Product safety and quality are crucial to be maintained, especially within a competitive market. For firms operating in a growing city like Bangalore, more will be expected from consumers. In India, the ISI Certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards is among the most assured marks of quality and compliance. It assures buyers that the products they purchase are safe, reliable, and manufactured to proper standards.
The key benefits include strengthening brand credibility for companies dealing in food products or any other category, entering new markets, and building up customer trust with the ISI Certification. However, getting the ISI mark seems a bit challenging as it involves paperwork, product testing, and at times a factory inspection to ensure everything is as per BIS requirements.
Why BIS Certificate?
Consumers often have many doubts about the authenticity and quality of products, be it food items, electrical, clothes, or vehicles. BIS Certification answers such questions by facilitating:
- Making sure products are good to go follows the rules set by Indian Standards.
- Steps to keep people safe can lower the chances of mishaps or flaws.
- Being believable: Helps people have faith in the name and what it sells.
Some items must have ISI Certification, but others choose to get it to show they care about quality.
What is ISI Mark?
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), formerly the Indian Standard Institute, issues the ISI Mark. This is an ISO Standard. A mark of approval that validates a product’s conformity to Indian Standards (IS).
Key points about ISI Mark:
- A symbol of quality, safety, and trust since 1955
- Indicates that the product conforms to Indian standards
- Includes the license number (CM/L-XXXXXXXXXX) and Indian Standard number
Mandatory ISI products include:
- Electrical appliances: Tools that use electricity such as clothing irons, devices that warm rooms, air conditioners, cooktops, ice boxes, and wires that carry electricity.
- Industrial products: Tubes made of a certain plastic, a mix of materials used like cement, and liquids that can react with or dissolve other materials.
- Consumer products: Shoes made from animal skin or flexible material, tools used to treat sickness, and items that use electricity found in homes.
Difference between BIS and ISI Mark:
- BIS: National quality management organization responsible for certification
- ISI Mark: Standard mark on the product showing compliance with BIS standards
Types of ISI Certification
1. Mandatory Certification
- Applies to products critical for public safety and health
- Examples: Electrical appliances, cement, pressure cookers
- Manufacturers cannot sell these products in India without ISI Certification
2. Voluntary Certification
- Applies to products not under the mandatory category
- Helps manufacturers showcase quality and gain a competitive advantage
Key Features of ISI Certification
Here are a few key features that make ISI Certification so important:
- Quality Assurance: It makes sure your items always achieve the necessary quality levels.
- Consumer Trust: Having an ISI label makes people feel good about picking your item.
- Safety Compliance: It lowers the chances of items breaking, safety issues, and people complaining.
- Global Recognition: The ISI label also helps with selling things abroad and makes it simpler to sell in other countries.
- Product Excellence: It lets you keep the same high level for each group you make and helps ensure things last for a long time.
Minimum Requirements for ISI Certification
If a manufacturing company wants to get ISI Certification, they have to meet some requirements. These requirements help ensure products are reliable, secure, and meet the standards set by India, which makes the certification process effective. It is really crucial to understand these requirements thoroughly before you begin the process. That’s why we’ve put together a complete guide on what you need to obtain ISI Certification, allowing you to fully grasp all the specifics.
- Manufacturing Facility: How the factory is set up, how work moves through it, and ways to check quality are important.
- Testing Facility: Testing can happen in our own lab or with labs that BIS says are good.
- Quality Control Procedures: Keep written records of how things are made and checked.
- Product Compliance: Items must follow the rules for how they should work based on the Indian Standard chosen.
- Factory Inspection: People who work for BIS check the machines, look at what the workers can do, and make sure safety rules are followed.
- Testing Equipment Calibration: Make sure that every tool and machine used when testing is set up just right.
- Record-Keeping: Keep very careful and organized notes about test results, quality checks, and what the stuff is made of.
Documents Required for ISI Certification
Accurate documentation is key to a successful application. Required documents include:
- Incorporation Documents: Certificate of Incorporation, MOA & AOA (for companies); Partnership Agreement (for firms); Directorate of Industries certificate (for sole proprietorships)
- Address Proof of Manufacturing Unit
- Factory Layout & Location Plan
- Raw Material Test Certificates
- Manufacturing Flowchart (in-house & outsourced processes)
- Test Reports from BIS-recognized laboratories
- Bank Statement of the business
- Product Drawings & Components Details
- Manufacturing & Testing Equipment Details
- Trademark Registration Certificate
- Packaging Details: Product size, quantity, storage facilities
- Proof of Manufacturing Premises: Lease deed or electricity bill
Notes:
- Outsourced manufacturing requires a Manufacturing Agreement
- Facilities without in-house labs must provide a Consent Letter from BIS-recognized lab
BIS ISI Certification Cost
| Fee Type | Amount (INR) | Remarks |
| Application Fee | 1,000 | Paid to BIS |
| Audit Charges | 7,000 | Paid to BIS |
| Sample Test Fee | As Applicable | Varies by product/lab |
| License Fee | 1,000 | Paid to BIS |
| Minimum Advance Marking Fee | As per actual | Depends on IS Standard |
Additional costs include product testing and installation of in-house testing machinery.
Step-by-Step ISI Certification Process
Step-1 : Identify Product Code
First, find the right Indian Standard that applies to your product. Then, find the product’s matching code within that Indian Standard. The Indian Standard will list a product code or number for your specific type of product. This code sorts products into groups based on what they are and how they should be used.
Step-2 : Identify Testing Facilities & Samples
Make lists of all the machines you have at your factory, whether you own them or get them from somewhere else. Find out what testing tools you need to test your product based on the correct Indian Standard. See if there are places other than your factory where you can get the tests done. Lastly, figure out the smallest number of samples you need to test, depending on what the product is and how you want to use the license.
Step-3 : File Online Application
Send in an online application with all the needed papers, like the product code and details about your testing areas. Be sure that your product meets the rules listed in the Indian Standard you picked. Look at the Product Manual for complete help, including details about the scope, samples, testing tools, and more. Test your products following the Indian Standard and send in a test report with your application on Form V.
Step-4 : Examination of Application
After the company sends in the application, BIS workers will check it over closely. They will also talk to the company to set up a date for the factory visit. This makes sure the schedule works for everyone. The goal is to have a smooth and helpful process to make sure the ISI certification goes well.
Step-5 : Factory Visit and Inspection
When they visit the factory, BIS workers will do some important things to make sure everything follows the ISI Certification rules. They will check all papers and talk about if the control steps the company uses are good enough. They will check the factory’s setup, including the machines, testing tools, how good the quality control people are, storage areas, and cleanliness. They will test things at the factory, and may take samples for testing at another lab if needed.
Step-6 : Submission & Review of Test Report
After visiting the factory, BIS workers will put together a detailed report. This report will be checked, looking at what was done during the visit and the test results. If tests take more than a month, the manufacturer’s test reports may be used to help give the license. This also includes reports from other testing labs.
Step-7 : Decision to Grant the License & Payment of License Fees
The decision to give the License is made if the Bureau thinks the company’s setup is good enough. The company must pay the minimum fee for marking and the yearly BIS license fee within one week after getting approved.
Step-8 : Getting ISI Certified
Once the license fees are successfully paid, manufacturers will get their official ISI Certification License on Form VIIII. This license will have some important information on it. The ISI Certificate details will show what it covers, the license number, how long it is good for, the marking fee, the product code, and a copy of the Standard Mark.
Note : Foreign manufacturers will get a license agreement to sign (Form –IX). They need to also turn in a guarantee (Form –X) on legal paper worth one hundred rupees. Also, foreign manufacturers must give a performance bank guarantee of USD 10,000 from an Indian bank branch approved by the RBI.
Read More: Process for getting BIS for Certification
Validity & Renewal
The initial license given will be good for at least one year, but no more than two years. The lowest fee for marking must be paid before the license is valid for that whole time. The permission to use the ISI mark can be given again for another one to five years. To get the license to use the Standard Mark renewed, you must apply at least two months before it ends.
Here is the information neatly arranged in a clean, simple table:
BIS ISI Renewal – Time of Filing & Effect on Renewal
| No. | Time of Filing | Effect on Renewal |
| 1 | If a renewal application is received after the expiration of the validity. | The renewal of the license may be deferred for up to 90 days. |
| 2 | If a renewal application is not received within the period of deferment. | The license shall expire after the date of its validity. |
| 3 | If the renewal application is made after the validity of the license. | The application must include a late fee of Rs. 5,000. |
| 4 | If the renewal application and fee are received, but the license is suspended. | The license will be renewed once the suspension is revoked. |
| 5 | After receipt of a renewal application, if the suspension is revoked at the end of its validity. | Renewal may be deferred for up to 180 days from its validity date. |
| 6 | If discrepancies that led to the suspension of the license are removed. | The license may be renewed from the date of its validity. |
| 7 | If discrepancies that led to the suspension of the license are not removed. | The license shall expire after the date of its validity. |
BIS ISI Certification Procedures
- Normal Procedure: 60-65 days
- Simplified Procedure: 35-40 days
Normal Procedure:
- Prepare products and in-house labs
- BIS inspection of factory and products
- Testing at BIS-approved labs
- Certificate granted if approved
Simplified Procedure:
- Submit pre-tested samples approved by BIS
- Online application and fee submission
- BIS inspection and sample testing
- Certificate granted within 35-40 days
Grounds for Refusal
BIS may refuse certification due to:
- Incomplete or incorrect documents
- Failure to submit product samples
- Products failing BIS tests
- Non-cooperation during factory audits
- Lack of qualified QC personnel
- Inadequate manufacturing infrastructure
- Unethical practices
Expert ISI Certification services help avoid rejection.
How ELT Can Help?
Sometimes getting the compliance work done feels confusing, especially while managing daily operations. The right support makes a lot of difference. With proper guidance, you understand what documents are needed, how the process works, and what steps to follow- everything falls into place, becoming more organized, clear, and manageable. You need not keep your head scratching over forms and rules but stay focused on your business while the compliance part moves ahead smoothly.
Conclusion
ISI Certification goes beyond just a regulatory requirement; it’s a strategic investment for your business. This brings about product quality, consumer safety, good market credibility, and international recognition. With professional support, manufacturers can efficiently go through the process with minimal errors to focus on growing their business while remaining compliant with BIS standards.
FAQs
1. What products require mandatory ISI Certification?
Products critical to health and safety, such as electrical appliances, cement, pressure cookers, and LPG cylinders.
2. How long does the ISI Certification process take?
Typically 6-12 weeks, depending on product type, testing, and factory readiness.
3. Is factory inspection mandatory for ISI Certification?
Yes. BIS officers verify manufacturing processes, quality control systems, and product consistency before granting the license.
4. What is the difference between Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary ISI Certificates?
- Primary: Core manufacturing units
- Secondary: Branch units or outsourced manufacturing
- Tertiary: Trading or distribution units requiring traceability
5. How can ELT Corporate help in ISI Certification?
We provide end-to-end support, including eligibility guidance, documentation, sample testing, online filing, and post-certification compliance assistance.
