Importing Bluetooth earphones and TWS earbuds into India: every approval you need in 2026

Bluetooth earphones, TWS earbuds and neckbands need several separate approvals, held by different people:

1. BIS CRS registration. "Wireless Headphone and Earphone" is a product category under the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme^[1]. The factory must hold it for your exact brand and model.
2. WPC Equipment Type Approval (ETA). Earphones transmit by radio, and WPC lists headphones and earphones among the products covered by the self-declaration ETA^[4].
3. Battery EPR. TWS earbuds and their charging cases contain lithium batteries, so the importer is a producer under the Battery Waste Management Rules 2022^[7].
4. Plastic packaging EPR. Any importer of earphones sold in plastic packaging needs plastic EPR registration^[8].
5. LMPC registration and labels. Retail packs need importer registration under Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules^[11] and the full set of package declarations^[12].
6. E-waste EPR: unclear. Earphones are not named in Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules^[9], so whether you must register depends on how CPCB treats them.

Two things do not apply: the BEE star label^[10] and, on our reading of TEC's lists, MTCTE certification^[13].

Start with BIS, because it is the longest step and belongs to the factory. The EPR and LMPC registrations are in your own name and should be in place before the goods land.

This table is the short version of the whole page. Fees are the official government fees only; lab testing, consultants and your Authorised Indian Representative are not government fees and are not shown. "Time" is the official processing target or rule, not a promise.

India's import tariff (ITC-HS) has a dedicated line for true wireless earbuds. ITC(HS) 85183011 reads "True Wireless Stereo [TWS] (sound channel not connected by wire)" under headphones and earphones in 8518 30^[3]. It is the line that names TWS earbuds; confirm the code with your broker.

Neckbands and other wireless earphones that are not TWS are usually classified under 85183019, "Other" in the same group^[3]. That mapping is our reading of the DGFT lookup, which shows only "Other" for this line and not the full heading text, so treat it as likely rather than settled.

Neither is an official customs ruling for your product. Confirm the code with your customs broker before you file the Bill of Entry.

Borderline products and how they are treated for BIS:

The same BIS guidance says a separate licence is needed for each product name^[25], so do not assume an earphone licence covers audio glasses from the same factory.

The batteries inside. Lithium cells for portable applications are a separate CRS category under IS 16046 (Part 2)^[24]. We have not found an official circular saying the cells inside earbuds need their own registration, so ask your lab what it needs from the cell supplier. See IS 16046.

Radio, battery and form factor decide the approvals: anything with Bluetooth needs an ETA, anything with a battery needs battery EPR, and the BIS category follows the product type, not the HS line.

Variants inside one licence. A model change breaks a series when it alters the type (over-ear or in-ear), charging type, battery or charging-case rating, enclosure material, IP rating or the registered adaptor; moving buttons is accepted if the lab confirms safety is unaffected^[27]. Most electronics categories allow up to 10 models in one series^[28]. Colour changes are not on that list, but tell the lab about every difference. See series guidelines, and look up your tariff line in the HS code approval finder. Neighbouring guides: smartwatches, Bluetooth speakers and power banks.

Do these in this order. Steps 2 and 3 can run in parallel once you have test samples.

Category and standard. The CRS portal lists "Wireless Headphone and Earphone" under IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with IS 616:2017 also listed^[1]. The product list shows the category with IS 616:2017 and an implementation date of 1 April 2021^[24]. Both are correct: MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) replaced IS 616:2017 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 in the CRS schedule^[38], and the old standard may run alongside the new one until 1 November 2028, after which it stands withdrawn^[2]. For a new registration, ask your lab which standard it will test to; testing to IS 616 now leaves you with a shorter shelf life.

Who applies. The manufacturer applies, per factory. An importer or trader cannot hold the licence^[14]. A foreign factory must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR)^[15], who can be its Indian branch, the brand owner in India or another Indian entity^[39].

Brands and models. A separate application is needed for each brand name unless the brand owner is the same^[15]. This is the rule that catches importers of white-label earbuds: if the factory already holds a licence for its own brand, it still needs a separate application for yours. New models can be added to an existing licence later by inclusion, with a new test report^[40].

Timeline. BIS states the grant process is expected to take 20 working days if documents and the product are in order at the first attempt^[15]. If something is missing, BIS issues a rejection notice giving at least 30 days to fix it^[15].

Fees. The published fees are in the cost example below and on CRS fees.

Validity. Since February 2026, a CRS licence runs five years and renews for five, with fees paid yearly in advance^[6].

Documents and portal steps are on BIS CRS and CRS documents.

Yes. Equipment Type Approval is issued by the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunications and is required for the import, sale and use of wireless devices in licence-exempt bands^[4]. WPC's own list of products eligible for the self-declaration route names headphones and earphones^[4]. On our reading of the ETA rules, Bluetooth earphones use the licence-exempt 2.4 GHz band^[29]; that band was reportedly de-licensed for low-power equipment by rules of 28 January 2005^[41].

How it works today. Since a DoT office memorandum of 9 September 2024, all ETA applications for licence-exempt wireless devices are granted on self-declaration through the Saral Sanchar portal, and the certificate is downloaded on submission^[16]. You need an RF test report, the manufacturer's authorisation if you are applying as its Indian representative, and technical literature^[4]. In the declaration you confirm that the report comes from an accredited laboratory, naming the lab and its country^[42]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[4], and the ETA lasts for the lifetime of the model unless WPC revokes it^[4].

Import licence. For licence-exempt products that are "Free" under DGFT policy, the Saral Sanchar undertaking is enough to import, with no separate WPC import licence^[30].

The 2026 transition. DoT has stopped accepting new applications under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. Authorisations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 have moved to the eservices.dot.gov.in portal, with Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation applied for there from 6 August 2026^[43]. We could not confirm whether the ETA self-declaration route has moved to the new portal or been replaced^[44]. Check the portal before you file.

Samples. Wireless devices imported only for testing, prototypes or pre-launch work are exempt from ETA, but the importer must give Customs an undertaking in the prescribed format^[30]. That is how you get lab samples in before the ETA exists.

No, neither applies.

MTCTE (TEC). Mandatory testing and certification of telecom equipment covers products notified by TEC. Earphones are not in TEC's Annexure-I list of notified products of 1 July 2024, the latest full list we checked^[13], which holds network gear and no consumer audio products^[13]. The later Phase-6 list covers cellular customer premises equipment, fixed wireless phones, IP security equipment, SAN switches and satellite user terminals^[17], none of which is an earphone. We track any additions on new rules for 2026.

BEE star label. Earphones and headphones do not appear in either the mandatory or the voluntary appliance list on the BEE Star Label portal^[10]. The mandatory schedule is made up of large appliances, lamps, transformers, solar inverters and LPG stoves^[45].

It depends, and there is no official answer yet. The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 apply to equipment listed in Schedule I, including components, consumables, parts and spares^[46], and anyone who offers to sell imported EEE or its parts is a producer^[9].

Earphones are not named in Schedule I. The rules do not list headphones or earphones as a separate item; whether they are covered depends on generic entries and on the scope reaching components, consumables, parts and spares, and we have not been able to verify how CPCB classifies them on the portal^[9]. One possible reading is that they fall under a general sound-reproduction entry; another is that they count as accessories of listed equipment^[46]. Neither has been confirmed by CPCB, so we do not assign an EEE code to earphones.

What to do: ask CPCB how to declare your exact product when you use the CPCB e-waste portal, and keep the answer in writing. If you are told to register, the producer fee is Rs 2,500 for an annual recycling target under 50 tonnes, or Rs 10,000 for producers whose sales have just started^[18], plus Rs 5,000 a year in maintenance^[18]. Covered products must also meet the RoHS limits on lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances^[9], so get a RoHS declaration from your factory either way. Do not simply ignore the question: environmental compensation can be levied on unregistered producers^[9].

Yes. TWS earbuds and their charging cases contain lithium batteries, so the importer is a producer under the battery rules^[7]. Neckbands with a built-in rechargeable battery are covered the same way: the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 treat anyone who imports batteries or equipment containing batteries as a producer^[20], and CPCB's FAQ says such importers must register before importing^[35].

• Registration. Form 1(A) on CPCB's centralised portal; the certificate stays valid until cancelled^[20]. CPCB must decide within two weeks of a complete application, after which registration is deemed^[20].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 for turnover under Rs 5 crore, Rs 20,000 for Rs 5–50 crore, Rs 40,000 above that^[19].
• Targets. A sealed battery under 5 kg that is not industrial, automotive or EV is a portable battery^[47]. For rechargeable consumer-electronics batteries the collection target from 2024-25 is 70% of the quantity placed on the market five years earlier^[47], met with certificates from registered recyclers^[47].
• Returns. Form 1(C) by 30 June each year^[20] and the annual return in Form 3^[47]; for FY 2025-26 the deadline was extended to 30 November 2026^[48].

The battery obligation is separate from any e-waste obligation on the device: waste batteries are outside the E-Waste Rules^[9]. See battery EPR.

Yes. An importer of Bluetooth earphones sold in plastic packaging counts as an importer under the Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging and needs plastic EPR registration^[8]. The micro and small enterprise carve-out in the list of obligated entities applies to producers and brand owners, not to importers^[36].

• Registration. On CPCB's centralised EPR portal^[36]; your State Pollution Control Board handles it if you operate in one or two states, CPCB if more^[21].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 if you generate under 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year^[22], plus 25% of that each year when you file the annual return^[22].
• Validity. One year for a fresh registration and three for a renewal, under CPCB's March 2022 SOP^[22].
• Obligation. Your eligible quantity is based on the average plastic packaging you imported and sold over the last two years, by category^[21], and the target has been 100% of it since 2023-24^[21]. The annual return, with certificate details, is due by 30 June^[36].

See plastic EPR for categories and the portal process.

Yes, if you import Bluetooth earphones packed for retail sale. Rule 27 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 requires every person who pre-packs or imports any commodity for sale, distribution or delivery to register its name and address^[11]. Our reading that this covers Bluetooth earphones in retail packs rests on the Delhi Legal Metrology importer form; we could not open the full rules text^[49]. Packages for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[12].

• Where and how much. Apply to the State Controller or the Director of Legal Metrology^[11] with a Rs 500 fee^[11], within 90 days of starting to import^[11].
• What you state. Name, complete address of the premises and the commodities imported^[11]; since 29 May 2026 a company must also name the director responsible for violations^[23].
• Validity. The certificate stays valid until cancelled^[23], but the 2026 rules require details to be updated every year on the online portal, once that option is live^[23].

LMPC registration does not approve the product. It records you as the importer named on the pack and makes you answerable for the declarations printed there.

Plan the artwork once, for all three regimes.

BIS Standard Mark. The mark must carry the R-number of the licence and the Indian Standard number^[50], in letters no smaller than Arial size 6^[50], and the marking must be legible, indelible and non-removable^[50]. Where the product is too small, as with earphones, the mark can go on the packaging only^[51]. The website reference www.bis.gov.in must also appear on the product or package^[52]. Model number, batch, date or week of manufacture and the manufacturer's full address go on the product, package or an attached label^[50]. Details are on CRS labelling.

Battery marking. Every battery or battery pack must carry the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol; if the symbol would be smaller than 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm, a 1 cm x 1 cm symbol goes on the packaging instead^[47], which is likely for small earbud cells. Producers must also mark their battery EPR registration number^[20]. For imported batteries, putting that number on the equipment or its packaging is enough^[53], and since 2025 you may use a barcode or QR code carrying the number instead, after informing CPCB^[54].

Plastic EPR marking. Rule 11 requires the registration number on plastic packaging and applies this to importers, but the same clause carries a proviso exempting packaging of imported goods, so the text conflicts^[55]. A QR code is allowed since 1 July 2025^[56]. The safe course is to print your number.

Legal Metrology declarations. Every retail pack must declare the name and address of the manufacturer, packer or importer, country of origin, generic name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer care details^[12]. Declare the month and year of manufacture, not of import^[11]. For electronics, the date of manufacture can reportedly appear anywhere on the retail package if it is legible^[57]. Stickers may not alter the declarations, except a reduced-MRP sticker that leaves the original visible^[11]. If the factory cannot print Indian declarations, they may be applied in an AEO Tier-2 or Tier-3 bonded warehouse before the goods leave it^[23].

Check every item below on the product, the retail box and the listing before the factory prints, because a reprint after the goods land costs more than all the fees on this page. Run the artwork through the label checker, and see the product label checklist, CRS labelling and LMPC label rules.

Here is the government-fee cost for one new importer bringing in one TWS model under one brand, with a turnover under Rs 5 crore and well under 1,000 tonnes of plastic packaging a year. Only official fees are shown, each from the published schedule. The totals are our own arithmetic, not an official figure.

• Lab testing. BIS safety testing and the RF test report for the ETA are charged by the labs. These are not government fees and vary by lab and by how many models you test.
• AIR and consultants. Set privately. BIS's published fee structure has no separate fee for the first AIR nomination^[5].
• Extra models. Each additional test report in a CRS application costs Rs 20,000^[5], and each extra model needs its own ETA at Rs 10,000^[4].
• The 2026 BIS fee change. If the reported Rs 25,000-a-year processing fee is confirmed^[60], the first-year BIS figure will be lower but you will pay it every year.
• Yearly EPR costs. Plastic EPR adds 25% of the application fee each year at return time^[22]. EPR certificates to meet your targets trade within price bands tied to environmental compensation^[61][36], so there is no fixed figure.

For a fuller breakdown see BIS CRS registration cost and EPR registration cost.

One TWS model costs about Rs 2,22,500 to Rs 2,47,500 in the first year once testing is counted, and three models about Rs 5,62,500 to Rs 6,37,500, on our arithmetic from official fees and the median declared lab charge. The three-model column assumes one brand, one factory and one application in which each model needs its own test report. If MeitY's series guidelines let the models share a series, the factory pays for fewer reports^[15]; see series guidelines. Adding a model later costs Rs 30,000 by inclusion, including one report^[5], so it is cheaper to put every model you plan to sell in the first application. Use the BIS CRS fee calculator to rerun the numbers for your own model count. Lab charges are the lab's own, declared on BIS LIMS excluding taxes and fixed for three years unless the standard changes^[62]. Under the older IS 616, which may still be used until November 2028, the median declared charge was about Rs 60,000^[63], but a report to the old standard has to be redone when the licence migrates. Registration fees for EPR and Legal Metrology do not rise with the number of models; BIS fees, ETAs and testing do. A consultant reports that the 2026 amendment moved the processing fee to Rs 25,000 a year paid in advance^[60]; we use the published table until BIS releases the new one. Plug your own numbers into the compliance cost estimator, and compare with the cost of importing electronics.

The official clocks are short: BIS targets 20 working days for a CRS grant once a valid test report is filed^[15], and the ETA certificate downloads on submission^[16]. The table lists every official clock we could source. The steps that no rule times, such as lab queues, sample shipping and your own artwork changes, usually decide the real date, so ask for those in writing. Run EPR and Legal Metrology registrations while the factory is testing, so they are ready when the CRS licence arrives. See how long BIS registration takes and put renewal dates into the licence renewal date tool.

For earphones the factory holds the BIS registration, the importer or the factory's Indian representative files the ETA, and the importer holds the battery EPR, plastic EPR and Legal Metrology registrations. A common mistake is to assume that whoever holds the paperwork carries the risk alone: in practice every business in the chain can be asked for it. If you are new to this, start with first-time importers; brands should read D2C brands and foreign manufacturers; marketplace sellers should read Amazon sellers and Flipkart sellers. You also need an IEC before you import anything.

1. First-time importer, own brand, Chinese factory. The factory already sells TWS earbuds under its own name, but its CRS licence does not cover your brand: a separate application is needed for each brand unless the brand owner is the same^[15]. As the brand owner in India you can act as the factory's AIR^[39], but an AIR may represent only one foreign manufacturer unless they belong to the same group or the AIR is a related importer^[68]. You file the ETA and the LMPC and EPR registrations yourself, before the first shipment leaves.

2. Marketplace seller buying from an Indian importer. If you buy cleared, labelled stock, the importer holds the registrations; check the R-number on the box against the BIS portal before listing. Under CPCB's battery FAQ, an importer has EPR obligations when it sells under its own brand or the imported brand, but not when its buyers resell under their own brand^[35]; if you put your own brand on the goods, the battery obligation may sit with you. E-commerce platforms reportedly must display the Legal Metrology declarations on the listing^[69], and a 2026 amendment we have not seen in the gazette reportedly requires a country-of-origin filter for imported products from 1 July 2027^[71]. The moment you import directly, you are back in case 1.

3. Foreign brand entering India. A foreign brand with its own factory needs an AIR who is an Indian resident and accepts responsibility for compliance with the BIS Act on its behalf^[68]. Choose carefully: where a company commits an offence under the BIS Act, its authorised representative is deemed guilty along with it^[70]. The ETA can be filed by the Indian representative with the manufacturer's authorisation^[4]. The Indian importer of record still holds the LMPC and EPR registrations.

Most holds come from a mismatch between the paperwork and the box.

BIS enforces CRS for earphones mainly through warehouse searches, and wireless earbuds featured in each of the three recent searches we found.

• In March 2025 BIS Hyderabad reportedly searched an Amazon warehouse in Shamshabad and seized 2,783 uncertified products, including 326 wireless earbuds, 170 mobile chargers and 150 smart watches^[74].
• In April 2025 the BIS Bangalore Branch Office reportedly seized about 17,500 units worth about Rs 2.5 crore at a Flipkart warehouse, including wireless earbuds, Bluetooth earphones, speakers and cables^[75].
• In June 2026 a BIS team reportedly seized 112 products, including wireless earbuds, power banks and speakers, from a Surat firm whose goods bore BIS markings but allegedly lacked valid registration^[76]. A mark on the box is not proof, so verify the licence before you buy stock.
• A ministry reply in Parliament reportedly said that in FY 2024-25 BIS bought 344 samples of certified-only products from e-commerce platforms, found 142 without valid certification, and searched 22 e-commerce warehouses^[77].
• The power behind these searches is section 28 of the BIS Act, which lets a certification officer search premises and seize goods and documents^[78].
• Registered products are sampled too. Under STPI's surveillance SOP, MeitY surveils registered manufacturers while BIS handles search and seizure^[79]; the approved surveillance test charge is Rs 45,500 each for power banks, wireless earphones, Bluetooth speakers and IT power adaptors, among others^[80]. See CRS surveillance.
• Radio products face a second regulator. CCPA guidelines call a device that works only in de-licensed bands but lacks a WPC ETA an 'unauthorised device'^[59], and in January 2026 CCPA reportedly fined four large platforms Rs 10 lakh each over non-compliant walkie-talkie listings^[81].
• At the port, goods imported against a prohibition can be confiscated, and the penalty can reach the value of the goods or Rs 5,000, whichever is greater^[82].

The pattern is the same each time: officers check whether the model in the warehouse matches a live registration, not whether the box looks right. Read what happens if you sell without BIS and why shipments get held at Indian ports.

BIS. Importing or selling a notified product without a valid licence and Standard Mark breaches section 17 of the BIS Act^[70]. The penalty is up to two years in prison, or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh (Rs 5 lakh for repeat offences) extendable to ten times the value of the goods, or both^[70]. Importers and sellers are "persons" under the Act^[70], and BIS can order a recall^[70].

Legal Metrology. Since the 2026 Jan Vishwas amendment, a pre-packaged commodity without the required declarations draws an improvement notice first, then a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh, then a fine of Rs 25–50 lakh; online marketplaces are covered too^[83].

WPC. In the ETA self-declaration the importer accepts liability to prosecution for a wrong declaration^[42].

EPR. Plastic EPR shortfalls attract environmental compensation of Rs 2,900 to Rs 7,900 a tonne, multiplied for repeat defaults^[84]. Battery-rule breaches other than a target shortfall, such as missed returns or wrong labels, cost Rs 20,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 for first, second and third defaults^[85]. The e-waste rules set the same Rs 20,000 / 40,000 / 80,000 scale for a producer's violations other than a shortfall^[86].

The biggest change is the standard: wireless headphones and earphones is one of 38 CRS categories moving to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with reports for every lead model due by 1 November 2028^[87].

• Existing licences. Migrate through the 'Standard Revision' option with complete reports for all lead models and an undertaking for series models^[88]. BIS charges no fee for this^[58], and the R-number stays the same^[58]. Renewals can still be granted under the old standard until 1 November 2028^[58].
• New applications. BIS encourages new applications under IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, though the old standard may be used until the cut-off with a declaration to migrate^[58]. For a model launching now, testing once to the new standard avoids paying for two reports.
• Components. Critical components that comply only with IS 13252 (Part 1) or IS 616 are not accepted in the critical component list after migration^[58]. Ask the factory now whether its battery, charging case and adaptor has a 62368 or IEC component report.

Track dates on new rules for 2026, the compliance calendar, the electronics CRS order and the QCO tracker. The standard itself is explained on IS/IEC 62368-1.

Use a lab that BIS LIMS recognises for IS/IEC 62368-1:2023; on 1 November 2026 it listed 47 entries with declared charges from Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,99,000^[64]. Search the LIMS portal by IS number to see who is recognised^[92]; each entry shows the clause-wise charge, any excluded tests and the recognition validity date^[93]. Compare quotes on the same scope, because an exclusion can mean a second lab bill later.

Where the labs are. On 1 November 2026 every IS 13252 (Part 1) lab on LIMS was in India^[94], and at least 32 of the 68 were in Delhi NCR^[95]. A foreign factory therefore ships samples to India; see importing samples for BIS testing, BIS labs, labs in Delhi NCR and CRS test labs. When the report comes back, check it against how to read a BIS test report.

Consultants. Consultant fees are not regulated. One consultancy, for example, lists a Rs 14,999 professional fee on its CRS page^[96]. A recognised lab may not use agents or pay referral commissions^[62], so be wary of a consultant who is paid by the lab. Our BIS consultants guide and how to choose a BIS consultant explain what to ask. The RF report for the ETA is a separate test: the self-declaration only says it came from an accredited laboratory, named with its country^[42]. Bengaluru has six IS 616 labs, from Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,80,000^[97]. For ETA paperwork see WPC consultants.

Four Comploa tools cover the main checks for Bluetooth earphones, and they are free.

• Approval checker: answer a few questions about radio, battery and packaging and get the approval list for your model.
• HS code approval finder: start from the tariff line your broker proposes and see which approvals usually follow it.
• Compliance cost estimator: official fees for your model count, with your own lab quotes added.
• Label checker: tick the box and product markings before the factory prints.

Before the first shipment, work through the first electronics import checklist, the BIS CRS application checklist, the EPR registration checklist and customs clearance documents. Before you list, use before listing on Amazon or before listing on Flipkart.

Country guides. India imported HS 8518 goods (microphones, loudspeakers, headphones and earphones) worth US$ 399.14 million from Vietnam^[98] and US$ 206.55 million from Hong Kong in 2025-26^[98]. See importing from China, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

If your model does not fit neatly, ask us for a free compliance check with the spec sheet and the box artwork.