Importing mobile phone chargers and USB power adaptors into India: approvals for 2026

Phone chargers and USB power adaptors are regulated as power adaptors under BIS CRS. For a standard wall charger you need:

1. BIS CRS registration, held by the factory. Mobile chargers are generally registered under the CRS category "Power Adaptors for IT Equipments", tested to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023^[9].
2. Plastic packaging EPR in your name^[5].
3. LMPC importer registration and package declarations for retail packs, on our reading^[10].

Two depend on the product or on CPCB. On our reading, a WPC ETA may apply only to wireless (Qi) charging pads, not wired chargers^[11]. E-waste EPR is unsettled, because chargers and adapters are not named in Schedule I^[6].

Not required, on our reading: battery EPR, because a mains charger contains no battery^[12]; MTCTE^[13]; and the BEE star label^[7].

Official government fees only; lab, AIR and consultant charges are not government fees.

Mobile chargers are usually classified under ITC(HS) 85044030, "Static converters - Rectifier: Battery chargers"^[23]. The DGFT wording of the line is official, but no official classification ruling for phone chargers was found, and some USB adaptors are declared under 85044090 instead^[23], the "Other" static converters line^[23]. Confirm the code with your customs broker before you file.

This is the question that decides your test standard, so settle it with your lab first. The CRS portal has several power-supply categories, and the right one depends on the device the adaptor is meant to power:

Mapping phone chargers to "Power Adaptors for IT Equipments" is reported as standard practice, but the portal itself does not say which category phone chargers go in^[9]. Support for that practice comes from elsewhere in the official lists: the external power adaptors of Wi-Fi routers, for example, are covered under the same IT adaptors category^[9].

Borderline cases to raise with your lab:

• Multi-purpose chargers sold for phones, laptops and other gadgets. Agree the category with the lab, and make sure the claims on the box match it.
• Car chargers. These run from a vehicle's 12 V or 24 V socket, not the mains. Whether they fit an adaptor category is not settled in the sources we found; ask your lab before assuming they are in or out.
• Wireless charging pads. The pad plus its wall adaptor raise both a BIS and a WPC question (see below).
• Chargers bundled with a phone. The phone's own registrations cover the phone. Ask your lab and the brand whether the in-box adaptor is registered separately, and check its R-number.

A licence is tied to one product category; a separate licence is needed for each product name^[25]. Choosing the wrong one wastes the test fee.

What the charger powers and whether it has a battery or a coil decide the approvals: a phone adaptor is an IT adaptor, an appliance adaptor follows IS 302, and a wireless pad needs an ETA instead.

Duty. Basic customs duty on chargers and adapters of cellular mobile phones was cut from 20% to 15% in the Union Budget 2024-25^[26]; the rate for other adaptors depends on the line your broker uses.

Variants inside one licence. Each extra wattage that needs its own report costs Rs 20,000 in the same application^[3], and most electronics categories allow up to 10 models in one series^[27]. See series guidelines, check your line in the HS code approval finder, and compare USB cables, wireless chargers and e-bike chargers.

In this order:

Standard. The IT adaptors category has been on the CRS list since 1 December 2015, originally under IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[1]. MeitY has since replaced IS 13252 (Part 1) and IS 616 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 in the CRS schedule^[24], and the old standards may run alongside until 1 November 2028^[2]. IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 is the safety standard for audio, video and ICT equipment^[37]. For a new charger, test to the new standard.

Who applies. The manufacturer, per factory^[14]. A foreign factory needs an AIR, which can be its Indian branch, the brand owner in India or another Indian entity^[38].

Brands and models. Each brand needs a separate application unless the brand owner is the same^[15]. Chargers often come in many wattages and plug styles; MeitY's series guidelines decide which can share a test report^[15]. Each extra test report costs Rs 20,000^[3].

Timeline and validity. BIS targets 20 working days from a complete application^[15]; deficiencies get at least 30 days to fix^[15]. Under the 2026 amendment, licences run up to five years and renew for five, with fees paid yearly in advance^[4].

See BIS CRS, CRS documents and IS 13252 (Part 1).

Wired chargers: no. They have no radio, so on our reading the ETA does not apply^[11]. WPC also says non-RF products need no WPC import licence or NOC^[39].

Wireless charging pads: possibly. Qi pads may need an ETA^[11]. ETA is required for wireless devices in de-licensed bands or involving RF transmission^[16], but the sources we found do not settle whether inductive charging alone counts. Get your RF lab's view in writing.

If you need one, it is a self-declaration on Saral Sanchar with the certificate downloaded on submission^[17], at Rs 10,000 per model^[16], valid for the model's lifetime^[16]. DoT is moving authorisations to the Telecommunications Act, 2023 portal^[40], and the effect on the ETA self-declaration route is not yet confirmed^[41].

Battery EPR: no. The battery rules make you a producer if you import batteries or equipment containing batteries^[42]. A mains charger contains no battery, so on our reading of that definition the obligation does not apply^[12]. A charger sold in a kit with a power bank is a different matter: see power banks.

MTCTE: likely no. Chargers are not in TEC's notified list of 1 July 2024, the latest full list we checked^[13], which lists no power-supply products^[13].

BEE: no. Mobile chargers are in neither BEE list^[7], and BEE's mandatory list does not include chargers^[18].

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^[43], and anyone who offers to sell imported EEE or its parts is a producer^[6].

Chargers and adapters are not named in Schedule I as separate items, and we have not been able to verify how CPCB classifies them^[6]. One reading is that a charger is a component or part of the phone it powers^[43], but CPCB has not confirmed that, so we do not assign an EEE code to chargers.

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 under 50 tonnes, or Rs 10,000 for producers whose sales have just started^[19], plus Rs 5,000 a year in maintenance^[19]. Covered products must also meet the RoHS limits on lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances^[6], so get a RoHS declaration from your factory either way. Do not simply ignore the question: environmental compensation can be levied on unregistered producers^[6].

Yes. An importer of mobile chargers sold in plastic packaging counts as an importer under the Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging and needs plastic EPR registration^[5]. The micro and small enterprise carve-out in the list of obligated entities applies to producers and brand owners, not to importers^[34].

• Registration. On CPCB's centralised EPR portal^[34]; your State Pollution Control Board handles it if you operate in one or two states, CPCB if more^[20].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 if you generate under 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year^[21], plus 25% of that each year when you file the annual return^[21].
• Validity. One year for a fresh registration and three for a renewal, under CPCB's March 2022 SOP^[21].
• Obligation. Your eligible quantity is based on the average plastic packaging you imported and sold over the last two years, by category^[20], and the target has been 100% of it since 2023-24^[20]. The annual return, with certificate details, is due by 30 June^[34].

See plastic EPR for categories and the portal process.

Yes, if you import mobile chargers 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^[8]. Our reading that this covers mobile chargers in retail packs rests on the Delhi Legal Metrology importer form; we could not open the full rules text^[10]. Packages for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[44].

• Where and how much. Apply to the State Controller or the Director of Legal Metrology^[8] with a Rs 500 fee^[8], within 90 days of starting to import on our reading of rule 27^[8].
• What you state. Name, complete address of the premises and the commodities imported^[8]; since 29 May 2026 a company must also name the director responsible for violations^[22].
• Validity. The certificate stays valid until cancelled^[22], but details must be updated every year on the online portal^[22].

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.

BIS Standard Mark. Mark the product, the package or both, legibly and indelibly^[35]. The mark carries the R-number and IS number^[35], at least Arial size 6^[35]. If the R-number cannot sit beneath the mark, it goes close to it in a line^[35]. Add www.bis.gov.in^[45] and the model, batch, manufacture date and manufacturer's address^[35]. If BIS requires it, you may also need the words "self-declaration of conformity to" with the IS number^[35]. See CRS labelling.

No battery marking is needed on a plain charger, since it has no battery.

Plastic EPR marking. Rule 11 asks for your registration number on plastic packaging, though a proviso in the same clause exempts imported goods' packaging^[46]. A QR code is allowed^[47]. Print it to be safe.

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^[44]. Declare the month and year of manufacture, not of import^[8]. For electronics, the date of manufacture can reportedly appear anywhere on the retail package if it is legible^[48]. Stickers may not alter the declarations, except a reduced-MRP sticker that leaves the original visible^[8]. 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^[22].

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.

One wired charger model, one brand, new importer, under 1,000 tonnes of plastic a year. Official fees only. The totals are our arithmetic, not an official figure.

• Lab testing, AIR and consultant fees are not government fees.
• The 2026 BIS fee. A consultant reports the processing fee is now Rs 25,000 a year, paid in advance^[50]; the official table we could open is still the 2018 one.
• MSME concessions on the processing fee are for Indian MSMEs and generally do not help foreign factories; their status after 1 June 2026 is not confirmed^[51].
• Plastic EPR running costs. 25% of the application fee each year at return time^[21], plus certificates bought within a CPCB price band^[34].

Try the CRS fee calculator.

One wired charger model costs about Rs 1,87,500 in the first year once testing is counted, and three wattages about Rs 4,77,500, 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^[3], 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^[52]. Under the older IS 13252 (Part 1), still allowed until November 2028, the median declared charge was about Rs 63,750^[53]. 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^[50]; 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 plastic EPR is processed within 15 days under the SOP^[21]. 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 chargers the factory holds the BIS registration and the importer holds plastic EPR and Legal Metrology; there is no battery or radio paperwork for a plain wired charger. 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. The factory needs a CRS application in your brand^[15]. With chargers, the model count grows fast (wattages, plug types, cable included or not), so agree the series grouping with the lab before testing^[15]. Your own registrations are plastic EPR and LMPC; no battery EPR.

2. Marketplace seller. Buying cleared stock from an Indian importer, check the R-number and model on the box against the BIS portal before listing; unregistered goods cannot be sold^[14]. Marketplaces must reportedly show the Legal Metrology declarations on the listing^[58], and from 1 July 2027 a country-of-origin filter for imported products^[60].

3. Foreign brand. Appoint an AIR who is an Indian resident and accepts responsibility for BIS compliance^[57]. The AIR can be held liable along with the company for offences^[59]. If you later change AIR, BIS charges Rs 5,000^[3].

Most holds come from a charger that does not match its licence.

BIS enforces charger rules through warehouse searches and market surveillance, and mobile chargers were among the goods reportedly seized at an e-commerce warehouse in 2025.

• 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^[62].
• 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^[63].
• The power behind these searches is section 28 of the BIS Act, which lets a certification officer search premises and seize goods and documents^[64].
• Registered products are sampled too. Under STPI's surveillance SOP, MeitY surveils registered manufacturers while BIS handles search and seizure^[65]; the approved surveillance test charge is Rs 45,500 each for power banks, wireless earphones, Bluetooth speakers and IT power adaptors, among others^[66]. See CRS surveillance.
• 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^[67].

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^[59]. Under section 29 as enacted (later amendments not checked), 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^[59]. Importers and sellers are "persons" under the Act^[59], and BIS can order a recall^[59].

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^[68].

EPR. Plastic EPR shortfalls attract environmental compensation of Rs 2,900 to Rs 7,900 a tonne, multiplied for repeat defaults^[69]. CPCB's e-waste EC guidelines set a Rs 20,000 / 40,000 / 80,000 scale for a producer's violations other than a shortfall^[70].

The biggest change is the standard: power adaptors for it equipment is one of 38 CRS categories moving to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with reports for every lead model due by 1 November 2028^[71].

• Existing licences. Migrate through the 'Standard Revision' option with complete reports for all lead models and an undertaking for series models^[72]. BIS charges no fee for this^[49], and the R-number stays the same^[49]. Renewals can still be granted under the old standard until 1 November 2028^[49].
• 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^[49]. 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^[49]. Ask the factory now whether its transformer, optocoupler and other safety-critical parts 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^[54]. Search the LIMS portal by IS number to see who is recognised^[75]; each entry shows the clause-wise charge, any excluded tests and the recognition validity date^[53]. 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^[76], and at least 32 of the 68 were in Delhi NCR^[77]. 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^[78]. A recognised lab may not use agents or pay referral commissions^[52], 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. Noida alone had eight labs for IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, at Rs 50,000 to Rs 2,50,000^[79].

Four free Comploa tools cover the main checks for mobile chargers, 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 8504 goods (transformers and static converters, including power adapters and chargers) worth US$ 280.64 million from Germany^[80], US$ 200.02 million from Japan^[80] and US$ 99.73 million from Vietnam in 2025-26^[80]. See importing from China, Vietnam and South Korea.

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