How to choose a BIS consultant: what they should do, what they charge, and the red flags to walk away from

Pick a consultant who explains your scheme and standard correctly before quoting, shows BIS fees, lab charges and its own fee as separate lines, lets the application run in the manufacturer's own portal account, and puts scope and refunds in writing. Walk away from anyone who guarantees approval.

You do not legally need a consultant. A CRS application is made by the manufacturer on crsbis.in^[2], and the licence is granted per manufacturing unit, not to an importer, trader or agent^[1]. BIS publishes the steps, forms and fees. Many firms still hire help because the paperwork is unforgiving: BIS rejects files for mismatched addresses, unsigned annexures and test reports that do not match the test request^[10][11], and it does not refund fees once a rejected file has been processed^[6].

A good consultant earns its fee by getting the file right first time. A bad one costs you the BIS fee, the lab fee and months. This guide covers what a consultant should and should not do, what consultants advertise as fees, the red flags, the questions to ask and what the contract should say. If you would rather not vet firms yourself, Comploa's free compliance check tells you what your product needs, and we can introduce a vetted partner from our consultants directory.

No law requires one. Whether it is worth paying depends on how often you file, whether the factory is abroad, and how much of the process you can run yourself.

You can probably manage without one if the factory has an English-speaking compliance team, a business licence in English (or a certified translation, which BIS requires for portal login^[2]), and experience with other markets' test reports. The CRS steps themselves are short: log in, generate a test request, test at a BIS-recognised lab, verify the report, apply within 90 days, submit documents^[2].

A consultant helps most when:

• the factory is outside India and needs an Authorised Indian Representative^[5];
• you are grouping many models into series under MeitY's series guidelines^[5];
• the product sits between categories, such as smart glasses, where BIS has issued category guidance^[12];
• the product is under Scheme-I via FMCS, which adds a factory inspection and a USD 10,000 bank guarantee^[13];
• you hold licences that now need annual fees and production statements under the 2026 rules^[14].

Not sure which scheme applies? Read CRS vs ISI vs FMCS or does my product need BIS first; that alone decides what kind of consultant you need.

A consultant should confirm the scheme and standard, plan the series, coordinate testing, prepare and check every document, file in the manufacturer's account, answer BIS queries and track renewals. Everything else is extra.

A consultant cannot grant, speed up or guarantee a licence, cannot change the test results, and cannot hold the licence for you. BIS decides, and the licence belongs to the factory^[1].

BIS states its own target: about 20 working days for a CRS grant, provided documents and conformity are satisfactory at first instance^[5]. No consultant controls that. BIS lists the grounds on which it rejects: unpaid dues, tampered documents, unethical practices, false declarations, a non-conforming test report, or failing to answer queries in time^[19]. A consultant who claims influence over that list is describing an unethical practice, which is itself a ground for rejection.

A consultant also cannot shift your legal exposure. Under the BIS Act, where a company commits an offence, its responsible officers and its authorised representative are deemed guilty as well^[20]. In customs, JNCH held an importer liable for invalid licences its broker submitted^[21]. If a consultant hands you a fake certificate, you carry the risk. That is why you should verify any BIS licence yourself in the BIS Care app^[22].

Consultants that publish prices advertise professional fees for CRS from about Rs 14,999, before BIS fees, lab charges and GST. Most do not publish fees at all, so treat any figure as a starting point for a written quote.

Two published examples, as seen on 1 November 2026:

• One consultancy lists a professional fee of Rs 14,999, lab charges of Rs 25,000 and an 'application fee' of Rs 15,340, plus Rs 10,000 extra for foreign manufacturers and non-MSMEs, and Rs 7,500 for renewal help^[23].
• Another advertises BIS certification 'starting Rs 14,999' without saying what that covers^[24].

Compare those with what BIS itself charges. Since 25 February 2026, CRS costs an application fee of Rs 1,000, an annual licence fee of Rs 1,000 and a processing fee of Rs 25,000 a year, paid in advance^[3], with GST extra^[4]. A quote that still shows a one-time Rs 50,000 processing fee is using the replaced 2018 table^[4]. Neither consultant figure matches a BIS fee line exactly, which is the point: insist on a quote that names each BIS fee as BIS names it. Use our BIS CRS fee calculator to check.

Lab charges are not set by consultants either. Recognised labs declare their charges, fixed for three years^[7]. On 1 November 2026 BIS LIMS showed IS 13252 (Part 1) charges from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000, median about Rs 63,750^[25], and IS 16046 battery charges from Rs 37,500 to Rs 4,80,000^[26]. A consultant quoting 'testing' below the lab's declared charge is either absorbing it or using a different lab.

Published consultant fees for WPC, LMPC and MTCTE are lower than for BIS, because the government process is simpler. These are single-firm examples, not market rates.

The biggest red flag is a guarantee: of approval, of a date, or of 'no testing needed'. BIS decides every file on its merits^[19], and every CRS licence rests on a test report from a recognised lab^[2].

A BIS consultancy's own guide lists red flags it sees in fake consultants: work only over phone or WhatsApp without formal documents; certification 'without any testing' or within 2 to 3 days; prices too low to be true; no track record or office; certificates without portal credentials or with format or QR code errors; pressure to pay immediately without proper invoices; no technical knowledge of the product's standard; and no transparency on labs, steps or timelines^[33].

We would add these, each tied to a BIS rule:

• 'We have an arrangement with the lab.' Recognised labs undertake not to use agents or pay commissions for referrals^[7]. A consultant boasting of a lab kickback is describing a breach.
• 'We will file it under our login.' Portal access belongs to the manufacturer, which uploads its own business licence to get credentials^[2].
• 'File a second application in parallel to be safe.' BIS rejects all pending duplicates and cancels R-numbers already granted for the same product and brand^[34].
• 'Validity is two years.' Since 2026 CRS licences are granted for up to five years^[9]. One consultant page still showed two years on 1 November 2026^[23]; out-of-date pages are common, but your contract should reflect current rules.
• 'Money-back guarantee' with no terms. One advertised badge carried no stated conditions^[24]. BIS will not refund its own fees after processing^[6], so ask exactly what is refunded.

Ask questions that test knowledge of your product and force a written answer on scope and cost. A good consultant answers all twelve without hesitation.

1. Which CRS category and Indian Standard applies to my product, and why? (They should cite the BIS standard list^[15].)
2. Does IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 or the older standard apply, and until when? (Old standards run until 1 November 2028^[35].)
3. How many models fit in one series, and which is the lead model?^[36]
4. Which labs are recognised for this standard, and what is each one's declared charge?^[37]
5. Is your fee separate from BIS fees and lab charges, and is GST extra?
6. Who owns the portal login, and will I see every submission?
7. Who will act as AIR, and does that person already represent another foreign manufacturer? (An AIR may represent only one, with group exceptions^[8].)
8. How do you handle a rejection notice, and in how many days do you reply?^[5]
9. What exactly is refunded if BIS rejects the file?
10. Who couriers the notarised affidavit, and by when?^[18]
11. Do you track annual fees and renewal, and is that in this fee?^[14]
12. Can I speak to two clients with products like mine?

Also ask about your other approvals. Most electronics need WPC, EPR and LMPC too; see the EPR consultants page if a separate firm will handle EPR.

It can, but think hard first. The AIR is legally responsible for compliance on the foreign manufacturer's behalf, and an AIR may represent only one foreign manufacturer under BIS schemes, except within a group or a related importer^[8].

The AIR must be an Indian resident who consents to be responsible for compliance with the BIS Act, rules and licence terms^[8]. BIS allows three kinds: the manufacturer's Indian branch or liaison office, the brand owner or registered user of the brand in India, or another Indian entity with a brand-owner declaration that no Indian proprietor or user exists^[38][11].

So a consultancy that offers to be AIR for many unrelated factories is either misunderstanding the rule or planning to use different entities. Ask which entity will be named, and get it in the contract. Changing AIR later costs Rs 5,000 plus GST^[4]. Labs, their staff and their families may not act as AIR at all^[7]. Read our AIR glossary entry and the guide for foreign manufacturers.

Often, yes. Scheme-I (ISI) and FMCS involve a BIS factory inspection, sample drawing and marking fees, which is different work from a CRS paper file. Ask specifically about Scheme-I experience if your product is under a QCO.

ISI applications are made online on Manakonline^[39], one per product or standard and per factory^[39]. BIS says the average time is about one month under option-2 and four months under option-1^[39]. For a factory abroad the route is FMCS, which BIS says averages about six months^[13], with special visit charges of Rs 7,000 per man-day^[40] plus the BIS officers' travel^[40], and a USD 10,000 performance bank guarantee after grant^[13].

A consultant for FMCS should be able to explain the inspection, help the factory prepare its in-house testing, and handle the bank guarantee and fee remittances, which must reach BIS net of bank charges^[41]. If a firm has only done CRS, it may not be the right fit. See BIS ISI mark, FMCS and the ISI licence cost guide.

You can. The manufacturer selects the lab itself when it generates the test request on the CRS portal^[2], and labs accept CRS samples only with that online test request^[42]. Many labs also help with the paperwork around testing.

What a lab will not do is act as your AIR: lab management, staff and their families are barred from that role^[7]. A lab must issue the report within 7 days of completing testing and may not withhold it^[7]. You can find labs for your standard on BIS LIMS^[37] or in our BIS labs directory, with city pages such as Delhi NCR. Our CRS test labs guide explains how to compare them.

Put scope, fees, ownership and exit in writing before paying. A one-page engagement letter is enough if it covers the points below.

Comploa is a reference site, not a consultancy. We tell you, for free, which approvals your product needs, the official fees and a realistic timeline, and if you want someone to file, we introduce you to a vetted partner who then works for you under their own terms.

How it works:

1. Free approval check. Email the product, its specifications or datasheet, the country of manufacture and your role. We reply within one working day with the approvals, standards, official fees and order of steps. See contact.
2. Optional compliance plan. A written plan for your exact model with every source cited. See services.
3. Partner introduction. If you want filing help, we introduce a consultant, AIR or BIS-recognised lab from our network. Partners agree to give written quotes with government fees shown separately, never promise guaranteed approval, reply within one working day and tell you honestly when a case is outside their scope. See become a partner.

Partners never influence what our reference pages say, and you are free to hire anyone else. The reference pages, from BIS CRS to BIS CRS rejections, stay the same whoever you choose. Read our disclaimer for the limits of what we do.

1. A D2C brand launching one power bank model. The factory in China has done Indian CRS before. The brand needs an AIR and a check that its brand papers match Form I^[11]. A consultant offering a full CRS package is overkill; the brand pays for AIR services and a document review, and the factory files. Government fees: Rs 1,000 application, Rs 25,000 processing and Rs 1,000 licence fee in year one^[3], so Rs 27,000, then Rs 26,000 a year, plus GST. See power banks.

2. An importer of 25 LED lamp models. Series planning is the job here. Phase II guidelines group LED lamps, and BIS's Annexure-2 caps series sizes, at 20 for several LED categories^[36]. A consultant who can plan the series well saves several test reports at Rs 20,000 each in BIS fees^[3], before lab charges. Ask each firm to show its proposed series grouping before you sign. See LED bulbs.

3. A distributor told 'no testing needed, licence in 3 days'. That promise contradicts BIS's own process, which starts with a lab test^[2], and matches a published red flag^[33]. The distributor checks the offered R-number in BIS Care^[22] before paying anything.

After grant, the work shifts to keeping the licence alive: annual fees and production details, inclusions for new models, label checks and renewal. Under the 2026 rules, missing the annual fee triggers suspension and cancellation provisions^[14].

A missed yearly payment suspends the licence for 90 days; paying with a Rs 5,000 late fee within that window lifts it, otherwise the licence is cancelled^[3]. New models are added by inclusion with a fresh test report^[43]. Products must carry the Standard Mark with R-number and IS number^[44]; a consultant should check your artwork against BIS CRS labelling. Changes such as address or AIR each cost Rs 5,000^[3]. If the factory moves, the licence carries over through Form VIII B rather than a fresh application^[3]. Our CRS renewal guide and surveillance guide cover the rest.