BIS CRS Registration for Electronics and IT Products
Mobile phones, laptops, LED screens and the other electronics notified under the Compulsory Registration Scheme cannot be sold or imported in India without BIS registration. Your product is tested at a BIS-recognised lab, and we handle the CRS portal filing and follow-up until the registration number is issued.
What it is
BIS CRS registration is the Bureau of Indian Standards’ approval for electronic and IT goods under its Compulsory Registration Scheme. Instead of factory inspections before grant, the scheme relies on a test report from a BIS-recognised lab. Once registered, the manufacturer gets a registration number and marks every unit with the Standard Mark.
The legal base is the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012, first notified on 3 October 2012 and widened several times since, including twice in 2020. The procedure is Scheme-II of Schedule II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Applications go through BIS’s CRS portal at crsbis.in.
Who it applies to
You make the product in India
If you make a notified product in India, under your own brand or someone else’s, the factory must be registered for that brand before the goods go on sale.
Your factory is overseas
An overseas factory registers in its own name but must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) in India. Say a Gurugram trading company imports laptops from a factory in Shenzhen. The trading company can act as AIR, but the registration still belongs to the factory.
You import or own the brand
The registration is in the manufacturer’s name, linked to a brand. If you import (with your Import Export Code) or sell under your brand, the maker’s registration must cover that brand and you will usually sign the brand authorisation.
Why it matters
Sell without legal risk
For notified products, registration is not optional. No registration, no sale.
Bring imports in lawfully
Section 17 of the BIS Act covers imports as well as sales. An unregistered consignment of notified electronics has no lawful way into the market.
Let buyers verify you
BIS publishes a searchable list of registered manufacturers, so a distributor can check your registration number before stocking your product.
Documents required
About the manufacturer
- Address proof of the factory: business licence or another government document
- Authority letter from the CEO, if someone else signs the application
- Form VI generated online, signed and sealed
- Identity proof of the signatory
About the brand and product
- Test report from a BIS-recognised lab
- Trademark registration certificate, or the trademark application if the brand is not yet registered
- Authorisation letter if the brand belongs to someone else
- Undertakings on the test report and on any standard-specific changes
For the AIR
- AIR nomination form, signed and sealed (foreign makers)
- Affidavit on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper
- Proof of the AIR’s legal status, such as a liaison or branch office registration, or brand ownership papers
- Identity proof of the AIR’s signatory
How it works
Check the product against the notified list
We confirm that your product is notified, which Indian Standard applies, and how your models can be grouped into one application.
Create the login and generate a test request
We set up the manufacturer’s login on the CRS portal and raise a test request for the chosen BIS-recognised lab.
Send samples to the lab
The samples must reach the lab within 60 days of generating the test request. The lab does the testing; we follow up and check the report against your models.
Verify the report and file within 90 days
Once the lab issues the report, it is verified on the portal and the application must be filed within 90 days of issue, with the fee and the documents.
Answer BIS queries
BIS reviews the file and may raise queries on the report, the brand papers or the AIR. In practice, a quick and complete reply keeps the file moving, so we answer on the portal without delay.
Mark the product and track renewal
After grant, you apply the Standard Mark with the IS number and your registration number. We diarise renewal, so the registration never lapses.
Timelines
Lab samples: 60 days
Samples must reach the lab within 60 days of generating the test request on the CRS portal.
Application: 90 days
File within 90 days of the test report’s issue. Miss it, and you pay for testing again.
Validity: two years
Registration is granted for two years and can be renewed. BIS guidelines ask for the renewal application well ahead of expiry; we start three months before.
How to mark a registered product
| Rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Standard Mark with IS number and registration number | Each unit, or its package, carries the mark along with the Indian Standard and your registration number |
| Minimum size | The IS number, registration number and text must be at least Arial font size 6 |
| Durability | Marking must be legible, indelible and non-removable |
| BIS website reference | “www.bis.gov.in” must appear on the product or package, even if you also use e-labelling |
Here is the catch: the registration covers the models and brand named in it, nothing more. A Faridabad assembler that adds a new LED screen size to its range needs an inclusion for that model before it is marked and sold. Marking an uncovered model is the same as having no registration for it.
What happens if you sell without registration
Prosecution under Section 29(3)
Selling or importing notified goods without the required Standard Mark breaches Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016. The punishment is imprisonment up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh, rising to at least ₹5 lakh for a repeat offence, and up to ten times the value of the goods.
A cognizable offence
Section 29(4) makes this offence cognizable, so the police can register a case and act without a warrant.
Stuck stock
Unregistered goods cannot lawfully be sold, so stock sits idle while the test-and-file cycle starts from scratch.
Frequently asked questions
Which products need BIS CRS registration?
Products notified under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012 need it. The list was widened in 2014, 2017 and twice in 2020, and covers items such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, LED and LCD screens and cameras. Solar photovoltaic goods have a separate order from 2017 under the same scheme. We check your exact product against the current list.
Is CRS registration the same as the ISI mark?
No, they are two different BIS schemes. CRS is Scheme-II, based on a test report from a BIS-recognised lab and a self-declaration by the maker. The ISI mark is Scheme-I, which involves a BIS factory inspection and an annual marking fee. Electronics on the CRS list follow Scheme-II. We confirm the right scheme before testing starts.
What are the BIS fees for CRS registration?
Published fee summaries put a new application at ₹27,000: ₹1,000 application fee, ₹25,000 processing fee and ₹1,000 registration fee. Renewal is also ₹27,000, and an inclusion of a new model is ₹15,000. Each additional test report adds ₹20,000 in processing fee. Lab testing is charged separately by the lab. We confirm the current BIS fee before you pay.
How long is a CRS registration valid?
A CRS registration is valid for two years and can be renewed for further periods. Renewal needs a fresh application with the renewal fee, and BIS guidelines ask for it before expiry. We diarise the date and start the renewal three months ahead. That leaves time to fix any query without a gap in your registration.
Can a foreign manufacturer apply directly?
Yes, but it must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR). The AIR can be the maker’s liaison or branch office in India, the brand owner in India, or another Indian entity nominated by the maker. The AIR signs an affidavit on ₹100 non-judicial stamp paper and supports BIS on Indian matters. We prepare the nomination and affidavit for you.
Can I use the same test report for several models?
Not always. Whether models can share a report depends on BIS guidelines for that product, and each additional test report in an application carries a ₹20,000 processing fee. A model outside the original grouping needs its own test and an inclusion. We plan the model list before testing to keep the number of reports down.
How soon must I apply after the lab issues the report?
Within 90 days of the test report being issued. The CRS portal accepts a verified report only inside this window, so a late filing means paying for fresh testing. The samples themselves must reach the lab within 60 days of the test request. We keep both dates on our tracker from day one.
What is the penalty for selling unregistered electronics?
Under Section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016, the punishment is imprisonment up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh for a first offence and at least ₹5 lakh after that, extendable to ten times the value of the goods. The offence is cognizable. Registering before the first sale avoids all of this.
Does Taxhint test the product?
No, testing is done only by BIS-recognised labs, and BIS alone grants the registration. We handle the rest: checking the product list, preparing documents and AIR papers, filing on the CRS portal, coordinating with the lab, replying to BIS queries and tracking renewals and inclusions. You get one contact throughout.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
BIS fees as published in fee summaries: new registration ₹27,000 (₹1,000 application + ₹25,000 processing + ₹1,000 registration); renewal ₹27,000; inclusion ₹15,000; each additional test report ₹20,000. Lab charges are extra.
Ready to begin?
Tell us the product, the models and the brand. We will plan the lab test and the CRS filing backwards from your launch date.