Importing televisions into India in 2026: DGFT import licence, BIS CRS, BEE star label and EPR

Televisions are the only product on this list where the import itself needs a licence. In order:

1. DGFT import authorisation. DGFT Notification 22/2015-2020 of 30 July 2020 moved colour TV sets under 85287211 to 85287219 from "Free" to "Restricted"^[1]. The WTO's import licensing database still lists it as in force^[10].
2. BIS CRS registration for each model, held by the factory. LED, LCD and plasma TVs of all sizes are CRS categories under IS 616:2017, optionally with IS 18112^[2].
3. BEE star label. Colour TVs and UHD TVs are mandatory^[5], at Rs 10 and Rs 30 per set^[5].
4. E-waste EPR under CEEW1^[8].
5. Plastic EPR^[11] and LMPC registration^[12].

Smart TVs with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth also need a WPC ETA^[13]. A remote with batteries brings battery EPR obligations for the importer^[14].

The DGFT notification itself lists the colour TV lines by screen size^[1]. All nine are Restricted^[1].

Every colour TV needs the same set of approvals, but screen size picks the CRS entry and the test charge, resolution picks the BEE fee, and Wi-Fi adds a WPC ETA. The CRS list splits LCD/LED TVs at 32 inches^[2], and other TV types are a third entry^[2]. BEE charges Rs 10 for a colour TV and Rs 30 for a UHD TV^[5].

Two borderline products are worth separating early. A monitor without a TV tuner is not a TV for e-waste purposes: monitors are CEEW6^[8], TVs CEEW1^[8], and monitors have their own page at importing monitors. A tuner box without a screen is a set-top box, not a TV. Screen size on the box may be given in inches next to centimetres under a reported May 2026 advisory, as long as the SI unit is prominent and prevails^[22].

Test charges also scale with size. BIS's surveillance annexure caps TV test charges at Rs 78,000 up to 42 inches and Rs 1,10,500 above 42 inches for TVs of 32 inches and above^[23], and some labs limit their IS 616 scope by screen size^[24], so confirm your lab can test your largest panel.

Yes. Since 30 July 2020 the import policy for colour TV sets under 85287211 to 85287219 has been "Restricted"^[1]. A Restricted item can be imported only against an authorisation from DGFT. Three points from the notification:

• The actual user condition does not apply, so a trader (not only a manufacturer) can apply for an authorisation^[1].
• DGFT said it would issue the licensing procedure separately^[1]. Apply through the DGFT portal; you need an IEC first.
• The WTO import licensing database lists the measure as in force^[10]. We found no withdrawal notice, but check the current ITC(HS) Schedule I before you order.

The notification lists only the nine 852872 lines above^[1]; on our reading, panels and parts declared under other headings are not covered by it. Monitors without a TV tuner are also different: they are e-waste code CEEW6 rather than CEEW1^[8].

Plan on about three months for a clean first registration, longer if the lab queue is full or a document is rejected. The BIS step decides the date; everything else runs alongside it. Book shipments only after the licence is live, because goods that reach port before it cannot be cleared.

TVs are under the Compulsory Registration Scheme, not the ISI mark. The CRS list has three TV entries: plasma/LCD/LED TVs of 32 inches and above (since 3 July 2013)^[2], those up to 32 inches (since 23 May 2018)^[2], and other televisions (since 1 April 2021)^[2].

Which standard. IS 616:2017 is the audio-video safety standard, identical to IEC 60065:2014^[29]. MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) replaced it with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 in the CRS schedule, with both allowed until 1 November 2028^[3]. New test reports to IS/IEC 62368-1 avoid a second migration later.

IS 18112 (satellite reception). TV sets also have a CRS entry for IS 18112, the digital satellite receiver requirement^[2]. MeitY deferred it to 26 January 2027^[4][30]. Plan test reports that cover IS 18112 for TVs you will still sell after that date.

Who applies. CRS is held by the manufacturer for each factory, not by the importer^[31]. Each brand needs its own application unless the brand owner is the same^[16]. Extra models in the same series can be added by inclusion^[32] at Rs 30,000 per application^[9].

Validity. After the 25 February 2026 amendment, CRS licences are granted for up to five years, renewable for up to five more, with fees paid annually in advance^[17]. A missed yearly payment suspends the licence for 90 days; paying with a Rs 5,000 late fee lifts it^[9].

BIS's own CRS fees for one TV registration are Rs 27,000 plus GST in year one, then Rs 26,000 a year: Rs 1,000 to apply, Rs 25,000 processing every year paid in advance, and Rs 1,000 a year licence fee^[9][15]. Lab testing is paid separately to the lab.

On 1 November 2026, BIS's lab system listed 62 labs recognised for IS 616, with declared charges from Rs 20,000 to Rs 1,80,000 and a median of about Rs 60,000 before tax^[24]. Adding models later costs Rs 30,000 per inclusion application^[9], and Rs 20,000 for each additional test report^[9]. TVs up to 32 inches are among the categories in BIS's Phase III series guidelines, which test one sample per ten models^[33]; read CRS series guidelines before you group models.

After grant, surveillance samples are charged to you: the MRP of the samples, logistics and the lab's test charge or the government rate, whichever is lower^[34]. Work through your own numbers with the CRS fee calculator and the CRS fees page.

Test new TV models to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, because IS 616 can be used for CRS only until 1 November 2028^[3]. BIS's March 2026 guidelines list plasma/LCD/LED televisions, with IS 18112, among the 38 categories that must move^[35].

Existing licensees migrate through the "Standard Revision/Amendment/Essential Requirement" option in their CRS login, with complete test reports for lead models and an undertaking for series models. For TVs, if the migration affects IS 18112 compliance, fresh IS 18112 reports are needed too^[35]. IS 18112 itself takes effect for TVs on 26 January 2027^[4], so a TV tested in 2026 should ideally cover IS/IEC 62368-1 and IS 18112 at the same time, saving a second lab visit. See IS 616 and IS/IEC 62368-1 for what each standard covers.

Colour televisions and Ultra-HD televisions are both on Schedule A (mandatory)^[5], with label fees of Rs 10 and Rs 30 per set^[5].

Colour TVs. The colour TV programme was notified in 2016 (S.O. 1897(E) and S.O. 1896(E)) and last amended by S.O. 2784(E) of 15 July 2024, with IEC 62087-3, IEC 62301 and IS 616 as reference standards^[36]. Table 2.4 applies from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2027. For TVs up to 1920x1080, the 5-star limit is AEC <= (0.011 x A) + 2.63, where AEC is annual energy consumption and A is screen area^[6]. BEE describes this as a one-star upgrade; old labels expired on 31 December 2024^[37].

UHD (4K) TVs. UHD TVs have their own notification from March 2023^[38]. S.O. 2785(E) extended the UHD table to 2027, so the label validity runs from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2027^[7].

Fees. Company Rs 5,000^[5]; deposit Rs 3 lakh (Rs 50,000 for small-scale industry)^[5]; Rs 5,000 per model^[5]. The 2024 TV advisory quoted Rs 2,000 for a fresh model, but that predates the 2026 Regulations^[37].

Label. On the front of the TV, with QR code, and visible at online and offline points of sale^[39][5].

E-waste. Television sets, including LCD and LED, are Schedule I code CEEW1^[8]. Importers selling them are producers^[40] and must register before trading^[8]. Environmental compensation for CEEW shortfalls is Rs 74 per kg^[41].

Battery EPR. If remotes ship with batteries, the importer of equipment containing batteries is a battery producer and must register with CPCB before importing^[14].

Plastic EPR. TV cartons contain foam and film, so the importer is an obligated entity^[11].

LMPC. Register as an importer for Rs 500^[12] and print the mandatory declarations^[42]. Screen size is a declaration that trips people up. A Consumer Affairs advisory of May 2026 reportedly allows inches alongside the SI unit if the centimetre figure is prominent, for example "139 cm (55 inches)"^[22].

Smart TVs with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are wireless devices in de-licensed bands and need an ETA^[13]. It is granted on self-declaration through Saral Sanchar^[21] for Rs 10,000 per model^[13], with an RF test report^[13]. For licence-free RF devices, the Saral Sanchar undertaking is enough at import; no separate WPC import licence is needed^[43]. That does not replace the DGFT authorisation for the TV itself. The ETA only covers RF rules, and the holder remains responsible for any DGFT clearance^[21].

• CRS Standard Mark with the R-number and IS reference^[27], on the product and/or package^[27]. TVs with a display may also show it electronically, but a physical label is still needed on the packaging^[44].
• BEE label on the front of the set^[39].
• LMPC declarations on the box^[42].

Check the unit and the carton against this list before the factory prints them, because relabelling at an Indian port or warehouse costs more than reprinting at source. The detail behind each line is on LMPC label rules, the product label checklist and BEE star label. Paste your draft into the label checker for a quick first pass.

Example: one 55-inch UHD smart TV model from a foreign factory, 2,000 sets in year one. Government fees only, excluding lab testing and GST.

One 43-inch UHD smart TV model costs about Rs 1.3 lakh in government fees and three models about Rs 3.3 lakh in year one, before lab testing, GST and the DGFT authorisation. The example assumes a foreign factory, three UHD smart TVs of 43, 55 and 65 inches in the same CRS entry, the second and third added in one inclusion application with two test reports, and 2,000 sets of each.

Lab testing is the biggest unknown. At the median declared IS 616 charge of about Rs 60,000 per report^[24], three reports add roughly Rs 1.8 lakh. The BEE label fee grows with every set sold, Rs 30 per UHD set^[5]. Compare the BEE fees page, and model other mixes in the compliance cost estimator.

1. A first-time importer orders 200 TVs. Without a DGFT authorisation the consignment is a Restricted import^[1]. Even with one, the model must already be CRS-registered^[31], so plan on the BIS timeline before you pay a deposit.

2. A marketplace seller lists imported smart TVs. BEE checks e-commerce listings^[5], the label must show online^[5], and the seller-importer is the e-waste producer^[40].

3. A foreign brand moves TV assembly to India. On our reading, domestic assembly avoids the DGFT licence for finished sets, because the restriction is on importing complete colour TVs^[1]. The Indian factory registers under CRS, and the brand handles BEE and EPR. Test to IS/IEC 62368-1 now, because IS 616 drops out after 1 November 2028^[3].

Each approval sits with a different party, and the importer of record carries more than most people expect. TVs add a fourth regulator, DGFT, because colour TVs are a Restricted import, and the import authorisation sits with the importer, not the factory. Use the table to split the work before the first order, and write it into your supply contract. If one company plays several roles, it carries every row it plays. For the documents each party signs, see BIS ISI documents and the customs clearance checklist.

TV files fail most often on the DGFT step, on stale test reports and on the R-number printed on the box. The table pairs each failure with the rule and the fix. For port-side delays in general, see why shipments get held at Indian ports.

TV rules change through four regulators. Key dates, newest first:

BIS: up to two years' imprisonment or fines from Rs 2 lakh, up to ten times the goods' value^[50]. BEE: deposit forfeiture and one-year suspension^[5], plus Energy Conservation Act penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per appliance^[53]. Importing a Restricted item without authorisation is a Foreign Trade Policy breach that your customs broker will flag before filing. LMPC breaches start with an improvement notice^[51].

Enforcement now runs through warehouse searches, online test purchases and public lists of failed licences, not only port checks. For TVs, CRS surveillance is the extra route: MeitY runs surveillance of registered manufacturers, STPI collects samples and BIS handles search and seizure. We found no published case that names televisions specifically other than those in the table; most reported actions are about appliances in general. For what a search or seizure means for a seller, read what happens if you sell without BIS, and use how to verify a BIS licence before you buy stock from a distributor.

Start with the free tools, then bring in a consultant or lab only for the steps you cannot run yourself.

• Approval checker: confirms which of BIS, BEE, EPR, LMPC and WPC apply to your exact television.
• Compliance cost estimator: rebuilds the worked example above with your model count and volumes.
• QCO deadline checker: shows the date that applies to your enterprise size.
• Label checker: checks the carton text against LMPC and BIS marking rules.
• Licence renewal date tool: works out when to renew each licence.
• BIS consultants and BIS-recognised labs: directories by city.
• Importing from China: factory-side issues for the most common source country.
• BIS CRS fee calculator, CRS test labs, CRS series guidelines, CRS documents, CRS labelling, CRS renewal and CRS surveillance: the CRS detail pages a TV brand uses most.
• Electronics CRS order, IS 616 and IS/IEC 62368-1: the order and standards behind TV registration.

If you want a second opinion on your file, ask for a free compliance check. We do not promise approval or speed; we tell you what is missing.