Importing UPS systems and home inverters into India: BIS CRS, EPR and labelling in 2026

UPS systems and inverters are a BIS CRS category, tested to IS 16242 (Part 1):2014 / IEC 62040-1:2008^[1]. BIS's category list says units rated up to 10 kVA are licensed under the category "UPS/Inverters"^[2]. The CRS product list shows two entries: one for units up to 5 kVA, in force since 1 March 2016^[10], and one for units up to 10 kVA, in force since 23 May 2018, which also lists IS 16242 (Part 1):2025 and IEC 62040-1:2017 with amendments^[10].

The importer then has e-waste EPR, because both UPS and inverters are named in Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules^[5], plus plastic EPR and Legal Metrology. Battery EPR and WPC approval depend on what is in the box, and BEE is voluntary with an open scope question. Each is explained below.

Inverters are usually classified under ITC(HS) 8504 40 10, "Static converters: Electric inverter"^[27]. UPS systems are usually classified under 8504 40 90, "Static converters: Other", because the DGFT lookup has no separate UPS line^[27]. We have not found an official classification ruling for either, so confirm the code with your customs broker before filing.

Borderline products:

• Solar inverters are different products. MNRE has separate CRS categories for power converters in photovoltaic systems^[10] and for utility-interconnected PV inverters^[10], with their own standards. Grid-connected solar inverters are also on BEE's mandatory list^[8], with a label fee of Rs 5 per kW^[8]. A hybrid unit marketed as both a home inverter and a solar inverter needs careful scoping with your lab.
• Units above 10 kVA. The CRS category names a rating of up to 10 kVA^[2]. For larger units, check the category scope with BIS before assuming you are outside it. Separately, MeitY has exempted Highly Specialized Equipment, such as three-phase units or very large or heavy equipment, made or imported in fewer than 100 units per model per year, on a specific MeitY exemption, from 15 June 2026^[28].
• Batteries supplied with the unit. A UPS with internal batteries brings battery-rule obligations; an inverter sold without batteries does not^[20]. A separate storage battery for solar use has its own MNRE CRS category^[10].

Inverters and UPS units both sit in subheading 8504 40, static converters, but on different lines; chargers and solar inverters are separate products with separate approvals. Test your product in the HS code approval finder and confirm the line with your broker.

All UPS units and inverters up to 10 kVA need CRS; batteries, radios, solar inputs and size change what else applies. "Likely" marks our reading, not an official ruling. Check your exact unit in the approval checker.

Start the CRS registration first, since it is held by the factory and depends on lab testing. Your own EPR and Legal Metrology registrations can run alongside. This order is our suggestion; it does not guarantee approval or timing.

Tools and help. Check your unit in the approval checker, and work through the first electronics import checklist. Verify the factory's BIS licence before paying. For CRS filing or the AIR role, see our BIS consultants guide; for EPR, the EPR registration checklist. For a free compliance check, contact us.

CRS is BIS's Scheme-II, based on the manufacturer's self-declaration backed by a lab report^[34]. Our BIS CRS guide explains the whole scheme; here is what matters for UPS and inverters.

Who applies. The manufacturer, for each factory. Importers and traders cannot hold the registration^[34]. A foreign factory nominates an AIR in Form IV^[12], who can be its Indian branch, the Indian brand owner, or another Indian entity where there is no Indian brand owner^[35].

The standard. BIS maps the category to IS 16242 (Part 1):2014 / IEC 62040-1:2008^[1], and the 10 kVA entry on the product list also lists the 2025 edition of IS 16242 (Part 1) and IEC 62040-1:2017 with amendments^[10]. Ask your lab which edition it will test to.

Process. The official steps are: log in, generate a test request, get the product tested at a BIS-recognised lab, verify the report, apply within 90 days of its issue, and submit documents^[11]. Samples must be sent to the lab within 60 days of the test request^[11]. The original notarised affidavit must reach BIS within 30 days of online submission^[36].

Fees. BIS's published table lists Rs 1,000 for the application and Rs 50,000 for processing including one test report, plus Rs 20,000 per extra report, all before GST^[3]. A consultant reports a 2026 change to Rs 25,000 a year paid in advance^[37]; BIS has not yet published the revised table in full. See CRS fees.

Time and validity. BIS aims to grant within 20 working days if everything is in order^[12]. Since 25 February 2026 a licence runs for five years and is renewed for five more, with annual advance fees, though a later corrigendum reads 'upto five years' for certain schemes^[4].

More models. New models are added by inclusion, at Rs 30,000 including one test report^[3], and BIS uses MeitY's series guidelines to group models for testing^[12].

Labs on BIS LIMS declared a median of about Rs 70,000 for IS 16242 (Part 1):2014 and about Rs 95,000 for the revised 2025 edition, excluding taxes^[38]. Small single-phase units cost less: one Haryana lab lists Rs 35,000 for units up to 5 kVA and Rs 55,000 for above 5 kVA to under 10 kVA on the 2014 edition^[38].

Which edition. The CRS product list now names IS 16242 (Part 1):2014, IS 16242 (Part 1):2025 and IEC 62040-1:2017 with amendments for the up-to-10 kVA category^[10]. On LIMS, 20 entries were for the 2025 edition and 31 still for 2014^[38]. We found no BIS date for withdrawing the 2014 edition; ask your lab whether it can test to 2025 now, so a later switch does not mean a second report.

Government labs. ERTL (East), an STQC lab in Kolkata, declared Rs 78,000 for the 2014 edition, ERDA in Gujarat Rs 95,000 for capacity up to 10 kVA and Vimta Labs in Hyderabad Rs 70,000^[38]. BIS's FAQ points to LIMS for the full list by IS number^[39]. See our BIS labs directory, the CRS test labs guide and how to read a BIS test report.

2026 brought five-year CRS licences, an exemption for low-volume heavy equipment and a revised IS 16242 edition on the CRS list; 2027 brings a higher e-waste target. The dated list below is what a UPS importer should track; see also new rules for 2026 and the electronics CRS order page.

Yes. Schedule I of the E-Waste Rules 2022 names UPS as code ITEW24 and inverters as ITEW25^[5][6]. Anyone who offers imported EEE for sale is a producer^[6] and must register on CPCB's portal before doing business^[6]. Micro enterprises under the MSMED Act are outside the e-waste rules^[6].

Fees. The registration fee depends on your annual recycling target, from Rs 2,500 below 50 tonnes up to Rs 15 lakh above 5,000 tonnes; producers whose sales have just started pay Rs 10,000^[19]. There is also an annual maintenance charge of Rs 5,000^[19]. Registration is valid for five years; apply to renew 120 days before expiry^[19].

Targets. Producers with a full sales history have a recycling target of 70% for 2026-27, by weight, measured against what they placed on the market one product-life earlier^[6]. Newer producers have a target of 20% of sales two years earlier^[6]. You meet targets only by buying EPR certificates from registered recyclers^[6].

Returns and RoHS. Quarterly and annual returns are due by the end of the month after the period^[6]. Imported EEE must meet the RoHS limits: 0.1% by weight for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB and PBDE, and 0.01% for cadmium^[6].

See our e-waste EPR guide.

It depends on the batteries. On our reading, a UPS with internal batteries brings obligations under the Battery Waste Management Rules; an inverter sold without batteries does not^[20]. The rules define a producer to include anyone who imports equipment containing batteries^[7], and CPCB says such importers must register before importing^[32].

Which category. The rules have four battery types: portable, automotive, EV and industrial, where industrial covers everything else including energy storage batteries^[31]. Targets differ by category and chemistry^[31]. For industrial batteries, the collection and recycling target is 70% from 2025-26 onwards^[31].

Lead-acid packs. Batteries containing lead must carry "Pb" under the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol^[30]. Environmental compensation for a lead-acid EPR shortfall is Rs 18 per kg of lead^[44].

Fees and returns. Registration costs Rs 10,000, 20,000 or 40,000 by turnover^[21]. Annual returns in Form 3 are due by 30 June^[31]. Read more on our battery EPR guide.

BEE: voluntary, and scope not confirmed. BEE's voluntary list includes "Solid State Inverter" (Schedule 17)^[17], with a label fee of Rs 5 per piece if a company opts in^[8]. UPS is not named in either BEE schedule, and we have not been able to confirm whether home inverters or online UPS units fall within the Solid State Inverter category. Ask BEE before you plan on the label. BEE's mandatory list does not include UPS or inverters^[45].

If you do label voluntarily, no BEE label may be fixed without BEE's prior written permission^[8]. Voluntary appliances are registered under BEE's Operational Manual^[8], each brand separately, with testing in BEE-recognised labs^[46]. Permission to label a model lasts three years^[8]. The BEE portal is reachable from Indian IP addresses only unless BEE whitelists yours^[46].

WPC: depends. Standard units have no radio. Units with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth monitoring, on our reading, need a WPC Equipment Type Approval^[13], granted on self-declaration for licence-exempt devices^[15] at Rs 10,000 per model^[14]. DoT is moving authorisations to a new portal under the Telecommunications Act 2023, so check the route before applying^[47].

MTCTE: on our reading, no. UPS and inverters are not in TEC's July 2024 list^[16].

Plastic EPR. Yes, where the goods come in plastic packaging^[22]. The application fee is Rs 10,000 below 1,000 tonnes a year, Rs 20,000 up to 10,000 tonnes and Rs 50,000 above^[24], plus 25% of it each year with the return^[24]. Returns are due by 30 June^[33]. See our plastic EPR guide.

Legal Metrology. Importers of commodities for sale register under rule 27^[9]. For units imported in retail packs, we understand this means importer registration and package declarations, though we have confirmed only the registration form, not the full rules text^[25]. The fee is Rs 500^[9]. Packs for industrial or institutional buyers are exempt from the retail-package provisions^[48], which can matter for larger UPS units sold only to businesses.

BIS. The Standard Mark with the R-number and the IS number^[49], legible and indelible on the product, the package or both^[49], at least Arial size 6^[49]. Add www.bis.gov.in^[50] and product details such as model, batch, date of manufacture and the maker's full address^[49].

Batteries (if fitted). The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol^[31], "Pb" for lead-acid^[30], and your battery EPR registration number, which for imports can go on the equipment or its packaging^[51].

Legal Metrology. On each retail pack: 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^[48]. The 2011 rule text bars stickers that change these, except a lower-MRP sticker that leaves the original visible^[9].

Plastic EPR. The name and registration number on plastic packaging, which rule 11 extends to importers despite a conflicting proviso for imported goods^[52], or a QR code since 1 July 2025^[53].

BEE (only if you opt in). A label showing the BEE logo, brand, model, rated capacity, star level and country of origin^[8], with a QR code^[8].

Tick each line for the unit, any battery and the carton. Check your text in the label checker, and see the product label checklist, CRS labelling rules and Legal Metrology label rules.

The factory holds CRS; whoever imports carries e-waste, battery and plastic EPR and LMPC; sellers are liable for unmarked units. Importing equipment containing batteries makes the importer a battery producer^[7], even if a distributor sells the unit. See foreign manufacturers, distributors and Amazon sellers.

This worked example assumes a factory with no CRS registration, one test report, and a new importer with turnover under Rs 5 crore and under 1,000 tonnes a year of plastic. It uses only official fees; totals are our arithmetic.

Our arithmetic: CRS Rs 1,000 + Rs 50,000 + Rs 1,000 = Rs 52,000 before GST. Importer, for a UPS with batteries: Rs 10,000 + Rs 5,000 + Rs 10,000 + Rs 10,000 + Rs 2,500 + Rs 500 = Rs 38,000. Total: Rs 90,000, plus GST on BIS fees. For an inverter sold without batteries, drop battery EPR: Rs 80,000. Add Rs 10,000 per model for a WPC ETA on connected units.

We have assumed the e-waste annual maintenance charge is paid in year one; check the portal. Lab testing, AIR fees, consultants and EPR certificates are not government fees (labs, firms or the market set them) and are not included. E-waste EPR certificates for ITEW items have a floor price of Rs 34 per kg under CPCB's August 2024 guidelines, which industry has reportedly challenged in court^[57], so budget for them once your targets start.

One UPS model with built-in batteries costs about Rs 1.85 lakh in year one, and three models about Rs 4.15 lakh, using official fees and the LIMS median for the 2025 edition. Assumptions: one brand, each model its own lead model, a new importer under Rs 5 crore turnover and 1,000 tonnes of plastic. Totals are our arithmetic. Smaller single-phase units often test for less than the median^[38], and models in one series share a report. Run your own numbers in the compliance cost estimator or the BIS CRS fee calculator; see also the cost of importing electronics.

After a valid IS 16242 report, BIS targets 20 working days; the EPR registrations run alongside and are shorter. Lab time is not published, so ask for a written date. See how long BIS registration takes.

1. First-time importer of home inverters, batteries bought locally. The factory needs a CRS registration covering your model and brand^[12]. You register for e-waste EPR under ITEW25^[6], plastic EPR and LMPC. Because the inverter ships without batteries, on our reading the battery rules do not make you a producer for this product^[20].

2. Marketplace seller of compact UPS units with built-in batteries. Check the Standard Mark and R-number: the BIS Act's ban covers sellers, not just importers^[54]. Whoever imports is a battery producer^[7] and an e-waste producer^[6]. If you import yourself, both registrations are yours. Platforms must display the package declarations on listings, as reported since a 2017 amendment^[55].

3. Foreign UPS brand entering India. The factory registers under CRS with an AIR who takes responsibility for compliance^[59]. If you ship large three-phase units in small numbers, check whether the Highly Specialized Equipment exemption applies^[28]. Your Indian importer handles e-waste, battery, plastic and LMPC registrations. If you want a BEE label, confirm scope with BEE first, since UPS is not named in BEE's schedules^[8].

• No CRS registration, or a model outside it. Covered goods may not be imported without the Standard Mark and registration number^[34].
• Batteries without battery EPR. CPCB asked Customs to verify registration certificates for equipment containing batteries^[60].
• Solar or hybrid units tested to the wrong standard. Solar PV converters and inverters have their own MNRE categories^[10].
• Stale test reports. A report older than 90 days when BIS receives the application cannot be used^[12].
• Missing plastic EPR proof. CPCB has asked Customs to check plastic EPR registration at clearance, according to its court affidavit^[61].
• Connected units without an ETA. Units with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth likely need a WPC ETA^[13].

MeitY's surveillance tests registered models bought from the market, and Customs checks BIS and battery EPR registration at the port.

Market surveillance. The listed maximum surveillance test charge for UPS/inverters up to 10 kVA is Rs 78,000, plus 25% for three-phase units^[62], or the lab's declared charge if lower^[62]. STPI buys samples from shops or e-commerce sites^[63]; unpaid fees after 15 working days send the case to BIS for deferment or cancellation^[56]. See CRS surveillance.

At the port. A CBIC instruction reportedly requires a BIS registration check for every consignment under the electronics CRS order^[64]. CPCB has asked Customs to verify battery EPR registration for equipment containing batteries^[60]. Keep the customs clearance documents ready, and read why shipments get held.

Search and seizure. BIS officers can search premises and seize goods involved in a section 17 breach^[65]. See selling without BIS.

BIS. Breaking section 17 of the BIS Act carries up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh (Rs 5 lakh for repeat offences), up to ten times the value of the goods, or both^[54]. We have not confirmed whether later amendments changed these amounts.

E-waste. For breaches other than an EPR shortfall, producers face environmental compensation of Rs 20,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000 for the first three defaults^[57]. For ITEW items, EC for an EPR shortfall is Rs 112 per kg^[57]. CPCB can revoke registration for up to three years for false information^[6].

Battery. Non-filing and labelling breaches draw Rs 20,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 80,000, rising 10% a year^[44].

Legal Metrology. A package without the required declarations gets an improvement notice, then a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh, then a fine of Rs 25 to 50 lakh^[66].