Importing ceiling fans into India: BIS IS 374, the BEE star label, EPR and BLDC smart fans

Ceiling fans are cheap per unit but carry a full set of approvals:

1. BIS ISI licence. The Electric Ceiling Type Fans (Quality Control) Order, 2023 requires IS 374:2019 and the ISI mark^[1]. Fans are also covered by a separate safety order for appliance fans to IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 80)^[2].
2. BEE star label. Electric ceiling fans are on the mandatory list^[3], with a Rs 2 label fee per fan^[4].
3. E-waste EPR. "Electric fans" are Schedule I code LSEEW14^[8].
4. Plastic packaging EPR^[9] and LMPC registration^[10].

Smart BLDC fans with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth need a WPC ETA^[11]; an infrared remote does not, on our reading. The small-maker exemption in the fan QCO is for small Indian manufacturers, not for imports^[12].

Tariff listings put ceiling fans under 84145120, with table fans at 84145110, pedestal fans at 84145130 and wall fans at 84145150^[7]. We did not confirm these on DGFT's official lookup, so check with your broker. The bigger difference is in BEE status:

A BLDC ceiling fan needs the same IS 374 licence and BEE label as an induction-motor fan; the extras come from its radio and its remote's battery. BIS's FMCS records include a licence for brushless DC ceiling fans under IS 374^[20], which confirms BLDC fans sit in the same standard.

What changes is the add-ons. A fan with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth needs a WPC ETA for each model at Rs 10,000^[11]. A fan sold with a battery-powered remote makes the importer a producer of equipment containing batteries, which must register with CPCB before importing^[21]; the battery rules cover every battery type, however small^[22]. See battery EPR for the targets.

Colour and finish variants are cheaper to handle on the BEE side. Since April 2026 a permittee can add child models under an approved parent once, free, with the parent's approval letter and child labels^[23]. On the BIS side, a new variety added after grant costs Rs 5,000^[24].

Plan on six to eight months for a first foreign-factory licence, because the BIS FMCS step decides the date and everything else runs alongside it. Do not book a commercial shipment until the licence is granted: goods that arrive first cannot be cleared for sale. Use the QCO deadline checker to see which dates apply to your enterprise size.

The Electric Ceiling Type Fans (Quality Control) Order, 2023 (S.O. 3641(E), 9 August 2023) requires ceiling fans to meet IS 374:2019 and carry the ISI mark under Scheme-I. It came into force six months after publication, nine months for small enterprises and twelve for micro enterprises^[1].

Small-maker exemption (Indian factories only). S.O. 777(E) of February 2026 replaced the exemption. Goods made by a Udyam-registered enterprise with plant and machinery up to Rs 1 crore and turnover up to Rs 5 crore are now exempt^[12]. The same threshold was applied across eight QCOs^[30]. Udyam registration is for Indian enterprises, so this does not exempt a foreign factory or an importer.

The second fan order. The Electrical appliance fans (Quality Control) Order, 2023 (S.O. 1124(E), published 7 March 2024) requires "electrical appliance - fans" to meet IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 80):2017, the fan safety standard^[2]. We could not confirm whether BIS expects ceiling fans to hold this licence as well as IS 374. Ask BIS, or have your factory test to both.

Foreign factories. Apply under FMCS^[25]. Fees match domestic fees plus officers' travel and Rs 7,000 per man-day of inspection^[24]. After grant BIS runs factory and market surveillance^[31].

The minimum marking fee for IS 374 is Rs 1,76,000 a year for a large enterprise, with a unit rate of 65 paise per fan^[32]. The unit rate only overtakes the minimum above about 2,70,000 fans a year, and a BIS grant letter reportedly says the higher of the two is payable^[33].

The fan safety standard IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 80) has its own minimum of Rs 1,54,000 for a large enterprise, also at 65 paise a fan^[34]. If BIS asks for both, its 2021 rule says a product certified against both safety and performance standards pays only one marking fee, the higher of the two^[35], which would be the IS 374 figure.

Indian micro and small enterprises get 80% and 50% off the minimum until 31 May 2029^[36], and the smallest Indian makers are exempt from the QCO altogether^[12]. Neither helps a foreign factory. For the other fee lines, see BIS ISI fees and the ISI licence cost guide.

Electric ceiling type fans are on BEE's mandatory list^[3]. The programme was notified in May 2022 (S.O. 2210(E) and S.O. 2211(E)), superseded by S.O. 246(E) of 17 January 2024 and amended by S.O. 3471(E) of 14 August 2024, with IS 374 as the reference standard^[37].

Current star table. Valid from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028; labels under the earlier table expired on 31 December 2025^[5]. Existing models could be carried over until 28 December 2025^[38].

Fees. Rs 2 per fan^[4], plus Rs 5,000 company registration^[3], a Rs 3 lakh deposit (Rs 50,000 for small-scale industry)^[3] and Rs 5,000 per model^[3].

Child models. BEE's April 2026 advisory lets you add variant "child" models under an approved parent model once per parent, with no fee, by uploading the parent's approval letter, child labels and a declaration^[23]. This is useful for colour and finish variants of the same motor and blade design.

Where the label goes. Unlike most appliances, the fan label goes on the top view of each fan and must also be printed or pasted on the box of every unit^[4]. It carries a QR code^[3].

Pedestal, table and wall fans are voluntary (Rs 1 label fee if labelled)^[4], with the voluntary table extended to 31 December 2026^[6].

Yes. Schedule I lists "Electric fans" as LSEEW14, and "Other fanning, exhaust ventilation and conditioning equipment" as LSEEW15^[8]. Importers are producers^[39] and register on CPCB's portal^[40].

• Environmental compensation for LSEEW shortfalls is Rs 76 per kg, with a floor certificate price of Rs 23^[41].
• Targets for 2026-27 under Schedule III are 70% of weight placed on the market in the reference year^[8].

Plastic EPR. Fan cartons hold blades and motors in plastic bags and foam, so the importer is an obligated entity^[9]. Annual returns are due by 30 June^[26].

LMPC. Register for Rs 500^[10]. The carton needs the mandatory declarations^[42]. Where size matters, such as sweep, the package must declare dimensions^[10]. Blades and motor in separate boxes count as one commodity, and the declarations go on the main package^[10].

A fan with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth control (app or voice-assistant fans) has a radio in a de-licensed band and needs an ETA^[11], by self-declaration^[19], at Rs 10,000 per model^[11]. Many BLDC fans use an infrared remote, which on our reading needs no ETA. Some use an RF remote; check the frequency against the de-licensed band rules before assuming an exemption.

• ISI mark with the licence number on the fan^[43].
• BEE label on the top of the fan and on the box^[4], with the particulars set by the Regulations^[3]. Revised design from 1 July 2026^[44].
• LMPC declarations on the box^[42].
• Plastic EPR details on plastic packaging^[45].

Check the unit and the carton against this list before the factory prints them, because relabelling at an Indian port or warehouse costs more than reprinting at source. The detail behind each line is on LMPC label rules, the product label checklist and BEE star label. Paste your draft into the label checker for a quick first pass.

Example: three ceiling fan models (one parent, two finishes as child models) from a foreign factory, 20,000 fans a year. Government fees only; BIS marking fees for IS 374 are not shown^[47].

One ceiling fan model costs about Rs 2.5 lakh in government fees in year one and three separate parent models about Rs 3 lakh, with the BIS minimum marking fee the largest line in both. The example assumes a large foreign factory, three different fan designs (so three BEE parent models rather than child models), one IS 374 licence covering all three, 10,000 fans per model, a two-day factory visit by one officer and no Wi-Fi. Testing, consultants, travel and GST are extra.

If two of the three are only colour variants of one design, register them as free BEE child models^[23] and the three-model column falls by Rs 10,000. Model your own range in the compliance cost estimator and check the BEE fees page and FMCS fees page.

1. A trader imports BLDC fans from a factory abroad. The factory needs an IS 374 licence^[1]; the trader needs BEE registration and pays Rs 2 per fan^[4]. If the fans are app-controlled, add an ETA^[11].

2. A small Indian assembler. If it is Udyam-registered and within Rs 1 crore investment and Rs 5 crore turnover, its own fans are outside the ceiling fan QCO^[12]. The BEE label is still mandatory^[3].

3. A brand selling pedestal and ceiling fans. Ceiling fans need the mandatory BEE label; pedestal fans are voluntary^[4]. Both need e-waste EPR under LSEEW14^[8].

Each approval sits with a different party, and the importer of record carries more than most people expect. For fans, Indian small makers may be exempt from the QCO, but that relief is tied to Udyam registration and does not pass to a foreign factory or to the importer who buys from it. Use the table to split the work before the first order, and write it into your supply contract. If one company plays several roles, it carries every row it plays. For the documents each party signs, see BIS ISI documents and the customs clearance checklist.

Fan approvals usually go wrong at the edges of the range: a new finish, a smart version, or a pedestal fan bundled into the same shipment. The table lists the failures and the rule behind each. Most of them show up first on a marketplace listing, so check the Amazon sellers guide before you list.

Ceiling fans moved from voluntary to fully regulated in under four years. Newest first:

• Whether BIS requires a separate IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 80) licence for ceiling fans on top of IS 374^[2]. If both apply, BIS's 2021 rule charges a single marking fee, the higher of the safety and performance fees^[35].
• The 8-digit HS lines, which come from tariff listings rather than DGFT's lookup^[7].
• The star band values in S.O. 3471(E); we confirmed only the validity period^[5].
• Whether BIS's marking fee list will change again: it has been amended repeatedly, most recently in 2026^[52]. The September 2026 figures are in the marking fee section above.

BIS: up to two years' imprisonment or fines from Rs 2 lakh, up to ten times the goods' value^[43]. BEE: deposit forfeiture and a one-year suspension after an unanswered notice^[3]; Energy Conservation Act penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh plus Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per appliance^[53]. At 20,000 fans a year, the per-appliance penalty is far larger than the label fee.

Enforcement now runs through warehouse searches, online test purchases and public lists of failed licences, not only port checks. Fans are cheap, high-volume and sold heavily online, which makes them an easy target for marketplace test purchases. We found no published case that names ceiling fans specifically other than those in the table; most reported actions are about appliances in general. For what a search or seizure means for a seller, read what happens if you sell without BIS, and use how to verify a BIS licence before you buy stock from a distributor.

Start with the free tools, then bring in a consultant or lab only for the steps you cannot run yourself.

• Approval checker: confirms which of BIS, BEE, EPR, LMPC and WPC apply to your exact ceiling fan.
• Compliance cost estimator: rebuilds the worked example above with your model count and volumes.
• QCO deadline checker: shows the date that applies to your enterprise size.
• Label checker: checks the carton text against LMPC and BIS marking rules.
• Licence renewal date tool: works out when to renew each licence.
• BIS consultants and BIS-recognised labs: directories by city.
• Importing from China: factory-side issues for the most common source country.
• Importing from Taiwan: BIS records already show a Taiwanese FMCS licence for BLDC ceiling fans under IS 374.

If you want a second opinion on your file, ask for a free compliance check. We do not promise approval or speed; we tell you what is missing.