By Naraway
In this article
In 2016, India had 70 Quality Control Orders, each making BIS certification compulsory for a product before it could be imported or sold. By October 2025 it had 790, with about 79 more in the pipeline.
Then the direction changed. A NITI Aayog review recommended rolling back 208 of them, and by mid-November 2025 the government had withdrawn 69. For an overseas manufacturer, the list of products that need BIS is now moving in both directions at once.
What Changed, and Why
Most of the recent orders did not cover consumer goods. About 70% covered raw materials, intermediates and capital goods. A CSEP study found that imports of intermediate goods fell 16% in the year a QCO was issued and about 30% over the long term, and that small manufacturers were hurt while large ones benefited.
The withdrawals so far cover 14 orders on chemicals, polymers and fibre intermediates used in textiles, and 55 on steel intermediates. They are not final everywhere: on 6 April 2026, the Gujarat High Court stayed the withdrawal for certain polyester yarn products.
What a Foreign Manufacturer Faces
Source: industry accounts reported by ThePrint, November 2025.
Certification is granted to a specific factory for a specific product, so a brand making the same item in two plants certifies both. Testing is done in India or in BIS-recognised labs, and the factory can be inspected. A new model can mean a new test.
Electronics: The Category Most Brands Meet First
Consumer electronics, from phone chargers and power banks to CCTV cameras and LED lights, have long sat under India's compulsory registration rules, and "BIS certification for electronic products" and "for CCTV cameras" are among the most searched certification questions. For a brand launching a gadget in India, BIS registration usually sets the launch date more than the marketing plan does.
Why Manufacturers Go Through It
India imported US$775 billion of goods in FY26, and the rules on which products need certification are being loosened at the intermediate end. For electronics in particular, India is also becoming a place to make the product rather than only sell it: iPhone exports from India reached a record Rs 2 lakh crore in FY26.
Whether a product is covered by a QCO today, whether that order is about to be withdrawn or has been stayed, which factory and model need testing, and how to sequence certification with the launch are the questions that decide when a product actually reaches Indian shelves.
Part of Naraway's research series India Market Entry in 2026.
In short
Products covered by a Quality Control Order (QCO) cannot be imported or sold in India without BIS certification. QCOs grew from 70 in 2016 to 790 by October 2025, according to a NITI Aayog internal report; about 70% of recent ones cover raw materials, intermediates and capital goods. In late 2025 the government withdrew 69 QCOs, mainly on textile chemicals and steel intermediates, and NITI Aayog recommended rolling back 208. Foreign manufacturers typically pay Rs 20,000 to 30,000 in BIS fees plus testing, lodge a US$10,000 bank guarantee per product, and wait seven to eight months or more.
- QCOs rose from 70 in 2016 to 790 by October 2025.
- 69 were withdrawn in late 2025; NITI Aayog recommended withdrawing 208.
- A Gujarat High Court order in April 2026 stayed one withdrawal, for polyester yarn.
- Foreign manufacturers: US$10,000 bank guarantee per product, Rs 20,000-30,000 fees plus testing.
- Certification takes seven to eight months, sometimes more than a year.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BIS certification mandatory for imports into India?
For products covered by a Quality Control Order, yes. They cannot be imported, sold or distributed in India without BIS certification.
How many products need BIS certification?
QCOs numbered 790 by October 2025 according to a NITI Aayog internal report, before the government began withdrawing some of them.
How long does BIS certification take for a foreign manufacturer?
Seven to eight months on average, and sometimes more than a year, according to industry accounts reported by ThePrint.
What does BIS certification cost for a foreign manufacturer?
About Rs 20,000 to 30,000 in application and certification charges under the foreign manufacturers scheme, plus testing, and a performance bank guarantee of US$10,000 per product.
Are Quality Control Orders being withdrawn?
Some. The government withdrew 69 QCOs in late 2025, mostly on chemicals, polymers and steel intermediates, after NITI Aayog recommended rolling back 208. A Gujarat High Court order in April 2026 stayed the withdrawal for certain polyester yarn products.
