IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13) explained: the BIS safety standard for LED drivers and LED controlgear

IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13):2012 is titled Safety of lamp controlgear: Part 2 particular requirements: Sec 13 d.c. or a.c. supplied electronic controlgear for LED modules^[1]. In everyday trade language, that is an LED driver: the electronic unit that takes mains or DC power and supplies an LED module.

IS 15885 is a family of standards. Part 1 sets the general requirements for lamp controlgear, and Part 2 has sections with particular requirements for each type. Section 13 is the one for LED controlgear. It refers to IS 15885 (Part 1):2011, Safety of lamp controlgear: Part 1 general requirements^[1].

It is a safety standard, not a performance standard. BIS lists a separate performance standard, IS 16104:2012, that refers to IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13)^[1].

This page states facts about the standard and how Indian rules use it. It does not copy any of the standard's text.

The edition in use is the 2012 one. BIS lists it as modified or technically equivalent to its international counterpart, with one amendment, under committee ETD 23^[1]. BIS's page does not show the year of that amendment, so ask your lab which amendment level it tests to.

Not part of the IS/IEC 62368-1 switch. MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) of 29 October 2025 replaced IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 in the CRS order's schedule with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023^[3]. IS 15885 was not one of the standards it replaced.

Other lighting standards are changing. BIS circulars of 31 July 2026 set 2 February 2027 as the last date for the revised IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 for self-ballasted LED lamps^[6][7], and extended concurrent running of the old and revised 2026 IS 10322 Part 5 standards for seven LED luminaire categories to the same date^[8][7]. Our research does not show a similar revision for IS 15885.

IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13) covers the LED driver on its own. The lamp, the luminaire, the module and look-alike power supplies each have their own standard, and testing to the wrong one wastes the lab fee.

BIS's Scheme-II list names the category as DC or AC Supplied Electronic Control gear for LED Modules, at S. No. 19^[2]. The CRS portal's product list shows the same category against IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13):2012, implemented from 1 December 2015^[7].

Other LED products have their own standards and categories. A complete lamp or luminaire is registered under its own standard, not under IS 15885:

Power supplies that look alike can sit in different CRS categories with different standards. On the CRS portal list:

• Electronic controlgear for LED modules uses IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13):2012^[7].
• Standalone switch mode power supplies (SMPS) with output voltage 48 V (max) use IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[7].
• Power adaptors for IT equipment use IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[7].
• Power adaptors for audio, video and similar apparatus are listed against IS 616^[7].

S.O. 4997(E) replaces IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, and the old standards may run concurrently only until 1 November 2028^[12].

Which one your product falls under depends on how it is designed and sold. If it is not clear, ask BIS or a recognised lab before testing, because a test against the wrong standard will not support the registration. See IS 13252 (Part 1), IS 616 and the LED drivers import guide.

First confirm the product is controlgear for LED modules and not an SMPS or adaptor, then group the range and pick a lab. These steps cover it.

LED drivers are commonly declared under 85044090, static converters, other^[17]. The HS code does not decide BIS coverage: the CRS category does. Confirm codes with your customs broker; see HS code.

The driver is tested at a lab BIS recognises for the product, and the lab's report supports the registration^[19]. Lab price lists on BIS's LIMS portal show what a full test covers. Intertek India in New Delhi, at the top of the price range, charges Rs 1,85,000 and prices lines for protection against accidental contact with live parts, terminals, earthing, moisture resistance, electric strength, fault conditions (Rs 35,000), transformer heating (Rs 30,000), creepage and clearances, screws and connections, resistance to heat, fire and tracking (Rs 25,000) and resistance to corrosion (Rs 25,000)^[4]. The fault-condition and heating tests are where most of the cost sits. The steps around the test are:

LED driver testing to IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13) costs Rs 20,000 to Rs 1,85,000 before tax across 52 labs on BIS LIMS, with a median of about Rs 45,000^[4]. BIS fees are extra.

Labs fix declared charges for three years unless the standard changes^[22], and LIMS also shows each lab's excluded tests and recognition validity^[23]. Use the BIS CRS fee calculator and our CRS registration cost guide to build the full budget.

For LED control gear, BIS's Phase II series guidelines require three samples covering the highest, interim and lowest ratings in the range^[5]. The same rule applies to fancy LED lights and chandeliers. BIS does not publish how many units of each the lab needs, so ask the lab.

• Phase II scope. LED control gear is one of the items 16 to 30 covered by the Phase II guidelines, Revision 6 of 28 February 2019^[5].
• Brands. Several brands from one factory can share one report if each brand's label is in it^[25].
• Samples unmarked. Samples must not carry the Standard Mark^[26].
• Getting samples in. The CRS order does not apply to goods imported for testing^[27]; see importing samples for BIS testing.

Driver applications fail most often on category and label mismatches. A driver tested as an SMPS, or the reverse, does not support the registration, so settle the category first.

BIS's January 2025 advisory says label ratings must match the product description, the report must contain marking labels for every applied model, model numbers must match the test request, and the report must follow MeitY's series guidelines^[14]. For driver ranges with many wattage and current variants, a missing label for one variant is a common reason for a query. BIS's older deficiency list adds factory addresses that differ between documents and brand certificates that do not match the label^[28].

Fees are not refunded once BIS rejects a processed application^[29]. See CRS rejections and how to read a BIS test report.

IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13) is applied through the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme, BIS's Scheme-II^[2]. BIS records LED controlgear as notified and implemented on 1 December 2015^[1]. The current legal basis for MeitY's CRS products is the 2021 order, S.O. 1248(E)^[30], explained on our electronics CRS order page.

The registration is granted to the manufacturer, per factory^[31]. A foreign manufacturer must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative^[19].

The product or its package, or both, must carry the Standard Mark in an easily visible, legible and indelible way^[32], with the R-number and the IS reference^[32]. The BIS website address must also be marked^[33]. See CRS labelling.

In the published BIS fee table, CRS costs Rs 1,000 application fee, Rs 1,000 annual licence fee and a Rs 50,000 processing fee that includes one test report^[24]. GST is extra^[24]. Consultants report that the 2026 amendment restructures the processing fee to Rs 25,000 a year, paid in advance; we have not confirmed this from the gazette^[34]. See CRS fees.

Validity. Under the BIS Conformity Assessment Amendment Regulations of 25 February 2026, a CRS licence is granted for five years at first and renewed for five years more, with fees paid annually in advance^[35]. A 28 April 2026 corrigendum indicates some schemes read 'upto five years', and we have not seen the exact Scheme-II wording. The amendment was notified as F. No. BS/XI/11/01/2025-26, with a corrigendum on 28 April 2026^[36]. Before that change, a CRS licence was granted for two years at first^[37].

Missed annual fee. Under the 2026 rules, if the annual fee and production details are not received by the due date, BIS's suspension and cancellation provisions apply^[38]. Consultants report that the licence is suspended for 90 days and that paying within that window with a Rs 5,000 late fee revokes the suspension; we have not seen the official text^[34].

After validity. Once a licence's validity date passes without renewal, the holder may not mark or dispatch products with the Standard Mark, including stock in hand^[39].

Adding drivers to the licence. LED driver ranges often have many wattage and current variants. New models are added by inclusion: a new test request, a lab report and an online application on Form VIII A^[40]. The published inclusion fee is Rs 30,000 including one test report, plus Rs 20,000 for each additional report^[24]. Series models may be covered by supplementary reports under MeitY's series guidelines^[19].

Changes. Changes such as a new name, address or Authorised Indian Representative cost Rs 5,000 each^[24].

Goods covered by the CRS order may not be imported, sold or stored for sale unless they conform to the Indian Standard and carry the Standard Mark with a registration number^[31]. On the BIS Act as published (we have not checked for later amendments to section 29), breaking section 17 can mean imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for a first offence and at least Rs 5 lakh after that, extendable to ten times the value of the goods, or both^[41].

1. A 12 W to 150 W driver range from one factory. Three samples are tested: the highest, an interim and the lowest rating^[5]. With one test report at the median lab charge of about Rs 45,000^[4] and the published BIS fees of Rs 1,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,000^[24], the first year is about Rs 97,000 before GST. Each further report adds Rs 20,000 in BIS fees^[24].

2. An Indian luminaire maker buying drivers from abroad. Where a component is itself under a CRO, BIS accepts its Standard Mark as proof of conformity in the luminaire's report^[42]. Buying drivers that already carry an IS 15885 registration keeps the luminaire file simple. See LED luminaires and importing from China.

3. A Bluetooth-dimmable driver. It still needs IS 15885 registration^[9], and usually a WPC ETA for the radio^[16]. Packaging brings plastic EPR for the importer^[13]; see plastic EPR.

IS 15885 itself has been stable since 2015, but the lighting standards around it changed in 2026. Track them on the QCO tracker and new rules for 2026.

• Amendment year. BIS lists one amendment but not its year^[1].
• A 2026 revision. We found no revision of Section 13 like those for lamps and luminaires; check the IS codes hub for updates.
• Units per sample. BIS sets three ratings to test but not the number of units; ask the lab.
• 2026 fee structure. Consultants report a Rs 25,000 yearly processing fee^[34]; we have not seen the official table.

For a product-specific answer, ask for a free compliance check or compare BIS consultants.