Importing electronics from the United States into India: BIS, UL and FCC, and what the importer files

India does not run a separate approval system for goods from the USA. The work splits the same way it does for every foreign source. BIS product approvals belong to the factory in the USA that makes the goods. Environmental, packaging and radio approvals belong to the business in India that imports and sells them.

The CRS licence goes to the manufacturer for each factory, not to an importer or trader^[3]. Even so, the ban on covered goods without the Standard Mark applies to anyone who imports them^[3], and the BIS Act counts importers, distributors and sellers as persons bound by it^[8]. So the US factory's licence must cover your exact model before the goods leave the United States.

India imported goods worth US$ 53,453.22 million from the USA in 2025-26, up from US$ 45,625.20 million^[1]. Chapter 85 electrical goods jumped to US$ 5,552.34 million from US$ 3,382.67 million^[1], and chapter 84 machinery was US$ 4,682.04 million^[1].

Integrated circuits drove the jump, rising from US$ 1,006.28 million to US$ 2,605.21 million^[1]. Computers under HS 8471 were US$ 1,240.62 million^[1] and phones and transmission apparatus US$ 1,037.49 million^[1]. Consumer audio is small: headphones, earphones and speakers were US$ 39.43 million^[1].

Much US-branded consumer electronics is made in Asia, not the USA. If the goods ship from a US warehouse but were made in China or Vietnam, the factory there is the one that needs the BIS licence, and the pack must show that country of origin^[18].

We could not find a BIS count of CRS registrations by country, so there is no official figure for US factories under CRS. The USA has no entries on BIS's list of CCTV registrations meeting the security Essential Requirements^[26].

BIS's FMCS list showed 46 ISI-mark licence records for the USA on 30 October 2026, 40 operative and 6 deferred^[2]. They include 4 under IS 302 for household electrical appliances, including commercial dispensing appliances, 7 for automotive safety glass, 6 for polyethylene moulding materials and 4 for ethylene glycol^[2].

Not as a substitute. Each Indian approval has its own evidence rules.

• BIS CRS. Reports count only from labs established, maintained or recognised by BIS for the product^[4]. On 1 November 2026, none of the 54 lab entries BIS listed for IS/IEC 62368 showed a location outside India^[27]. A UL report is useful engineering evidence, but the CRS report must come from a BIS-recognised lab.
• WPC ETA. The self-declaration asks for an RF test report from an accredited lab, with the lab's name and country stated^[5]. An accredited US lab's RF report used for FCC can support it. The ETA itself is still filed in India by the importer or Indian representative^[16].
• MTCTE. The USA does not border India, so an ILAC-accredited US lab can be recognised as a Conformity Assessment Body^[28], but only once TEC recognises it.
• Laptops. Beyond BIS, laptops and tablets under HSN 8471 are reported to need an import authorisation from DGFT under the Import Management System^[21].

BIS CRS: plan on testing in India. A test report counts only if it comes from a lab established, maintained or recognised by BIS for that product^[4]. When we checked BIS's laboratory search on 1 November 2026, all 68 lab entries listed for IS 13252 (Part 1) were in India^[29], and none of the 54 lab entries listed for IS/IEC 62368 showed a location outside India^[27]. So samples from the USA normally travel to an Indian lab, and a report from a US lab for its home certification does not replace it.

WPC ETA: an accredited lab anywhere. The self-declaration asks that the RF test report come from an accredited laboratory and that you state the lab's name and country^[5]. A report from an accredited lab in the USA can therefore support an ETA filing.

MTCTE: foreign labs only from non-border countries. The USA does not share a land border with India, so the 2025 telecom conformity rules allow an ILAC-accredited US lab to be recognised as a Conformity Assessment Body for MTCTE^[28]. Check TEC's current list before relying on one.

Samples from the USA go to a BIS-recognised lab in India, and the largest cluster is around Delhi NCR. BIS's Group-1 list of recognised labs dated 30 October 2026 had 444 entries, every one in an Indian state or union territory^[30].

On the lab search for IS 13252 (Part 1), at least 32 of the 68 entries have names placing them in Delhi NCR^[31]. Each lab declares its own charge, so quotes for the same standard differ by several times. The table shows what BIS's lab search displayed on 1 November 2026; see BIS labs in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Pune and our guide to CRS test labs.

Could a lab in the USA be recognised later? The rules allow it. A foreign lab is judged on the same criteria as an Indian one, plus a liaison office or authorised representative in India and a signed agreement with BIS^[32]. None was on the list when we checked.

Shipping the samples. MeitY's CRS FAQ says the registration order does not apply to goods imported for demonstration, R&D or testing in India^[33], so test samples can clear customs without an R-number. Our guide to importing samples for BIS testing covers the paperwork, and how to read a BIS test report helps you check the report the US factory sends you.

Most consumer electronics from the USA fall under the Compulsory Registration Scheme: phones, laptops, earphones, power adapters, CCTV cameras, lithium cells and more. CRS is BIS's Scheme-II and rests on the manufacturer's self-declaration of conformity backed by a lab report^[3]. The factory applies online on crsbis.in^[37]. These are the steps from the factory's side.

Any Indian resident who agrees to answer for the US factory's compliance with the BIS Act, Rules and licence terms can be its Authorised Indian Representative (AIR)^[40]. The factory nominates the AIR on Form IV, with further details in Forms IIIA and IIIB^[4].

There are three routes: the factory's own liaison or branch office in India, the Indian brand owner or registered user of the brand, or another Indian entity backed by the brand owner's declaration^[9]. FMCS works the same way: ISI-mark applicants also nominate an AIR on the prescribed form^[41]. The role is explained in our glossary entry on the AIR.

Three rules catch importers out:

• One foreign factory per AIR. An AIR may represent only one foreign manufacturer, unless the factories are in the same group of companies or the AIR is a related importer^[40]. An Indian trading company cannot act for two unrelated US suppliers at once.
• The AIR shares the liability. When a company commits an offence under the BIS Act, its responsible officers and its authorised representative are deemed guilty along with it^[8]. Importing or selling notified goods without a valid Standard Mark is punishable with up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh for a first contravention^[8].
• Switching AIR costs a fee. BIS charges Rs 5,000 plus GST to change the AIR or contact person on a CRS licence^[42].

If you own the brand, being the AIR yourself keeps the licence paperwork in your hands and lets you see renewal dates. Many US factories instead appoint a BIS consultant or an Indian distributor. Read how to choose a BIS consultant and our guide for foreign manufacturers before you sign anything.

It depends on the scheme.

CRS: no factory visit in the official steps. The listed steps are lab testing and an online application^[37].

ISI mark through FMCS: yes. Products under a Quality Control Order that need the ISI mark are certified for foreign factories under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. BIS scrutinises the application, visits the factory to check its manufacturing and testing set-up and draw samples, has the samples tested independently, and then grants the licence^[10]. For a factory in the USA that means:

• Apply online. From 1 June 2026 BIS accepts FMCS applications only through the Manakonline portal^[41].
• Pay in dollars. Applicants outside SAARC pay in equivalent US dollars, by RTGS, NEFT or SWIFT, net of bank charges^[43].
• Pay for the inspection trip. Fees match Indian Scheme-I licensees, plus per-diem, air tickets, visa and insurance for the BIS officers and a Rs 10,000 contingency payment^[43]. Visit charges are Rs 7,000 per man-day^[43].
• Give a bank guarantee. After grant the factory signs an agreement and indemnity bond and gives a USD 10,000 performance bank guarantee^[10].
• Allow about six months. BIS says FMCS licences take on average around six months from a complete application^[10].
• Expect surveillance. BIS keeps visiting licensed factories and buys samples from the market^[44].

US factories hold 4 IS 302 appliance licences on BIS's list^[2]. The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 was issued on 6 April 2026 with implementation on 1 October 2026^[45]; check its schedule before shipping any US appliance.

Not one in force. The United States is not among India's FTA partners in the Commerce Ministry's July 2026 table^[46], so US goods pay normal (MFN) customs duty today.

Interim framework. On 7 February 2026 India and the United States announced a framework for an interim agreement on reciprocal trade, under which India will eliminate or reduce tariffs on all US industrial goods and some farm products^[7]. This is part of wider Bilateral Trade Agreement talks launched on 13 February 2025^[7]. A framework is not an agreement in force: no preferential rate can be claimed until a tariff notification gives effect to it.

If and when preferences start, claims will run through CAROTAR, which applies whenever an importer claims a preferential rate^[47]. You will have to declare origin on the bill of entry and hold the origin information yourself^[48][49]. That will be a real test for US-branded electronics, much of which is made in Asia rather than the USA.

Anti-dumping duty is imposed by a Finance Ministry customs notification under section 9A of the Customs Tariff Act, after final findings by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies; it usually runs for five years and is paid in rupees^[50]. It is charged on top of basic customs duty and applies whatever approvals the product has. US measures in force are on chemicals, not electronics. A duty on 2-ethyl hexanol from the USA and others appears to have lapsed: it was extended only to 26 June 2026 and we found no continuation in CBIC's list^[51].

This is a selection of duties in force on 1 November 2026, chosen for relevance to electronics and appliance importers; it is not a complete list. Check the CBIC notification for your exact product and producer before you price an order.

These cannot be held by the factory in the USA. They sit with the business in India that imports and sells.

EPR for e-waste. A producer under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 includes anyone who offers imported electrical and electronic equipment for sale^[11]. Imports are allowed only for products that meet the RoHS limits^[11], so ask the factory for its RoHS data.

EPR for batteries. Importing batteries, or equipment containing them, makes you a producer^[12], and CPCB says importers must register before importing^[13].

EPR for plastic packaging. An importer of any commodity in plastic packaging is covered^[14].

Legal Metrology. Every person who imports a commodity for sale must register its name and address^[15], for a Rs 500 fee^[15], within 90 days of starting^[15]. Every retail pack must declare the importer's name and address and the country of origin^[18]: that is the USA only if the goods were made there.

WPC ETA. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other licence-exempt radio devices need an ETA^[6], filed by the importer or Indian representative at Rs 10,000 per model^[6]. If you file as the US maker's representative, you need its authorisation letter^[6].

BEE star label. Any company that makes, sells or imports an appliance on BEE's mandatory list must register with BEE, for a one-time Rs 5,000 fee^[55]. The list includes refrigerators, room air conditioners, ceiling fans, storage water heaters, televisions and washing machines^[55].

MTCTE. A foreign maker's telecom equipment is certified through an Indian company that imports it, acting as AIR^[17]. Wi-Fi access points and CPE have needed MTCTE since 1 January 2024^[22].

A laptop from the USA needs the maker's CRS registration, a DGFT import authorisation that is reported for 2026, a WPC ETA for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and your EPR registrations. Computers were the largest finished electronics line from the USA in 2025-26, at US$ 1,240.62 million^[1].

For one laptop model from a US factory, official fees and Indian testing come to roughly Rs 1.37 lakh to Rs 3.37 lakh before GST, plus the DGFT authorisation process. The figures below use official fees and declared lab charges.

• CRS: Rs 1,000 application^[42], Rs 50,000 processing on BIS's published table^[42] and Rs 1,000 annual licence fee^[42]. A law firm reports the 2026 amendment makes processing Rs 25,000 a year, payable in advance^[60].
• Testing in India: Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,50,000 at Noida labs for IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023^[34].
• WPC ETA: Rs 10,000 per model^[6]. A US lab's accredited RF report can support it^[5].
• Battery EPR: Rs 10,000 if your turnover is under Rs 5 crore^[61].
• E-waste EPR: Rs 10,000 for a producer whose sales have just started^[62], plus Rs 5,000 annual portal maintenance^[62].
• Legal Metrology: Rs 500^[15].

The MSME fee concessions on CRS processing do not help a US maker: foreign manufacturers are generally not MSMEs under Indian law^[63]. Use the BIS CRS fee calculator and compliance cost estimator for your case, and see what a BIS certificate costs.

Customs wants the commercial papers plus proof of each product approval, and it checks some of them in its own systems. The bill of entry must be filed before the end of the day before the ship or aircraft arrives^[64]; late filing without good reason costs Rs 5,000 a day for the first three days and Rs 10,000 a day after that^[65]. Only the importer or a licensed customs broker can file it^[66]. The full list is in our customs clearance documents checklist and documents required for import.

Most delays trace back to a licence that does not match the goods in the box. The fixes below are the ones we see most often; when a shipment is already stuck, our post on why shipments get held at Indian ports and the CRS rejections guide go further. Not sure which approvals your product needs? Start with the HS code approval finder, or send us the product for a free compliance check.