What is the ISI mark, and what does it mean for importers of toys, cookers, helmets and appliances?

The ISI mark is the Standard Mark BIS lets a licensed factory put on goods that conform to an Indian Standard. The licence behind it is granted under section 13 of the BIS Act, 2016, after BIS checks the factory's infrastructure, process controls, quality control and testing, and the product passes testing^[1].

Officially it is the Standard Mark under Scheme-I of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018^[2]. On a product it appears as the ISI logo with the IS number, and the licence number written as CM/L- followed by ten digits, preferably below the mark^[3]. The full certification guide is at BIS ISI mark.

From the Indian Standards Institution, which came into being on 6 January 1947 and began licensing manufacturers to apply the ISI Mark in 1955-56; BIS took over its functions on 1 April 1987 and kept the mark^[10]. The BIS Act, 2016, which governs it today, came into force on 12 October 2017^[11].

Products notified under a Quality Control Order that uses Scheme-I. The list grows each year; the QCO tracker shows every order.

Both are BIS Standard Marks, but they come from different schemes. Electronics and IT goods notified by MeitY use the Compulsory Registration Scheme with an R-number; FMCS and Scheme-I cover everything else^[5].

The licence belongs to the factory, not the importer. BIS needs a separate application for each product standard and each factory location^[6], and one licence covers only the varieties in its scope^[4]. A foreign factory applies under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme^[5], and an importer cannot apply on the manufacturer's behalf^[19].

So an importer's job is to buy from a licensed factory and check three things: the CM/L number, the scope, and the validity date. The goods must be marked at the factory before they ship. Product manuals set out where the mark goes; for toys it goes on the primary packaging and/or the toy, with the licence number and BIS website line on each package^[20].

Through FMCS, which BIS has run since 2000^[5]. The factory applies online on Manakonline; hard-copy applications stopped after 31 May 2026^[21].

The Authorised Indian Representative is the foreign factory's legal face in India for the ISI licence. The AIR must ensure compliance with the BIS Act and licence terms, appear before BIS when asked, and help BIS draw market samples^[22].

An AIR may represent only one foreign manufacturer, unless the manufacturers are in one group or the AIR is a related importer^[22]. After grant, BIS keeps watching through visits and market sampling, and licensees report production and dispatch^[23]. At renewal, the bank guarantee must be extended to six months beyond the new validity^[24].

Many importers act as AIR for their supplier. That puts the importer's name on the licence, and on the line if things go wrong; under the BIS Act, the authorised representative of an offending company is deemed guilty too^[9].

BIS fees are small; the annual minimum marking fee is the big item. The table shows BIS's published figures.

A large Chinese factory wants an FMCS licence for electric toys to IS 15644, with a three-day inspection.

• Application: Rs 1,000^[29].
• Inspection: 3 x Rs 7,000 = Rs 21,000^[29], plus officers' tickets, visa, insurance and per diem^[29].
• Annual licence fee: Rs 1,000^[29].
• Minimum marking fee: Rs 1,46,000 a year for a large enterprise^[28].
• Bank guarantee: USD 10,000, held, not spent^[8].

BIS fees for year one come to about Rs 1,69,000 before travel and testing. MSE concessions on the minimum marking fee, 80% for micro and 50% for small enterprises, run until 31 May 2029^[30]. See BIS ISI mark fees and ISI licence costs.

About one month under option-2, where the applicant submits a test report from BIS or a recognised lab, or four months under option-1, for an Indian factory^[6]. Option-2 test reports should generally be no more than 90 days old^[6]. FMCS generally takes six months from a complete application^[8].

For importers, the FMCS figure is the one to plan around. See how long BIS registration takes.

Online on Manakonline, with production details for the period so BIS can calculate the actual marking fee^[31]. Renewal can run for one to five years depending on the fees paid^[32].

Miss the date and the factory may apply within 90 days with a Rs 5,000 late fee, but may not mark or dispatch marked goods after the validity date in the meantime^[33]. Importers should check the validity date on every order.

As the product manual for that standard says. BIS publishes a product manual for each Scheme-I product with sampling guidelines, test equipment, the scheme of inspection and testing and the scope of licence^[34].

A mark printed only on the shipping carton, or a logo without a CM/L number, is a red flag.

Use the BIS Care app. Its 'Verify Licence Details' feature fetches the licensee's details from a CM/L licence number^[38], and consumers can also file complaints about misuse of the ISI mark through it^[38].

Check that the licensee name matches your supplier's factory, that the product is in the scope, and that the licence is valid. Our guide on how to verify a BIS licence walks through it.

Importing or selling notified goods without the mark under a valid licence breaches section 17 of the BIS Act^[9], punishable with fines from Rs 2 lakh up to ten times the goods' value, or up to two years' imprisonment^[9].

Enforcement is active. BIS makes surprise factory visits and buys marked goods in the market for testing^[6]. CCPA has warned consumers against helmets, pressure cookers and gas cylinders without a valid ISI mark^[39], and ordered Amazon to recall 2,265 non-compliant pressure cookers^[40]. At the port, every toy consignment is sampled and may not be sold until the sample passes^[41].

• A licence that does not cover the model. The mark may be used only on varieties in the licence scope^[4].
• Goods from a different factory. The licence is tied to one factory location^[6].
• Marking after expiry. After the validity date the factory may not mark or dispatch until it renews^[33].
• IEC test reports for FMCS. BIS accepts only reports to the Indian Standard^[19].
• Importer trying to apply. Under FMCS the manufacturer must apply^[19].
• Unmarked goods on marketplaces. CCPA has acted against sellers and platforms^[40].

Compare schemes in CRS vs ISI vs FMCS, check a product with the approval checker, or ask for a free compliance check.