Importing power banks into India: BIS, battery EPR and the other approvals for 2026

A power bank is a lithium battery in a box, and Indian rules treat it as both a piece of IT equipment and a battery. For a standard wired power bank you need:

1. BIS CRS registration, held by the factory. "Power Banks for use in portable applications" is a CRS category^[1].
2. Battery EPR registration in your name, because a power bank contains lithium-ion batteries^[11].
3. Plastic packaging EPR for the packaging it ships in^[8].
4. LMPC importer registration, on our reading, and full package declarations for retail packs^[12].

Two more depend on the product. A WPC ETA may be needed if the power bank has a radio function, such as Bluetooth or wireless (Qi) charging^[13]. E-waste EPR is unsettled, because power banks are not named in Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules^[9].

Not required: MTCTE, on our reading, since power banks are not on TEC's July 2024 list^[14]; and the BEE star label^[10].

Official government fees only. Lab, AIR and consultant charges are not government fees, so they are left out of this table.

Power banks are usually classified under ITC(HS) 85076000, lithium-ion accumulators in heading 8507^[25]. The DGFT description of that line is official, but the link between power banks and 8507 rests on reported advance rulings and a customs notification that we have not opened ourselves. It is not an official ruling for your product. Confirm the code with your customs broker before filing.

Borderline products:

• Power banks with wireless (Qi) charging or Bluetooth. These may need a WPC ETA as well^[13]. Whether inductive charging alone counts as licence-exempt radio equipment that needs an ETA is not settled in the sources we found.
• Large "portable power stations". The CRS category is for power banks "for use in portable applications"^[2]. Very large units with AC outlets may not fit that wording. Ask your lab which category it will test to before you order.
• Bare lithium cells and battery packs. Lithium cells and batteries for portable applications are their own CRS category under IS 16046 (Part 2)^[1]. We have not found an official circular saying the cells inside a power bank must hold their own registration. Ask your lab what it needs from the cell maker, and see IS 16046.

Wireless output, Bluetooth and size change the approvals: a wireless or app-connected model adds an ETA, and a large portable power station may fall outside the power bank category and the portable-battery rules.

Variants inside one licence. Power banks can share a series across capacities if they have the same rated input voltage, class of construction, IP rating, PCB design and layout, cell type and enclosure material^[26]. Up to 10 models fit in one series^[27]. So a 10,000 mAh and a 20,000 mAh model on the same board design can often share a report, while a new cell type cannot. See series guidelines, and check your tariff line in the HS code approval finder.

In this order. The EPR and LMPC steps can run while the factory is testing.

Category and standard. Power banks have been on the CRS list since 13 May 2015^[2]. The portal now lists IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 for the category, with IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 also shown^[1]. That is because MeitY has replaced IS 13252 (Part 1) with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 for CRS, allowing both to run until 1 November 2028, after which the old standard stands withdrawn^[3]. Testing a new model to the new standard, rather than IS 13252 (Part 1), saves moving over later. BIS issued migration guidelines in March 2026 and FAQs in July 2026, listing power banks among 38 migrating categories^[35][36]; see what changes in 2026 and 2027.

Who applies. The manufacturer, per factory; not the importer^[15]. A foreign factory needs an Authorised Indian Representative^[16].

Brands and capacities. Each brand needs its own application unless the brand owner is the same^[16]. Different capacities can often be covered as a series under MeitY's grouping guidelines, using supplementary test reports that refer back to an accepted original^[16]. Those guidelines, not your preference, decide how many reports you need. Extra models can be added later by inclusion^[37].

Timeline and validity. BIS aims to grant within 20 working days if everything is in order first time^[16]. Licences are now granted for five years and renewed for five, with fees paid annually in advance, though a later corrigendum reads 'upto five years' for certain schemes^[5]. If the licence lapses, you may not mark or dispatch products with the Standard Mark, including stock in hand^[38]. See CRS renewal.

Fees are in the cost example below. The full process is on BIS CRS.

Plain power banks: no. A power bank with only wired ports has no radio, so on our reading the ETA does not apply^[13]. WPC also says no import licence or NOC is needed for accessories such as cables, connectors and batteries, or for non-RF products^[39].

Bluetooth or wireless charging: possibly yes. ETA is required for wireless devices that operate in de-licensed bands or involve RF transmission^[17]. A power bank with Bluetooth clearly transmits. Whether inductive (Qi) charging on its own needs an ETA has not been verified in the sources we found^[13]. DoT does state that the 9 kHz to 30 MHz band is delicensed for contactless inductive charging^[28], and all ETAs for delicensed devices are granted by self-declaration^[18], which is why we treat wireless pads as needing one (see wireless chargers). If your model has wireless charging, ask your RF lab for its view in writing and budget for an ETA.

If you need one. Since 9 September 2024 all ETAs for licence-exempt devices are granted on self-declaration through Saral Sanchar, with the certificate downloaded on submission^[18]. You need an RF test report, the manufacturer's authorisation if you are its Indian representative, and technical literature^[17]. The fee is Rs 10,000 per model^[17], and the ETA lasts for the model's lifetime^[17].

The 2026 transition. DoT has stopped new applications under the Indian Telegraph Act and moved authorisations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 to eservices.dot.gov.in^[40]. Whether the ETA self-declaration route will move or change is not yet confirmed^[41].

MTCTE: on our reading, no. Power banks are not in TEC's list of notified products of 1 July 2024, the latest full list we checked^[14]; the list covers network equipment and no power-supply or battery products^[14].

BEE: no. Power banks are in neither BEE's mandatory nor its voluntary list^[10]. The voluntary "High Energy Li-Battery" schedule is for lithium-ion traction batteries and systems^[10], not consumer power banks.

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^[42], and anyone who offers to sell imported EEE or its parts is a producer^[9].

Power banks are not named in Schedule I^[9], and their coverage is unclear^[42]. The battery inside is excluded from the e-waste rules and handled under the battery rules instead^[9]. So even if CPCB says the power bank's casing and electronics fall under e-waste, the battery obligation stays separate. We do not assign an EEE code to power banks.

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^[9], so get a RoHS declaration from your factory either way. Do not simply ignore the question: environmental compensation can be levied on unregistered producers^[9].

Yes. Power banks contain lithium-ion batteries, so the importer is a producer under the battery rules^[11]. The Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 treat anyone who imports batteries or equipment containing batteries as a producer^[20], and CPCB's FAQ says such importers must register before importing^[6].

• Registration. Form 1(A) on CPCB's centralised portal; the certificate stays valid until cancelled^[20]. CPCB must decide within two weeks of a complete application, after which registration is deemed^[20].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 for turnover under Rs 5 crore, Rs 20,000 for Rs 5–50 crore, Rs 40,000 above that^[7].
• Targets. A sealed battery under 5 kg that is not industrial, automotive or EV is a portable battery^[29]. For rechargeable consumer-electronics batteries the collection target from 2024-25 is 70% of the quantity placed on the market five years earlier^[29], met with certificates from registered recyclers^[29].
• Returns. Form 1(C) by 30 June each year^[20] and the annual return in Form 3^[29]; for FY 2025-26 the deadline was extended to 30 November 2026^[43].

The battery obligation is separate from any e-waste obligation on the device: waste batteries are outside the E-Waste Rules^[9]. See battery EPR.

A power bank is mostly battery, so the battery rules matter more than usual.

• Recycled content from 2027-28. Portable batteries must contain a minimum share of domestically recycled material: 5% in 2027-28, rising to 20% from 2030-31^[44]. The ministry has clarified that this can be any domestically recycled material recovered from any waste, not only from batteries^[45].
• Cadmium. Portable batteries may contain no more than 0.002% cadmium by weight^[20]. Ask your cell supplier for a declaration.
• Certificates. Battery EPR certificates are valid for seven years^[29], and you may buy up to your current liability, any leftover liability and 10% more, within the same battery category^[29].
• What a shortfall costs. Environmental compensation for lithium-ion batteries is set per kg of recovered metal, from Rs 120 for aluminium and iron up to Rs 2,400 for lithium^[46]. Paying it does not end the obligation: if you make up the shortfall within three years you get back 75%, 60% or 40% depending on how late you are^[29].

Yes. An importer of power banks sold in plastic packaging counts as an importer under the Guidelines on EPR for Plastic Packaging and needs plastic EPR registration^[8]. The micro and small enterprise carve-out in the list of obligated entities applies to producers and brand owners, not to importers^[33].

• Registration. On CPCB's centralised EPR portal^[33]; your State Pollution Control Board handles it if you operate in one or two states, CPCB if more^[21].
• Fee. Rs 10,000 if you generate under 1,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year^[22], plus 25% of that each year when you file the annual return^[22].
• Validity. One year for a fresh registration and three for a renewal, under CPCB's March 2022 SOP^[22].
• Obligation. Your eligible quantity is based on the average plastic packaging you imported and sold over the last two years, by category^[21], and the target has been 100% of it since 2023-24^[21]. The annual return, with certificate details, is due by 30 June^[33].

See plastic EPR for categories and the portal process.

Yes, if you import power banks 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^[23]. Our reading that this covers power banks in retail packs rests on the Delhi Legal Metrology importer form; we could not open the full rules text^[12]. Packages for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[47].

• Where and how much. Apply to the State Controller or the Director of Legal Metrology^[23] with a Rs 500 fee^[23], within 90 days of starting to import^[23].
• What you state. Name, complete address of the premises and the commodities imported^[23]; since 29 May 2026 a company must also name the director responsible for violations^[24].
• Validity. The certificate stays valid until cancelled^[24], but details must be updated every year on the online portal^[24].

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, its package, or both, legibly and indelibly^[48]. The mark carries the R-number and IS number^[48], no smaller than Arial size 6^[48], with www.bis.gov.in on the product or package^[49]. Model, batch, date of manufacture and the manufacturer's address go on the product, package or a label^[48]. More on CRS labelling.

Battery marking. The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol must cover at least 3% of the largest side, up to 5 cm x 5 cm^[29]. If the battery contains mercury, cadmium or lead above the thresholds, the chemical symbol goes beneath the bin^[50]. Mark your battery EPR registration number^[20]; for imports it can go on the equipment or its packaging^[45], or in a QR code after informing CPCB^[50].

Plastic EPR marking. Rule 11 asks for your registration number on plastic packaging, though a proviso in the same clause exempts packaging of imported goods, so the text conflicts^[51]. A QR code is allowed^[52]. 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^[47]. Declare the month and year of manufacture, not of import^[23]. For electronics, the date of manufacture can reportedly appear anywhere on the retail package if it is legible^[53]. Under the 2011 rule text, stickers may not alter the declarations, except a reduced-MRP sticker that leaves the original visible^[23]. 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^[24].

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 power bank model, one brand, a new importer with turnover under Rs 5 crore and under 1,000 tonnes of plastic a year. Official fees only. The totals are our arithmetic, not an official figure.

• Testing, AIR and consultants are not government fees.
• More capacities. Each extra test report in a CRS application costs Rs 20,000^[4].
• The 2026 BIS fee. A consultant reports the processing fee is now Rs 25,000 a year paid in advance^[55]; BIS has not published the revised table we could open.
• EPR certificates. Your battery target is met by buying certificates, priced within a band of 30% to 100% of environmental compensation^[56]. Prices are set by the market.

See EPR registration cost and CRS cost.

One wired power bank model costs about Rs 1,97,500 in the first year once testing is counted, and three models about Rs 4,87,500, 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^[16]; see series guidelines. Adding a model later costs Rs 30,000 by inclusion, including one report^[4], 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^[57]. Under the older IS 13252 (Part 1), still allowed until November 2028, the median declared charge was about Rs 63,750^[58]. A Bluetooth or wireless-charging model also needs an RF report and a Rs 10,000 ETA per model^[17]. 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^[55]; 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^[16], and CPCB must decide battery EPR within two weeks^[20]. 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 power banks the factory holds the BIS registration and the importer holds battery EPR, plastic EPR and Legal Metrology; the battery obligation follows whoever sells under its own brand. 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 name^[16], and you can be its AIR as brand owner^[62]. Register for battery EPR before the goods ship^[6], because Customs has been asked to check it^[34]. If your first model has wireless charging, add an ETA.

2. Marketplace seller. If you buy from an Indian importer who sells under the imported brand, the battery EPR obligation sits with that importer; if the importer's buyers resell under their own brand, it does not^[6]. So if you put your own brand on the power banks, expect the battery obligation to land on you. Marketplaces must reportedly show the Legal Metrology declarations on the listing^[63].

3. Foreign brand. Your AIR must be an Indian resident who accepts responsibility for BIS compliance on your behalf^[61], and can usually represent only one foreign manufacturer^[61]. Your importer of record holds the battery, plastic and LMPC registrations.

Most holds come from missing registrations or a box that does not match the licence.

Power banks are enforced at three points: BIS searches and surveillance, Customs checks of battery EPR registration^[34], and CPCB compensation for battery-rule breaches.

• 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.
• 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^[71].

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^[64]. Under section 29(3) 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^[64]. Importers and sellers are "persons" under the Act^[64], and BIS can order a recall^[64].

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^[72].

WPC. In the ETA self-declaration the importer accepts liability to prosecution for a wrong declaration^[73].

EPR. Plastic EPR shortfalls attract environmental compensation of Rs 2,900 to Rs 7,900 a tonne, multiplied for repeat defaults^[74]. Battery-rule breaches other than a target shortfall, such as missed returns or wrong labels, cost Rs 20,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 for first, second and third defaults^[46]. The e-waste rules set the same Rs 20,000 / 40,000 / 80,000 scale for a producer's violations other than a shortfall^[75].

The biggest change is the standard: power banks 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^[35]. BIS charges no fee for this^[54], and the R-number stays the same^[54]. Renewals can still be granted under the old standard until 1 November 2028^[54].
• 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^[54]. 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^[54]. Ask the factory now whether its lithium cells, protection board and adaptor has a 62368 or IEC component report.
• Battery rules. The FY 2025-26 battery annual return is due by 30 November 2026^[43], and recycled-content minimums start in 2027-28^[44]. See battery EPR targets and EPR annual returns.

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^[59]. Search the LIMS portal by IS number to see who is recognised^[81]; each entry shows the clause-wise charge, any excluded tests and the recognition validity date^[58]. 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^[82], and at least 32 of the 68 were in Delhi NCR^[83]. 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^[84]. A recognised lab may not use agents or pay referral commissions^[57], 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. If the lab asks for cell reports, labs for IS 16046 (Part 2):2018 declare Rs 37,500 to Rs 4,80,000^[85]; see lithium-ion battery packs.

Four free Comploa tools cover the main checks for power banks, 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 lithium-ion accumulators under ITC(HS) 85076000 worth US$ 3,927.70 million from China in 2025-26, out of US$ 4,696.64 million from all countries^[86]. See power banks from China, importing from China 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.