Importing electric kettles into India: the new ISI rule, EPR and other approvals

Until 2026, electric kettles had no product-specific BIS rule. That changed on 1 October 2026, when the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances QCO came into force^[1].

For a standard electric kettle you now need:

1. An ISI licence held by the factory, under IS 302 (Part 1):2024^[1]. The order lists "Appliances for Heating Liquids" (entry 8) and "Electric Water Boilers" (entry 15)^[1]. Kettles are not named, but they are appliances for heating liquids on any ordinary reading, and the order covers all household appliances up to 250 V single-phase^[1].
2. E-waste EPR registration. "Electric kettle" is named in Schedule I as LSEEW33^[3].
3. Plastic packaging EPR^[6].
4. LMPC importer registration^[7].

Dates. Large firms from 1 October 2026; Indian small enterprises from 1 January 2027; micro enterprises from 1 April 2027^[1].

Not required: CRS, the BEE star label^[5], or a WPC ETA unless the kettle has Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

For a mains-powered cordless-jug electric kettle imported for retail sale (checked 1 November 2026).

Kettles sit in heading 8516, but the exact 8-digit line is not settled. Third-party tariff data show 8516 71 00 (coffee or tea makers) and 8516 79 10 (electro-thermic fluid heaters) under "other electro-thermic appliances", and kettles are commonly declared under 8516 79^[16]. Agree the line with your customs broker and keep it consistent across shipments.

Product variants and where they fall in the 2026 QCO:

Not kettles: rice cookers are a CRS product under IS 302-2-15^[17], and immersion water heaters fall under the separate water-heating orders^[18].

Every mains kettle, travel kettle or hot-water boiler sold in India now needs the ISI mark; smart and cordless-battery models add further approvals. The matrix sorts the variants by approval. Check any single model in the approval checker.

No. The appliances QCO lists no HS codes at all^[1], so Customs and BIS go by what the product is, not the tariff line. The lines below come from third-party tariff data; agree one with your broker and keep it consistent. The HS code approval finder maps lines to approvals.

If your factory does not already hold an ISI licence, start now: the large-firm date has passed.

The order. The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 (S.O. 1739(E), 6 April 2026) applies from 1 October 2026^[1]. It requires the Standard Mark under a Scheme-I licence^[1].

The standard. The order names IS 302 (Part 1):2024 / IEC 60335-1:2020^[1]. BIS's guidelines say that where a matching Part 2 standard exists, the licence is granted only after compliance with Part 1 and the relevant Part 2 clauses^[21]. BIS maps "appliances for heating liquids" to IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 15)^[2]. So a kettle is tested to Part 1 plus Part 2/Sec 15. See IS 302 (Part 1).

Product manual. BIS issued a product manual for IS 302 (Part 1):2024 that sets the licence scope by product type, model, class, rating and supply type, and forbids grouping kettles with other product types such as garment steamers or trimmers^[19]. A revised manual in February 2026 changed sample quantity, grouping and the inspection scheme^[30].

Who applies. The factory. Foreign factories use FMCS and nominate an Indian-resident AIR^[26][25]. Indian factories use Manakonline^[24].

How long. About six months on average for FMCS^[4]; about one month for Indian factories using a recognised lab report^[24].

The umbrella QCO was reissued twice before it took effect. Each version replaced the last.

A few, and they are narrow.

• Declared old stock. Goods made or imported before 1 October 2026 by a manufacturer that was BIS-certified, or had applied, may be sold for six months from that date if the manufacturer declares the stock to BIS^[1]. An importer of an uncertified brand gets nothing here.
• R&D imports. Up to 200 units a year imported by appliance manufacturers for research, not for sale^[1].
• MSME dates. Indian small and micro enterprises get 1 January 2027 and 1 April 2027^[1]. These are for MSMED Act enterprises, so foreign factories generally do not benefit.
• Transition Facilitation Order. Companies incorporated in India can seek DPIIT permission to source under a BIS Scheme-II licence, after an Implementation Committee assessment^[33][34]. Applications are accepted for 24 months^[34].
• No bill-of-lading relief. The February 2026 import exemption order does not list this QCO^[35].

More on these in the appliances QCO guide.

An Indian micro enterprise pays 80% less, and a small one 50% less, on the annual minimum marking fee until 31 May 2029, and both also start later. The concession runs from 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029, with start-ups at 80% and an extra 10% for women-led enterprises^[36]. Enterprise size follows the MSMED Act, 2006^[37], so on our reading a foreign factory pays the large or medium rate. The QCO itself gives small enterprises until 1 January 2027 and micro enterprises until 1 April 2027^[1].

• CRS: no. Kettles are not a CRS category; the nearby CRS product is the rice cooker^[17].
• BEE: no. Kettles are on neither BEE list^[5].
• WPC ETA: only smart kettles. A kettle with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth needs an ETA^[14], Rs 10,000 per model^[14].

Yes, and this is one of the clearest cases. "Electric kettle" appears by name in Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules, 2022 as LSEEW33^[3].

Importers selling imported EEE are producers^[27] and must register before doing business^[27]. Registration is Rs 10,000 for a producer whose sales have just started^[11]. The 2026-27 recycling target is 70%^[27]; shortfalls cost Rs 76 per kg for LSEEW^[39]. RoHS limits apply^[27].

Plastic EPR. Electric kettles reach India in film bags, foam and plastic-strapped cartons. An importer of products in plastic packaging is an obligated entity^[6][28]. Register on CPCB's portal^[28]; the application fee is Rs 10,000 below 1,000 tonnes a year^[12]. Plastic packaging must show your name and registration number^[40].

LMPC. Every importer of a pre-packaged commodity registers under rule 27^[7], for Rs 500^[7], within 90 days of starting imports^[7]. The registration now stays valid until cancelled^[13]. Each retail box needs the importer's name and address, country of origin, generic name, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP, unit sale price and consumer-care details^[41]. See LMPC label rules.

Testing follows IS 302 (Part 1) with the heating-liquids Part 2 laid on top^[21][2]. We do not reproduce the standard, but BIS's own documents show what the lab looks at.

The Part 1 clauses cover marking and instructions, protection against live parts, power input, heating, leakage current and electric strength, transient overvoltages, moisture resistance, abnormal operation, stability, mechanical strength, construction, internal wiring, components and supply cords^[42]. Because a kettle combines water, heat and mains power, ask your lab early about the heating, moisture and abnormal-operation clauses.

BIS's product manual lists the kind of kit used: test probes, high-voltage and leakage-current testers, temperature loggers with fine-wire thermocouples, humidity chambers and impact hammers^[19]. Components such as thermostats, cords and switches must be shown to comply under clause 24, by a supplier certificate or a third-party report^[43].

Grouping. You can group kettle models into a series, but not with other product types, and not across supply types. BIS tests the highest- and lowest-input models of the series^[19]. A 1.2 l, 1.5 l and 1.8 l range with the same design is the typical case.

• ISI Standard Mark under the factory's licence^[1].
• Markings required by IS 302 (Part 1):2024, which changed several marking and instruction clauses^[42].
• LMPC declarations on the retail box^[41], with month and year of manufacture^[41].
• Plastic EPR name and registration number^[40].

See the product label checklist.

Check a printed sample, not the artwork. The free label checker runs the same list.

For one foreign factory, one standard, first year, before GST. Marking fees are notified per standard^[9].

• The marking fee for IS 302 (Part 1)^[9].
• Officer travel and per diem for a foreign visit^[8].
• Testing to Part 1 and Part 2/Sec 15. BIS's July 2025 product manual asked for 2 samples^[19]; the February 2026 revision changed the sample quantity^[30].
• Payment currency. Non-SAARC applicants pay in US dollars^[8].

See the cost of a BIS ISI licence.

For a large foreign factory, budget roughly Rs 2.6 lakh in first-year BIS fees for a kettle range, of which Rs 2,41,000 is the minimum marking fee. That fee is set per appliance, not per model: IS 302 (Part 1) carries Rs 2,41,000 for the first appliance and Rs 50,000 for each further appliance for a large firm, plus Rs 1 per piece^[38]. Three kettle models in one series therefore pay the same minimum as one, while a kettle plus a coffee maker and a water boiler pay two Rs 50,000 add-ons. The inspection line assumes a two-day foreign visit^[44] by one officer; travel, visa and per diem are extra^[8]. Lab charges for the drawn samples are on top, and BIS does not accept reports to IEC standards for FMCS^[45]. Compare with BIS ISI fees and FMCS fees.

Only above about 2,41,000 marked kettles a year for a large firm, because the unit rate is Rs 1 per piece^[38]. Below that volume you pay the minimum whether or not you mark anything; at renewal the higher of the actual fee and the minimum is reportedly due^[46]. An importer bringing in 20,000 kettles a year from one factory is paying about Rs 12 a kettle in minimum marking fee alone, which is why many brands consolidate production at one licensed factory.

Plan for about six months for a foreign factory under FMCS, against about one month for an Indian factory using a recognised lab report. Those are BIS's own averages^[4][24].

A foreign factory files Form V with a self-evaluation report, an AIR nomination and its process and quality documents, and is always inspected. Under the 2026 grant guidelines the application goes in on Form V with a self-evaluation-cum-verification report^[47]. The simplified option with your own lab report is not open to foreign manufacturers, so every foreign file gets a factory visit and drawn samples^[48]. A visit normally lasts two days for a foreign factory, and grant is expected within 90 days under option-1 if everything is right first time^[44].

BIS's FMCS list asks for proof of the Indian agent or office, the AIR nomination, a manufacturing process flow chart and quality documents^[49]. Calibration certificates must stay valid for at least three months after the application is recorded^[50]. Use the ISI documents list and apply on Manakonline.

1. A brand that imported kettles freely until September 2026. From 1 October 2026 every new shipment needs the ISI mark^[1]. Stock already in India can be sold only if the manufacturer was certified or had applied and declared it to BIS^[1].

2. A small Indian manufacturer that also imports kettle bodies. As an MSMED-registered small enterprise it gets 1 January 2027 for its own manufacture^[1]. Finished kettles imported from a foreign factory follow that factory's status.

3. A hotel-supply importer bringing in hot-water boilers. Electric water boilers are entry 15^[1], and BIS maps them to IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 204)^[2]. The order also covers commercial appliances^[1].

The factory holds the licence and the importer cannot apply in its place; the importer holds EPR and LMPC; everyone who sells is liable for unmarked stock. Put this split into your supply contract, and check suppliers on the Flipkart seller and Amazon seller guides.

In late 2026, most holds are timing problems.

Expect market samples, quarterly consignee reports and an annual fee cycle. Under BIS's February 2026 market surveillance guidelines, generally two samples a year are bought for each Scheme-I licence, rising to three or four depending on past compliance^[53]. Samples can be picked up anywhere in the supply chain, including the port of entry^[53], and at least one must come from a state other than the licensee's^[53]. The licensee files month-wise production and consignee details every quarter^[53]; a licensee that does not is given 30 days and then faces suspension proceedings^[54].

After a first failed sample, the licence goes on enhanced surveillance every three months until consecutive samples pass^[55]. Suspended, cancelled and expired licences are published on the e-BIS dashboard^[56], which is how buyers and marketplaces check suppliers. See how to verify a BIS licence.

Renewal is filed on the BIS portal in Form XII, preferably two months before the validity date, and is usually automatic if fees and data are in order^[57][58]. A licence can be renewed for one to five years, with the licence fee and advance minimum marking fee paid for the period chosen^[59]. The actual marking fee is worked out from a production statement certified by a chartered or cost accountant^[60], and a BIS grant letter reportedly says the higher of the actual fee and the minimum is payable^[46].

Miss the date and you have 90 days with a Rs 5,000 late fee, but you may not mark or dispatch goods meanwhile^[61]. A foreign licensee also extends its bank guarantee to six months beyond the new validity^[10]. A self-compliance report is mandatory at each renewal^[62]. More on ISI renewal; set a reminder with the licence renewal date tool.

Yes, and warehouses of large marketplaces have been searched. BIS reportedly searched an Amazon Sellers warehouse in Delhi on 19 March 2025 and seized over 3,500 products, including geysers and food mixers, without ISI marks or with fake ones^[63]. In 2024-25 BIS reportedly bought 344 QCO product samples online, and 142 had no valid certification^[64]. Branch offices can run surveillance for any QCO violation in their area^[53].

A BIS officer may search premises and vehicles and seize goods and documents^[65], and a court may forfeit the goods to BIS^[66]. Read selling without BIS: what happens and why shipments are held at Indian ports.

Importing, selling, storing or exhibiting electric kettles covered by a QCO without the Standard Mark breaches section 17 of the BIS Act^[29]. The Act defines "person" to include importers, distributors, retailers and sellers^[29]. A first contravention carries a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh and up to two years' imprisonment; later ones at least Rs 5 lakh, up to ten times the value of the goods^[29]. BIS can also order a recall of non-conforming marked goods^[29].

On the environmental side, unregistered producers can be charged environmental compensation^[27]. A package without the Legal Metrology declarations draws an improvement notice for a first offence and a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh for a second^[67].

The 2026 QCO itself says contraventions are punishable under the BIS Act^[1].

Start with the free tools, test at a lab recognised for your standard, and use a consultant mainly for the FMCS file and factory visit. The approval checker, QCO deadline checker and compliance cost estimator answer most first questions.

BIS's LIMS on 1 November 2026 showed many Delhi NCR labs recognised for IS 302, among them Accurate Test Solutions (Noida), ACE Test Labs (Sonipat), Bharat Test House (Sonepat) and Intertek India (New Delhi)^[68]. See Delhi NCR labs and Mumbai and Pune labs. BIS's lab system lists complete IS 302 (Part 1):2024 testing at Rs 75,000 at Bharat Test House and Rs 3,02,000 at SGS India, Bengaluru, before tax^[69]. Browse BIS-recognised labs by city.

Consultant fees are commercial and headline prices often exclude government and lab fees^[70]. Compare scope with our BIS consultants guide and how to choose a BIS consultant, or ask us for a free compliance check.