Importing solar panels into India in 2026: BIS registration, ALMM lists, REEIMS and e-waste rules

Solar panels (PV modules) are regulated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), not MeitY, but the certificate still comes from BIS. For a standard crystalline or thin-film module you need:

1. BIS CRS registration, held by the factory, under MNRE's Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025^[1]. The order has been in effect since 27 July 2025^[2].
2. A module that meets the efficiency floor: 18% for mono-crystalline and thin-film, 17% for poly-crystalline, or BIS will not grant the licence^[3].
3. REEIMS registration on MNRE's import monitoring portal before each shipment of modules meant for solar energy projects, from 1 November 2025^[4].
4. E-waste EPR registration with CPCB, because solar modules are a Schedule I item (CEEW14)^[7]. There is no recycling target; you store and report instead^[7].
5. Plastic packaging EPR if the pallets or modules come wrapped in plastic.

Then there is the rule that decides who can buy your panels. ALMM, MNRE's Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, applies to government, government-assisted, scheme, net-metering and open-access projects^[10]. It is not an import licence. But if a module is not on ALMM List-I, most rooftop and utility buyers cannot use it.

Not required: a WPC ETA or TEC MTCTE (a module has no radio or telecom function). The BEE label is voluntary for PV modules^[8].

Check your own product mix with the approval checker, or ask us for a free compliance check.

Fees are the official published amounts, excluding GST. "Time" is the official service standard where one exists.

85414300 is the ITC(HS) line for "Photovoltaic cells assembled in modules or made up into panels". Bare cells, not yet laminated into modules, are 85414200^[4]. Both are "Free" imports, but since 1 November 2025 they carry Policy Condition 09 of Chapter 85, the REEIMS registration rule^[4].

The same DGFT notification also brings toughened solar glass (70071900) under REEIMS when it is used exclusively for solar energy projects^[4].

Borderline cases to settle with your customs broker:

• Solar kits sold with a charge controller, battery or inverter in one box. The module, solar inverter and battery each have their own BIS category, so each needs its own registration.
• Portable folding panels with a built-in USB output. They are still PV modules for BIS. If a battery is built in, battery EPR applies too.
• Cells only. Cells are not a BIS CRS item in the 2025 order. They matter for ALMM List-II, which applies to the modules made from them^[5].

The module technology decides the Indian Standard, the buyer decides ALMM, and anything built in (battery, USB port) adds its own rules. This matrix covers the variants importers ask about most. Rows marked "our reading" are not covered by an official ruling.

Solar modules and cells are 'Free' imports, but since 1 November 2025 they carry Policy Condition 09 of Chapter 85, the REEIMS registration rule^[4]. No DGFT licence is needed. Three things work like gates in practice:

1. BIS. Covered goods cannot be imported, sold or stored for sale without conforming and carrying the Standard Mark^[23].
2. REEIMS. Shipments for solar energy projects must be registered before arrival^[4].
3. ALMM. Not a customs condition, but it decides whether government, scheme, net-metering and open-access buyers can use your modules^[10].

Customs also checks EPR: CPCB asked CBIC in June 2025 to verify plastic EPR registration when clearing imports^[24]. Keep all registrations with your customs clearance documents, and use the HS code approval finder to cross-check a line before you file the bill of entry on ICEGATE.

In this order. The factory side (BIS, ALMM) takes longest; start it first.

The legal basis is MNRE's order, run by BIS. The Solar Systems, Devices and Components Goods Order, 2025 (S.O. 492(E), 27 January 2025) covers five products: crystalline modules, thin-film modules, storage batteries, PV inverters and grid-tied inverters^[1]. Goods must meet the listed Indian Standards and carry the Standard Mark under a Scheme-II licence, the same scheme used for electronics CRS^[26]. Goods made only for export are exempt^[1].

Which standards. Crystalline modules must meet IS 14286 (Part 1):2023 and IS 14286 (Part 1/Sec 1):2023 (the Indian versions of IEC 61215-1 and 61215-1-1), plus IS/IEC 61730-1 and -2 for module safety^[3]. Thin-film modules use Sec 2 (CdTe), Sec 3 (amorphous silicon) or Sec 4 (CIGS) instead of Sec 1^[3]. See IS 14286 for the full history of the standard.

The efficiency condition. This is new in the 2025 order. BIS will not grant a licence unless the module reaches 18% (mono-crystalline and thin film) or 17% (poly-crystalline) at Standard Test Conditions^[3].

Old licences. Licences granted under the 2017 order stay valid, but renewals and new registrations follow the 2025 order^[3]. BIS allowed new applications on the old standards only up to 27 July 2025 and deletes non-compliant models from licences after the deadline^[20].

The next change. IS/IEC 61730-1 and -2 have 2023 editions. Both sets can be used until 15 February 2027^[2], and the CRS portal already lists both against PV modules^[27].

Who applies. As for all CRS products, the licence is granted to the manufacturer for each factory, not to the importer^[23]. A separate application is needed for each brand^[12].

The first order was MNRE's Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017, S.O. 2920(E) of 30 August 2017^[28]. The CRS portal gives 31 March 2019 as the implementation date for both crystalline and thin-film modules^[27].

ALMM is MNRE's Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. It comes from the ALMM Order of 2 January 2019, which set up List-I for modules and List-II for cells^[5].

It is a buyer-side rule, not a customs rule. Only List-I modules may be used in Government projects, Government-assisted projects, projects under Government schemes, net-metering and open-access projects, and projects selling power to Government under section 63 of the Electricity Act^[10]. The import policy condition DGFT added for modules is REEIMS registration, not ALMM^[4]. ALMM is checked by the project side: the tender, scheme or net-metering approval your buyer works under.

ALMM depends on BIS. Enlistment stays valid only while the BIS registration is valid, and MNRE shows each unit's R-number on the list^[13]. ALMM also has its own efficiency thresholds, higher than BIS's: 20.0% for utility-scale, 19.5% for rooftop and pumping and 19.0% for solar lighting (crystalline)^[13].

Timeline of ALMM rules.

From 1 June 2026, a module stays in ALMM List-I only if it uses cells from ALMM List-II, and makers that do not comply can be delisted^[5]. Net-metering and open-access projects commissioned before 1 June 2026 were exempt from the cell rule^[32]. A PIB release of 18 July 2026 reportedly extended that window for net-metering and open-access projects to those commissioned by 31 December 2026, while refusing a blanket extension for other projects^[33]. The relief covers cells only; the modules must still be on List-I.

Separately, the CPSU Scheme Phase-II, Components B and C of PM-KUSUM and PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana have Domestic Content Requirement rules that mandate domestically made cells and modules^[32]. Imported modules do not qualify for those schemes.

What this means for an importer. Imported modules can still be sold legally once BIS-registered. The open market for them is private captive, commercial and industrial buyers and exports that are not covered by ALMM. Check the buyer's project type before you order.

From 1 June 2028, List-I will include only modules made with ALMM-listed cells and wafers^[6].

REEIMS is MNRE's Renewable Energy Equipment Import Monitoring System. DGFT Notification 40/2025-26 made it compulsory from 1 November 2025^[4].

• What it covers: goods under HS 70071900 (toughened glass), 85414200 (cells) and 85414300 (modules) used exclusively for solar energy projects^[4].
• When to file: at least 2 days before arrival for air cargo and 5 days for sea and land shipments^[4].
• Cost and validity: no fee; each registration lasts 3 months and is tied to one port, but can cover several consignments^[4].
• What you declare: the intended end use of the goods^[4].

REEIMS is a monitoring step, not a quality approval. It does not replace BIS registration. Register in time; a shipment that arrives before its REEIMS registration is a policy-condition breach.

Yes. The E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 define e-waste to include solar PV modules, panels and cells, and Schedule I lists them under code CEEW14^[7]. Anyone who imports EEE and offers it for sale is a producer^[34], and no producer may do business without registering^[34].

Solar is treated differently from other electronics. There is no recycling target for waste modules^[34]. Instead, rule 12 requires you to^[7]:

• register on the CPCB portal;
• store the solar waste you generate up to 2034-35 under CPCB's guidelines;
• file annual returns up to 2034-35; and
• keep a separate inventory of modules on the portal.

The portal is the E-Waste Management System at eprewaste.cpcb.gov.in^[35]. Modules must also meet the RoHS limits, though the 2023 amendment added exemptions for cadmium and lead in solar PV^[36].

Battery EPR: no, for a plain module. It applies only if you import batteries or equipment containing them^[37]. A solar kit with a battery, or a solar storage battery, brings it in.

Plastic EPR: usually yes. An importer of any commodity in plastic packaging is an "importer" under the plastic EPR rules^[15]. Stretch wrap, corner protectors and bags count. Register on CPCB's portal^[15].

LMPC: depends on the buyer. Every importer of pre-packaged commodities for sale must register under rule 27^[18]. But packages meant for industrial or institutional consumers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[17]. Pallets sold to EPC contractors are usually institutional; boxed panels sold to households through shops or online are retail.

BIS Standard Mark. BIS's illustration for modules shows the IS 14286 (Part 1/Sec x) and IEC 61215-1-x reference, IS/IEC 61730-1, IS/IEC 61730-2 and the R-number^[20]. The mark goes on the product, its package or both, legibly and indelibly^[38], with text no smaller than Arial size 6^[38] and www.bis.gov.in on the product or package^[39]. See CRS labelling.

Nameplate data. The lab reports Pmax and module area so BIS can check the efficiency floor^[20]. Keep the nameplate consistent with the test report.

Plastic EPR. Rule 11 asks for the registration number on plastic packaging, including importers' packaging^[40]; a QR code is allowed^[41].

Legal Metrology. Retail packs carry the importer's name and address, country of origin, net quantity, month and year of manufacture, MRP and consumer care details^[17].

Check the nameplate, the carton and the pallet against this list at the factory. Our label checker and the product label checklist cover the general rules; CRS labelling covers the Standard Mark in detail.

One crystalline module series, one brand, one factory, sold to private commercial buyers. Official fees only. The total is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

• Lab testing. IS 14286 and IS/IEC 61730 testing is long and sample-heavy; labs set their own prices.
• The 2026 BIS fee change. A consultant reports the processing fee is now Rs 25,000 a year paid in advance^[42]. BIS has not published a revised table we could open.
• MSME concession. Micro and small Indian manufacturers had a Scheme-II fee concession, cut to 20% for all MSMEs from 1 June 2026^[43]. It does not help foreign factories.
• ALMM charges. We did not research MNRE's enlistment fees.

See CRS cost and EPR registration cost.

About Rs 1,17,000 in official fees before GST and testing, if the three families need three test reports in one BIS application. This is our arithmetic. Module testing to IS 14286 and IS/IEC 61730 is the larger cost, and labs set their own prices; compare market quotes on BIS CRS registration costs or model your range in the compliance cost estimator and the BIS CRS fee calculator.

Allow two to four months for BIS, mostly for testing, then plan REEIMS days before each shipment. The official clocks below are the ones you can hold an authority to; lab time is not regulated. For more on timing, see how long BIS registration takes.

1. EPC contractor importing for a private factory rooftop. The modules need BIS registration^[23] and REEIMS registration before arrival^[4]. If the rooftop is under net metering, it needs ALMM List-I modules, and List-II cells too unless it is commissioned by 31 December 2026 under the reported relief^[33]. Check whether your project uses net metering before you import.

2. Trader importing small panels for retail sale. You still need the factory's BIS registration in your brand^[12], e-waste and plastic EPR registrations, and LMPC registration with full retail declarations^[18]. Folding panels with a built-in battery add battery EPR^[21].

3. Foreign module maker entering India. The factory applies for CRS through an Authorised Indian Representative who is an Indian resident^[44]. To sell into government and subsidy-linked projects, it also needs ALMM enlistment, which is tied to its BIS registration^[13]. Scheme projects with Domestic Content Requirements stay closed to imported modules^[32].

The factory holds BIS and ALMM, the importer holds REEIMS, EPR and LMPC, and the project developer answers for ALMM and domestic-content rules in its tender. Each party should ask for the others' certificates before money moves.

Most holds come from paperwork that does not match the goods.

BIS. The 2025 order says contraventions are punishable under the BIS Act, 2016, with BIS as the enforcing authority^[3]. 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^[47]. BIS can also order a stop to supply and a recall^[47].

E-waste. Environmental compensation can be levied on unregistered producers^[34], and violations other than target shortfalls cost Rs 20,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 for first, second and third defaults^[48].

Legal Metrology. A retail package 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^[49].

ALMM. There is no fine for selling a non-ALMM module to a private buyer. The risk is commercial: a non-ALMM module in a covered project can cost your buyer its subsidy or its net-metering approval.

Five dated changes affect module importers. Follow updates on our 2026 rules ledger.

• ALMM List-II (cells) from 1 June 2026 for List-I modules^[5], with a reported net-metering and open-access window to 31 December 2026^[33].
• BIS licences run five years since the 25 February 2026 amendment^[9].
• IS/IEC 61730:2023 replaces the 2016 editions; both run together until 15 February 2027^[2]. Plan partial retesting for existing models before then.
• BEE 2026 regulations keep PV modules on the voluntary schedule^[8].
• ALMM List-III (ingots and wafers) from 1 June 2028 for all ALMM projects^[6].

Ask the factory first for its IEC 61215 and 61730 reports and any existing Indian R-number. Then:

• Testing: BIS accepts reports from BIS-recognised and empanelled labs^[12]; see BIS CRS test labs and our BIS labs directory.
• Filing: a BIS consultant can run the CRS file and the AIR paperwork. Read how to choose a BIS consultant first.
• Sourcing: most imported modules come from China; see importing from China.
• A second opinion: send us the datasheet and buyer type for a free compliance check.