.

Processing of BIS Product Certification Licence

• If everything goes well in the first instance then the BIS can grant a licence within ninety days from the date of application received under the first option. If the applicant makes an application under the second option then the process may be completed in thirty days subject to the condition that the conformity is tested and proved in the first instance.
• The Head of the Branch Office should ensure that he finishes the process within forty-five days from the submission of the application for All India First Cases unless it takes more time because of the minimum testing time of the product.
• BIS grants the license to use a standard certification mark for one to two years initially.

Conditions Regarding the Use of BIS Certification Mark

The manufacturers need to follow some conditions after receiving the licence to use the standard certification mark. These conditions are as follows-

• The manufacturer should produce all its products in conformity with the Indian Standards.
• The manufacturer should cover its entire production under the scope of the license.
• The manufacturer should prominently display the BIS Product Certification License on the premises.
• The manufacturer should mention the BIS Certification Licence in their advertisements.

Rejection of Application for BIS Certification

BIS may reject the application for the grant of BIS Product Licence Certification for various reasons. Some of the major causes of rejection are as follows-

• The samples are not submitted to the laboratory within the period of thirty days.
• The samples fail in independent testing.
• There is a lack of testing facilities or technical personnel with the applicant.
• The applicant does not take the necessary steps as asked by the testing team in its advisory report.
• The applicant is not paying the dues to the Bureau of Indian Standards.
• If the applicant tampered with the related document and the discrepancy is found by the Bureau in the documents.
• The applicant is indulged in unethical practices.
• The applicant does not provide all assistance to the certification officer during the factory visit.
• The team finds any other non-conformity at any stage in the factory testing or sample testing.

The Bureau provides a rejection notice of at least twenty-one days to the applicant before rejecting his application. Although the applicant gets the reasonable opportunity of being heard, the BIS rejects the application if he fails to provide any satisfactory explanation.

Conclusion

The process of getting a BIS certification involves various steps by many stakeholders. These stakeholders are the applicant manufacturer, Bureau of Indian Standards, Branch Office Head, Laboratory In-charge etc. The certification mark provided by the BIS comes with a huge responsibility against the general consumers and hence it follows a rigorous process before the grant of this licence. BIS also rigorously tests factories as well as the raw materials of the product in labs to finally decide whether it is in conformity with the Indian Standards or not. Any discrepancy at any stage results in the rejection of the application.