Importing microwave ovens into India: BIS CRS, EPR and the other approvals for 2026

A microwave oven is one of the oldest products on India's compulsory registration list. It is regulated as electronics, not as a kitchen appliance, so the rules differ from those for kettles, irons or mixers.

For a standard microwave oven you need:

1. BIS CRS registration, held by the factory. "Microwave ovens" is a CRS category, tested to IS 302-2-25:2014^[1]. Without the Standard Mark and a BIS registration number, nobody may import or sell it^[9].
2. E-waste EPR registration in your name. Microwave ovens are named in Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules as code LSEEW9^[5].
3. Plastic packaging EPR, because importers of products in plastic packaging are obligated entities^[10].
4. LMPC importer registration and full retail-package declarations^[8].

Two more depend on the model. A WPC ETA is needed only if the oven has a radio, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for app control^[7]. The BEE star label is voluntary for microwave ovens^[6].

Not required: the ISI mark under the new household appliances QCO. That order excludes appliances already under another BIS order^[11], and BIS lists microwave ovens among the CRS products outside it^[2].

The table below is for a standard countertop microwave oven or microwave-grill-convection combination imported for retail sale in India (checked 1 November 2026).

Microwave ovens are usually declared under Indian tariff item 8516 50 00, "microwave ovens", in heading 8516 for electro-thermic appliances. This comes from a third-party tariff database, because the official DGFT lookup sits behind a captcha^[17]. Confirm the line with your customs broker before you file the Bill of Entry.

Borderline variants:

• Microwave with grill or convection. Still a microwave oven for CRS purposes if it uses microwave energy. The CRS category name is simply "Microwave ovens"^[1].
• Electric ovens and OTGs without a microwave function. These are not microwave ovens. They fall under "Cooking Ranges, Hobs, Ovens and Similar Appliances" in the 2026 household appliances QCO^[11], which means ISI under IS 302 (Part 1) from 1 October 2026^[11]. See the appliances QCO.
• Commercial microwave ovens. The 2026 QCO lists commercial cooking ranges and ovens separately^[11]. Whether BIS treats a commercial microwave as a CRS microwave oven is not stated in the sources we checked. Ask BIS before importing.
• Built-in microwaves. Same CRS category on our reading; the CRS list makes no distinction.

The tariff line does not decide the BIS route; the product description and standard do. The 2026 appliances QCO lists no HS codes at all^[11], and CRS categories are named by product, so Customs checks the Standard Mark against what is in the box. The lines below are from third-party tariff data, so confirm them with your broker. For scale, India imported US$ 23.37 million of HS 8516 appliances, microwave ovens included, from Germany alone in 2025-26^[18].

Anything that heats food with microwave energy is a CRS microwave oven; anything that only heats with elements falls under the ISI appliances order instead. The matrix below sorts the variants importers ask about most. Where a row says "ask BIS", the sources we checked do not settle it.

The order matters. The factory's BIS registration takes longest and nothing can ship until it is granted. Your own registrations can run in parallel.

Microwave ovens have been on the CRS list since its first phase. The CRS portal gives their date of implementation as 3 July 2013 and the standard as IS 302-2-25:2014^[1].

Who holds the licence. Under CRS the applicant is the manufacturer, and the licence is granted per factory, not to an importer or trader^[9]. If you import a Chinese-made oven under your brand, the factory applies and your brand is named in the licence. A foreign factory needs an AIR in India^[12].

Testing. The sample goes to a BIS-recognised lab^[12]. The report must reach BIS within 90 days of issue^[12]. IS 302-2-25 is a Part 2 of the IS 302 series, so it is read together with the general Part 1 rules. See IS 302 (Part 1) for how the series fits together.

Fees. BIS's published table shows Rs 1,000 application fee^[3], Rs 50,000 processing fee including one test report^[3] and Rs 1,000 annual licence fee^[3], all plus GST^[3]. A February 2026 amendment reportedly restructures the processing fee to Rs 25,000 a year^[24]; check the current figure on BIS CRS fees.

Timeline and validity. BIS targets 20 working days for a clean application^[12]. From February 2026 a CRS licence is granted for five years and renewed for five^[4].

Is IS 302-2-25 changing? As of 1 November 2026 the CRS list still shows IS 302-2-25:2014 for microwave ovens^[1]. BIS has revised the general Part 1 standard to the 2024 edition^[25], so watch for a matching update to the CRS entry.

No. This is a common source of confusion in 2026.

The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances QCO came into force on 1 October 2026^[11]. It covers almost every household appliance up to 250 V single-phase^[11]. But it does not apply to appliances already under another QCO or notified for mandatory BIS certification under another Act^[11].

BIS's own implementation guidelines list microwave ovens among the products already covered elsewhere, under the CRS order and Scheme-II^[2]. So a microwave oven needs CRS registration, not an ISI licence. Do not apply for both.

The exception is an oven with no microwave function. An OTG or electric oven falls in the umbrella QCO's "cooking ranges, hobs, ovens" entry^[11].

The CRS date for microwaves passed long ago, so the live dates in 2026 are the appliances QCO's staggered start for the ovens and OTGs next to them, and your own renewal cycle. Use the QCO deadline checker to test any other appliance in your range, and see the QCO tracker for changes.

Old stock under the appliances QCO. A certified manufacturer, or one that had applied, may sell declared stock made or imported before the start date for up to six months^[11]. This matters only if you also import OTGs; microwave ovens were never in that order.

Only if the oven has a radio. An ETA from DoT's WPC Wing is needed to import and sell wireless devices that use de-licensed bands^[7]. A Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module for app control brings a microwave into scope.

For licence-exempt devices the ETA is a self-declaration, and the certificate is downloaded on submission^[16]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[7] and the ETA lasts for the model's life^[7].

DoT has moved new authorisations to the Telecommunications Act 2023 portal^[26]. Check the current route on WPC ETA before you file.

A plain microwave with a mechanical or digital timer has no radio, so it needs no ETA. The magnetron's microwave energy is not a radio function under the ETA rules on our reading.

No. Under the BEE (Appliance Labeling and Compliance) Regulations, 2026, microwave ovens are a voluntary appliance on Schedule B^[6]. The mandatory Schedule A list covers refrigerators, ACs, ceiling fans, storage water heaters, TVs, washing machines and a few others, but not microwaves^[27].

If you choose to label, you need BEE's prior written permission^[27], registration under BEE's operational manual^[27], and a label fee of Rs 20 per piece^[6]. Each brand is registered separately and testing is at a BEE-recognised lab^[28].

Some importers label to compete on energy claims. You cannot print a star rating without that permission^[27].

Yes. Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 names "Microwaves, Microwave Oven" as code LSEEW9 in the large and small electrical equipment group^[5]. The rules have applied since 1 April 2023^[21].

An importer who sells imported EEE is a producer^[21] and must register on CPCB's portal before doing business^[21]. The registration fee depends on your annual recycling target; it is Rs 10,000 for a producer whose sales have just started^[13].

Each year you must buy EPR certificates from registered recyclers to meet a target. For 2026-27 the target is 70% of the weight placed on the market in the reference year^[21]. Missing it costs environmental compensation of Rs 76 per kg for LSEEW items^[29].

Microwaves must also meet India's RoHS limits on lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances^[21].

Yes, in almost every case. Microwaves ship in expanded polystyrene, film bags and plastic tape. An importer of products with plastic packaging is an obligated entity under the plastic EPR guidelines^[10][22].

Register on CPCB's plastic EPR portal^[22]. The application fee is Rs 10,000 below 1,000 tonnes a year^[14]. The packaging must carry your name and registration number^[30].

Yes. Every importer of a pre-packaged commodity must register its name and address under rule 27^[8]. The fee is Rs 500^[8] and you must apply within 90 days of starting imports^[8]. Since May 2026 the registration stays valid until cancelled^[15].

Each retail box must carry 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^[31]. See LMPC label rules.

MTCTE: no. TEC's mandatory testing and certification covers telecom equipment such as Wi-Fi access points, IoT gateways and routers^[32]. A microwave oven, even with a Wi-Fi module, is not telecom equipment on our reading. Its radio is handled by the WPC ETA instead.

Battery EPR: usually no. The battery rules apply to anyone who imports batteries or equipment containing batteries^[33]. A mains-powered microwave normally has no battery. If a model has a backup coin cell for its clock, that cell is a battery and the rules apply to all battery types^[34]; check with your supplier.

The CRS category is for the finished oven^[1]. We found no separate CRS entry for magnetrons, turntable motors or control boards.

E-waste EPR is different. The E-Waste Rules cover listed equipment including its components, consumables, parts and spares^[19]. If you import spares to sell, count their weight in your EPR filings. Spare parts sold in retail packs also need LMPC declarations; rule 6(5) requires all declarations on each package of a component sold as a spare^[8].

Series models. Each new model must be in the CRS licence before you ship it. You can add series models with a supplementary test report that refers to an accepted original report^[12], and that report must also be within 90 days of issue^[12].

Plan the label once and include every regime:

• BIS Standard Mark with your R-number and the IS number^[23], on the oven, the box or both, legible and indelible^[23].
• www.bis.gov.in on the product or package^[35].
• LMPC declarations on the retail box^[31].
• Plastic EPR name and registration number on plastic packaging^[30].
• BEE label only if you have BEE permission^[27].

See BIS CRS labelling and the product label checklist.

Check these eight items on a printed sample box, not on the artwork file. The free label checker walks through the same list, and CRS labelling rules explain the Standard Mark layout.

Example: one factory, one brand, one model family tested on one report, no Wi-Fi, first year. Official fees only, before GST.

• Lab testing. BIS does not publish lab charges for IS 302-2-25. Ask two or three recognised labs for quotes^[12].
• GST on BIS fees^[3].
• EPR certificates. Your yearly target is met by buying certificates from recyclers; the floor price for LSEEW is 30% of Rs 76 per kg^[29].
• The 2026 CRS fee change. If the reported Rs 25,000-a-year structure applies, the first-year BIS figure changes^[24].
• WPC ETA for smart models, Rs 10,000 per model^[7].
• Consultant and AIR fees, which are commercial.

For a broader view see importing electronics costs.

Each extra model that needs its own test report adds Rs 20,000 to the BIS processing fee^[3], so three separately tested models cost about Rs 40,000 more than one. Grouping models into a series under the guidelines can cut the number of reports^[12]. The comparison below uses BIS's published CRS table, before GST^[3]. Run your own numbers in the compliance cost estimator or the BIS CRS fee calculator.

An MSME discount applies only to the CRS processing fee, and the ISI marking fee does not apply to microwaves at all. BIS's fee table marks the MSME concession against the processing fee, the renewal processing fee and the extra per-year renewal fee, not the application, licence or test-report fees^[37]. The 2024 rates were 80% for micro enterprises and start-ups, 50% for small and 20% for medium, and from 1 June 2026 the concession was set to become 20% for all MSMEs^[38]. Remember the factory, not the importer, is the applicant^[9], so the factory's size is what counts.

Why the scheme matters for price. If you also bring in an OTG, it sits under the ISI appliances order. An ISI licence costs Rs 1,000 to apply, Rs 7,000 per man-day of inspection and Rs 1,000 a year plus the minimum marking fee^[39]. For IS 302 (Part 1) that minimum is Rs 2,41,000 for the first appliance and Rs 50,000 for each further appliance for a large firm^[40]. A foreign OTG factory pays the same through FMCS, plus officers' travel and a contingency payment^[41]. Compare the routes on BIS ISI fees and ISI licence costs. A microwave under CRS is far cheaper to certify than an oven under ISI.

Plan on the lab test plus about 20 working days at BIS for a clean CRS file, with EPR and LMPC running alongside. The BIS clock only starts once a complete application is in, and a test report older than 90 days is not accepted^[12].

1. A first-time importer bringing in a private-label oven from China. The Chinese factory must hold the CRS registration with your brand in it^[9]. You act as its AIR or appoint one^[12]. You register for e-waste, plastic EPR and LMPC yourself. Do not book the shipment until the R-number is issued, because goods without the Standard Mark cannot be imported^[9].

2. An Amazon or Flipkart seller buying from an Indian importer. Ask for the CRS licence and check that your model and brand appear in it. The BIS Act binds sellers and distributors too, not just importers^[42]. See selling on Amazon.

3. A foreign brand launching a smart convection microwave. You need CRS for the oven^[1] and a WPC ETA for its Wi-Fi module^[7]. If you want a star label, apply to BEE as well^[6]. Your Indian subsidiary or distributor is the producer for EPR^[21].

The factory holds the CRS registration, the importer holds EPR and LMPC, and every seller in the chain is liable if unmarked ovens are sold. That split surprises many first-time importers, so settle it in your supply contract.

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

Most rejections are paperwork mismatches, not failed tests. BIS's January 2025 advisory says model numbers in the report must match the test request, every model's marking label must be in the report, label ratings must match the description, and samples must not carry the Standard Mark^[45]. Its older deficiency list adds factory addresses that differ between documents and brand names that do not match the trade mark certificate^[46].

Two rules cost real money. BIS grants one registration per manufacturer per product and brand, and duplicate applications are all rejected^[47]. And fees are not refunded once an application is processed and rejected^[48]. Read common CRS rejections and use the CRS application checklist and CRS documents list before you file on the CRS portal.

Expect market surveillance paid for by the factory, and annual fees to keep the five-year licence alive. MeitY runs CRS surveillance through STPI, which buys samples from the open market or from Amazon and Flipkart^[49]. The cost charged is the sample's MRP plus logistics and the lab's test charge^[50], payable within 15 working days of the demand^[51]. If the lab asks for technical documents and they do not arrive within 10 working days, MeitY may recommend against renewal^[52]. More on CRS surveillance.

Renewal. The published renewal fees are Rs 1,000 application, Rs 1,000 licence and Rs 50,000 processing^[3]. Late renewal costs Rs 5,000 and the licence expires 90 days after validity^[53]. After validity you may not mark or dispatch even stock in hand^[53]. See CRS renewal and the licence renewal date tool.

Yes. 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^[54]. A Lok Sabha reply reportedly said BIS bought 344 QCO product samples from e-commerce platforms in 2024-25, and 142 had no valid certification^[55].

The legal tools are wide. A BIS officer may search premises or vehicles and seize goods and documents^[56], and a court may forfeit the goods to BIS^[57]. For CRS products specifically, BIS does search and seizure while MeitY runs surveillance^[58]. Read what happens if you sell without BIS and why shipments get held at Indian ports.

Section 17 of the BIS Act bars importing, selling, storing or exhibiting notified goods without a valid Standard Mark^[42]. 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, extendable to ten times the value of the goods^[42]. BIS can also order a recall^[42].

Under the E-Waste Rules, unregistered producers can be charged environmental compensation^[21]. Under Legal Metrology, a non-conforming package draws an improvement notice for a first offence and up to Rs 5 lakh for a second^[59].

Start with the free tools, then a recognised lab, and bring in a consultant only for the factory-side CRS filing. The approval checker confirms which approvals a model needs, and the HS code approval finder maps tariff lines to approvals.

Labs. BIS's Group-1 list of 30 October 2026 counts 162 lab entries in Delhi NCR, 45 in Mumbai and Pune and 31 in Bengaluru^[60], but only some are recognised for IS 302. Check a lab's status and recognition date on the list^[60] and browse BIS-recognised labs or the CRS test lab guide.

Consultants. Fees are commercial; one firm advertises BIS consultation from Rs 7,899 without saying whether government or lab fees are included^[61]. Compare scope, not the headline, using our BIS consultants guide. For a second opinion on your model list, ask for a free compliance check.