What is the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS)?

CRS stands for Compulsory Registration Scheme. BIS operates it under Scheme-II of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, and it is based on self-declaration of conformity^[1]. The manufacturer tests the product at a recognised lab, declares that it meets the Indian Standard, and gets a registration that lets it print the Standard Mark with its own registration number.

CRS is different from the ISI mark. The ISI mark (Scheme-I) involves BIS factory and market surveillance^[9]; CRS relies on the lab report and the manufacturer's declaration. Our CRS vs ISI vs FMCS explainer sets out the differences. The full guide is BIS CRS registration.

CRS began with MeitY's 2012 order and has grown in phases. The 2021 order now in force has been amended many times, most recently in 2026.

CRS applies to products notified in a Compulsory Registration Order. For electronics the current principal order is MeitY's Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, S.O. 1248(E) of 18 March 2021^[2]. BIS's Scheme-II list shows 66 numbered product categories under the order^[3]. They include power banks^[17], mobile phones^[17], laptops^[17], smart watches^[17], LED lamps^[17] and wireless earphones^[17]; see the electronics CRS order for the full scope.

The applicant is always the manufacturer, and the licence is granted per manufacturing unit, not to an importer or trader^[1]. Importers are still bound: no one may import, sell or distribute covered goods that do not conform and do not bear the Standard Mark with a BIS registration number^[1]. Foreign factories must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative^[4].

BIS's official sequence: log in, generate a test request, test at a recognised lab, verify the report, and apply with it within 90 days^[18].

Applications are made online on the BIS CRS portal, www.crsbis.in, where the manufacturer registers, generates a test request, selects a BIS-recognised lab and files Form I^[18]. Test reports must come from labs established, maintained or recognised by BIS for the product^[4], and must be no more than 90 days old when BIS receives the application^[4].

A separate application is needed for each brand name unless the brand owner is the same^[4]. More models can be added later by inclusion^[20]. BIS says the grant should take 20 working days if documents and product conformity are satisfactory first time^[4]. If there are deficiencies, BIS gives at least 30 days to resolve the query^[4]. The step-by-step portal walk-through is on BIS CRS portal.

CRS is a registration based on a lab report and self-declaration; the ISI mark and FMCS are licences with BIS factory inspection. Our CRS vs ISI vs FMCS guide goes deeper.

• Fees: application fee Rs 1,000^[5], annual licence fee Rs 1,000^[5] and a processing fee of Rs 25,000 per application per year, paid in advance^[5]. GST is charged on top^[23]. This 2026 schedule replaced the 2018 table's one-time Rs 50,000 processing fee that included one test report^[23]. Indian micro enterprises and start-ups get 80% off the processing fee, small firms 50% and medium firms 20%, until 31 May 2029^[5]. Lab test charges are separate. See CRS fees.
• Validity: since the 25 February 2026 amendment, a CRS licence is granted for up to five years and renewed for up to five more, with fees paid annually in advance^[6]. Miss a yearly fee and the licence is suspended for 90 days; paying with a Rs 5,000 late fee lifts it^[5]. See CRS renewal.
• Standards: MeitY S.O. 4997(E) replaced IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 in the order's schedule with IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023^[12]. The old standards may be used alongside until 1 November 2028^[13].
• Pending categories: TV sets (IS 18112), smartphone screen protectors and standalone hard disk drives have implementation dates between January and May 2027^[24].

The Standard Mark with the R-number and the Indian Standard, at least Arial size 6, plus www.bis.gov.in. The mark must carry the licence number and IS reference^[7], and the text may not be smaller than Arial font size 6^[7]. The BIS website must appear on product or package even if e-labelling is used^[25].

Small products such as earphones can carry the mark on the packaging only when the product is too small^[26]. Phones and watches with a display may show the mark on screen, but still need a physical label on the packaging at import^[27]. Details are on CRS labelling.

Demonstration, R&D and testing imports, spare parts and returned repairs are generally outside CRS, as are some large specialised machines.

• Samples for demonstration, R&D or testing. MeitY's FAQ says the order does not apply to them^[28]. See importing samples for BIS testing.
• Spare parts and components. The order covers finished goods, not parts used to make them unless separately notified^[29].
• Repairs. Products sent abroad for maintenance can come back without registration if the serial number does not change^[30].
• Highly Specialized Equipment. Large or heavy equipment made or imported in fewer than 100 units per model a year can get a specific MeitY exemption^[14].
• Goods landed before a deadline. The landing date in India decides whether a new CRS deadline applies^[31].

A foreign maker wants to sell two laptop series in India. Laptops are a CRS category under IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023^[17].

• Application fee: Rs 1,000^[5]
• Annual licence fee: Rs 1,000^[5]
• Processing fee, year one: Rs 25,000^[5]
• Second series test report: Rs 20,000^[5]

BIS fees total Rs 47,000 in year one, plus GST^[23] and lab charges. Each later year costs Rs 26,000 (processing plus licence fee), so five years come to Rs 1,51,000^[5]. Laptops are also reported to need a DGFT Import Management System authorisation^[32]; see importing laptops. Try the BIS CRS fee calculator.

Importing or selling notified goods without a valid licence and Standard Mark breaches section 17 of the BIS Act^[8]. It is punishable with up to two years' jail, or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for a first offence and Rs 5 lakh after, up to ten times the value of the goods^[8]. At the border, Customs checks registration for CRS consignments and may send back or destroy failing goods, as reported^[33]. See selling without BIS.

• Importer tries to apply in its own name. The licence must be in the factory's name^[1].
• Stale test report. Reports older than 90 days are not accepted^[4].
• New brand on old licence. A different brand owner needs a separate application^[4].
• Goods shipped before grant. Stock that does not carry the Standard Mark with a registration number cannot legally be imported or sold^[1].
• Missed renewal. After validity ends without renewal, the licensee may not mark or dispatch marked products, including stock in hand^[34].

These are the figures importers ask about most.

• Standard Mark and R-number: what registration lets you print.
• Authorised Indian Representative: needed by every foreign factory.
• BIS-recognised laboratory: where testing happens.
• Indian Standard: the standard each category must meet.
• Quality Control Order: the wider family of orders CRS belongs to.

Check whether your product is covered with the approval checker, or ask for a free compliance check.