Importing Bluetooth speakers into India: BIS, WPC and EPR approvals for 2026

On our reading, four approvals apply to a typical retail Bluetooth speaker: BIS CRS^[1], WPC ETA^[12], plastic packaging EPR^[9] and Legal Metrology registration^[13]. Battery EPR applies if the speaker has a battery, which portable ones generally do^[14]. E-waste EPR depends on how CPCB classifies speakers, because Schedule I does not name them^[8]. The BEE star label does not apply^[7], and our research found speakers absent from TEC's MTCTE list^[15].

BIS registration is the one that stops shipments: no one may import or sell a CRS-listed product without the Standard Mark and a BIS registration number^[16].

The ITC(HS) schedule has two wireless loudspeaker lines:

• 85182210 - Multiple loudspeakers mounted in the same enclosure: wireless^[4].
• 85182110 - Single loudspeakers mounted in their enclosures: wireless^[4].

A speaker with more than one driver usually goes under the first, a single-driver speaker under the second. Confirm with your customs broker.

The BIS category matters more than the HS line, and speakers have several neighbours on the CRS list:

Which category a party speaker or soundbar falls into depends on its rating and features, so ask your lab before testing. Getting the category wrong means the registration does not cover the product.

The battery and the "smart" features change the approvals: a mains-only speaker escapes battery EPR, a voice-assistant speaker moves to a different BIS category, and a bundled wireless microphone needs its own registration.

Each BIS category is a separate licence, and separate licences for different categories continue after the 62368 migration^[28]. A karaoke set can therefore mean two CRS licences and more than one RF test. Most electronics categories allow up to 10 models in one series^[29]; see series guidelines. Check your tariff line in the HS code approval finder, and compare with Bluetooth earphones and smart plugs.

Settle the category first; everything else follows from it.

Category and standard. "Bluetooth Speakers" is a CRS category under IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023; the portal also lists IS 616:2017 / IEC 60065:2014^[1]. The category has been on the list since 1 October 2021^[3]. IS 616:2017 is the old audio and video safety standard, identical to IEC 60065:2014^[36]. For CRS it is being replaced by IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with both allowed until 1 November 2028^[2]. Test new models to the 2023 standard.

Who applies. The factory, for each manufacturing unit^[16]. Each brand needs a separate application unless the brand owner is the same^[17]. White-label speakers sold under your brand need a registration that covers your brand.

Adaptors and microphones. A mains adaptor is a separate CRS product^[3], and so is a wireless microphone^[3]. Each needs its own registration.

Series and new models. Samples are chosen under MeitY's series guidelines^[17]. Ask the lab how your variants group. New models later cost Rs 30,000 per inclusion with one report^[5].

Fees and validity. Published table: Rs 1,000 application, Rs 50,000 processing with one report, Rs 1,000 annual licence fee, plus GST^[5]. Licences run five years with annual fees since February 2026^[18]; a consultant reports a Rs 25,000 yearly processing fee^[37], not yet in an official schedule. See BIS CRS and IS 616.

Yes. ETA is needed to import, sell and use wireless devices in de-licensed bands^[6], and speakers are named on WPC's list of products eligible for self-declaration^[6]. Bluetooth speakers need an ETA through that route, on our reading of the 2024 order^[12]. Bluetooth runs in the 2.4 GHz band, which is reported to be licence-exempt under G.S.R. 45(E) of 2005^[30].

How. Self-declaration on Saral Sanchar; the certificate is downloaded once you submit^[19]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[6], and the ETA lasts for the model's life^[6]. The RF test report can come from an accredited lab in any country^[38]. A wired speaker with no radio needs nothing from WPC.

The 2026 transition. DoT has stopped taking Indian Telegraph Act applications; Telecommunications Act authorisations moved to eservices.dot.gov.in from 25 June 2026, and Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation from 6 August 2026^[39]. Whether this affects the ETA self-declaration route is not yet confirmed^[40]. See WPC ETA.

MTCTE: no, for a normal Bluetooth speaker. Our research found speakers are not on TEC's Annexure-I list of MTCTE-notified products dated 1 July 2024^[15]. One exception to check: if your speaker has a built-in FM radio, TEC lists radio broadcast receivers, including "other devices with an RBR interface", as Phase-4 products, mandatory from 1 January 2024^[41]. We have not checked whether that requirement reaches a speaker with an FM tuner, so ask TEC or a TEC-designated lab before importing one.

BEE: no. Speakers do not appear on BEE's mandatory or voluntary appliance lists^[7].

It depends, and the answer is not settled. The E-Waste Rules apply to equipment listed in Schedule I, including components and parts^[20]. Schedule I does not name Bluetooth speakers as a separate item^[8]. Our product research found two possible generic entries: "Audio amplifiers" (CEEW12)^[8] and "Other products or equipment for recording or reproducing sound or images" (CEEW13)^[8][20]. How CPCB classifies speakers on its portal has not been verified, so we do not assign a code.

What it depends on:

• CPCB's classification. If CPCB accepts speakers under a generic CEEW entry, you are a producer and must register before trading^[8].
• Your size. The rules do not apply to micro enterprises under the MSMED Act^[8].

What we suggest. Ask CPCB, or check the product list on the e-waste portal, before your first shipment. If you register, the fee is Rs 10,000 for a new seller^[22] plus Rs 5,000 a year^[22]. For CEEW products, environmental compensation is Rs 74 per kg and the floor certificate price Rs 22 per kg^[42]. See e-waste EPR.

Portable speakers: likely yes. Mains-only speakers: likely no. On our reading of the rules, portable Bluetooth speakers contain batteries and bring battery EPR obligations; speakers that only run on mains power do not^[14]. The rules cover every battery, whatever its chemistry^[14], and importers of equipment containing batteries are producers^[23]. CPCB has asked Customs to check battery EPR registration at clearance^[43].

What registration involves. Importers of batteries and of equipment containing batteries must register with CPCB before importing^[33]. Registration is on Form 1(A) through the online portal and, since 2023, stays valid until cancelled^[23]. The fee depends on turnover: Rs 10,000 under Rs 5 crore, Rs 20,000 between Rs 5 and 50 crore, and Rs 40,000 above^[24]. CPCB must register you within two weeks of a complete application^[23].

Your yearly obligation. For rechargeable portable batteries in consumer electronics, the collection target from 2024-25 is 70% of the batteries you placed on the market five years earlier, with 100% of what is collected recycled or refurbished^[44]. You meet it by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers, separately for each chemistry^[44]. You file Form 1(C) with quantities imported by 30 June each year^[23] and an annual return in Form 3^[44]. The FY 2025-26 return deadline was extended to 30 November 2026^[45].

Battery EPR is separate from e-waste EPR. Waste batteries are excluded from the E-Waste Rules and handled under the battery rules^[8], so the battery inside your speaker is its own obligation. See battery EPR.

Yes, in almost every case. The importer of Bluetooth speakers sold in plastic packaging counts as an "importer" under the Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging and needs plastic EPR registration^[9]. The 2024 definition covers anyone who imports, for commercial use, any commodity with plastic packaging^[34]. The micro and small enterprise carve-out in the rules is written for producers and brand owners, not importers^[34].

What it involves:

• Registration. Register on CPCB's centralised EPR portal. If you operate in more than two states, CPCB registers you; in one or two states, the State Pollution Control Board does^[25]. Each sub-category and each state is a separate registration^[25]. KYC is PAN, GST and CIN of the company plus the Aadhaar and PAN of the authorised person^[25].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 if you generate under 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year, Rs 20,000 up to 10,000 TPA and Rs 50,000 above that^[26]. You also pay 25% of the application fee each year when you file returns^[26].
• Target. From 2023-24 the target is 100% of your eligible quantity of packaging^[25]. For an importer, the eligible quantity is based on the average packaging imported and sold over the last two years, plus pre-consumer waste, minus what you supplied to brand owners^[25]. Rigid trays and flexible film are different categories^[34].
• Returns. Annual returns are due by 30 June of the next financial year^[34].

See our full guide to plastic packaging EPR.

Yes, if you import Bluetooth speakers in retail packs. 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 apply for registration^[10]. Based on the importer registration form used by states, Bluetooth speakers imported as pre-packaged retail units appear to need this registration and the declarations on the pack^[13]. (We could not read the current consolidated rules text.)

How it works:

• Where. Apply to the State Controller of Legal Metrology or the Director of Legal Metrology^[10]. The application gives your name, the full address of the premises where you import, and the commodities you import^[10]. Since 29 May 2026 a company must also name the director responsible for compliance^[27].
• When. Within 90 days of starting to import^[10].
• Fee. Rs 500^[10], and Rs 100 for any later change to the certificate^[10].
• Validity. The certificate now stays valid until cancelled^[27], but a 2026 proviso asks companies to update details every year on the online portal, including products, quantities imported and country of origin^[27].

B2B shipments. Packaged goods meant for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[46]. Retail packs sold to consumers, online or offline, are not.

BIS Standard Mark. IS number and R-number^[35], on the product, the package or both^[35], no smaller than Arial size 6^[35], in one colour or red, blue and black^[35], plus www.bis.gov.in^[47]. A tiny speaker that cannot carry the mark may have it on the packaging only^[48].

Legal Metrology. Importer name and address, country of origin, common name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer care details^[46]. Use the month and year of manufacture, not of import^[10].

Battery models. The crossed-out wheelie bin on the battery or pack, at least 3% of the largest side^[44], and your battery EPR number on the speaker or its packaging^[49] or in a QR code^[50].

Plastic EPR. Your registration details or a QR code on the plastic packaging^[51]; rule 11 is inconsistent for imported goods^[52], so we suggest printing them. See BIS CRS labelling.

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.

Scenario: a first-time importer, turnover under Rs 5 crore, brings in one portable Bluetooth speaker model with a rechargeable battery, under its own brand. Official fees only; the arithmetic is ours. E-waste EPR is shown separately because it depends on CPCB's classification.

Not included, because they are not government fees: lab and RF testing, AIR and consultant charges, and EPR certificates.

One portable speaker model costs about Rs 2,22,500 to Rs 2,47,500 in the first year with testing, and three models about Rs 5,62,500 to Rs 6,37,500, on our arithmetic. Unlike the example above, this table leaves out the plastic EPR annual fee and e-waste EPR. 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^[17]; 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^[54]. Under the older IS 616, which may still be used until November 2028, the median declared charge was about Rs 60,000^[55]. 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^[37]; 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^[17], and the ETA downloads on submission^[19]. 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 speakers the factory holds the BIS registration, the importer or the factory's Indian representative files the ETA, and the importer holds the 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 of party speakers. A Jaipur trader imports trolley speakers with a karaoke microphone. Depending on input power, the speaker may be an electronic musical system rather than a Bluetooth speaker^[3], and the wireless microphone is a separate CRS category^[3]. Both need registrations^[16] and ETAs^[6] before shipment.

2. Marketplace seller of portable speakers. An online seller imports a waterproof speaker in three colours. If the lab treats the colours as one model, one CRS report and one ETA may be enough^[17]. The speaker has a battery, so on our reading battery EPR applies^[14]. Listings must show the Legal Metrology declarations, a duty on e-commerce sites reported since 2017^[63].

3. Foreign audio brand. A Danish brand sells Bluetooth speakers and a smart speaker. These are two CRS categories^[3], needing separate registrations from each factory^[16]. Its Indian distributor can act as AIR if it meets the conditions^[62].

• Wrong CRS category. A smart speaker or high-power party speaker registered as a "Bluetooth speaker" is not covered^[3].
• Unregistered adaptor or microphone in the box. Each is its own CRS product^[3].
• No battery EPR registration. CPCB has asked Customs to verify it^[43].
• No plastic EPR registration. CPCB has asked Customs to check it on importers' consignments^[64].
• No ETA. Customs may accept the importer's ETA self-declaration as evidence^[6]; without it, the radio has no approval.
• Stale test report. Reports older than 90 days on receipt are rejected^[17].

BIS enforces the speaker rules through warehouse searches and market surveillance, and speakers appeared in two of the recent searches we found.

• 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^[65].
• 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^[66]. 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^[67].
• The power behind these searches is section 28 of the BIS Act, which lets a certification officer search premises and seize goods and documents^[68].
• Registered products are sampled too. Under STPI's surveillance SOP, MeitY surveils registered manufacturers while BIS handles search and seizure^[69]; the approved surveillance test charge is Rs 45,500 each for power banks, wireless earphones, Bluetooth speakers and IT power adaptors, among others^[70]. 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'^[53], and in January 2026 CCPA reportedly fined four large platforms Rs 10 lakh each over non-compliant walkie-talkie listings^[71].
• 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^[72].

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.

Paying EPR compensation does not cancel the EPR obligation^[8][44].

The biggest change is the standard: bluetooth speakers is one of 38 CRS categories moving to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with reports for every lead model due by 1 November 2028^[76].

• Existing licences. Migrate through the 'Standard Revision' option with complete reports for all lead models and an undertaking for series models^[77]. BIS charges no fee for this^[28], and the R-number stays the same^[28]. Renewals can still be granted under the old standard until 1 November 2028^[28].
• 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^[28]. 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^[28]. Ask the factory now whether its battery, amplifier board 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^[56]. Search the LIMS portal by IS number to see who is recognised^[83]; each entry shows the clause-wise charge, any excluded tests and the recognition validity date^[84]. 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^[85], and at least 32 of the 68 were in Delhi NCR^[86]. 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^[87]. A recognised lab may not use agents or pay referral commissions^[54], 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 can come from any accredited laboratory, named with its country in the self-declaration^[38]. For the ETA itself see WPC consultants.

Four Comploa tools cover the main checks for Bluetooth speakers, 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^[88], US$ 206.55 million from Hong Kong^[88] and US$ 39.43 million from the USA in 2025-26^[88]. 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.