IS 16046 explained: the BIS safety standard for lithium and nickel rechargeable cells and batteries

IS 16046 covers the safety of portable sealed secondary (rechargeable) cells and the batteries made from them. The lithium part is titled Secondary Cells and Batteries Containing Alkaline or Other Non-Acid Electrolytes - Safety Requirements for Portable Sealed Secondary Cells and for Batteries Made from Them for Use in Portable Applications, Part 2: Lithium Systems (Second Revision)^[2].

It is a safety standard. It deals with whether a cell or battery stays safe when charged, dropped, crushed, heated or short-circuited. It is not a capacity or performance standard.

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

The 2018 editions. The single-part IS 16046:2015, which matched IEC 62133:2012, is withdrawn. It was superseded by two parts^[1]:

• IS 16046 (Part 1):2018 for nickel systems, matching IEC 62133-1:2017.
• IS 16046 (Part 2):2018 for lithium systems, matching IEC 62133-2:2017.

BIS lists one amendment for each part, and both parts are identical to the IEC standards under dual numbering, under committee ETD 11^[2]. BIS's page does not give the year of the amendment. A test-lab listing reports it as A1:2020, but that is not on the BIS page, so check the amendment level your lab tests to^[2].

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 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023^[4]. IS 16046 is not one of the standards it replaced, so on our reading cell and battery registrations are not affected by that migration.

IS 16046 covers the cell or battery. The device it goes into, its capacity claim and its end of life are covered by other standards and rules. This table separates them.

From 2026, lithium cells and batteries registered under IS 16046 (Part 2) must also have their rated capacity verified under clause 7.3.1 of IS 16047 (Part 3). BIS issued the guidelines on 10 February 2026 on a MeitY order of 3 February 2026^[8].

• Existing licensees must submit reports for all lead models, plus an undertaking for the rest, by 30 April 2027, or by their licence validity date if that is later^[8].
• New applicants get no new licence without the capacity verification after 30 April 2027^[8].

For importers, the practical point is that the capacity printed on a cell or pack is now something BIS expects a lab to have checked. Ask your supplier for the capacity report along with the safety report, and keep both with your CRS documents. The change appears in our new rules for 2026 list.

BIS's Scheme-II list names the CRS category for IS 16046 as Sealed Secondary Cells/Batteries containing Alkaline or other non-acid Electrolytes for use in portable applications, at S. No. 20^[3]. BIS records the compulsory requirement as implemented on 1 June 2016^[2].

The CRS portal's own product list splits that one category into two rows, one per part. The numbering differs between the two BIS lists (S. No. 20 on the Scheme-II page; rows 30 and 31 in the portal list), but the scope is the same.

Decide whether you are importing a cell or battery, or a device that contains one, then match the chemistry to the right part. These six steps cover it.

Lithium-ion cells and packs are declared under 85076000^[16]. Devices that contain them ship under their own codes, and the HS code never decides BIS coverage on its own. See HS code.

The finished device has its own CRS category and its own standard. The cells and batteries inside are a separate category under IS 16046. Examples from the portal list:

• Power banks are listed against IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[13].
• Mobile phones are listed against IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[13].
• Wireless headphones and earphones are listed against IS 616:2017^[13].
• Smart watches are listed against IS 13252 (Part 1):2010^[13].

Our research does not include an official statement on whether every cell or battery pack inside a registered device needs its own IS 16046 registration, or who must hold it. Settle this with BIS or your lab for your exact product. See power banks, lithium-ion battery packs and Bluetooth earphones.

BIS publishes a test report format for IS 16046 (Part 2):2018. Its headings cover these tests^[18]:

• continuous charging at constant voltage
• case stress at high ambient temperature
• external short-circuit, for cells and for batteries
• free fall
• thermal abuse
• crush
• overcharging
• forced discharge
• vibration and mechanical shock
• forced internal short-circuit

The format also includes clauses on marking and on a caution about swallowing small cells^[18]. This is a list of headings only; the test conditions and pass criteria are in the standard itself.

Lab price lists on BIS's LIMS portal show where the work, and the money, goes. TUV India's Bengaluru lab charges Rs 4,80,000 for Part 2 and Rs 3,40,000 for Part 1; in its Part 2 breakup, the 'reasonably foreseeable misuse' tests under clause 7.3 account for Rs 3,30,000, intended-use tests Rs 30,000 and the charging procedure Rs 20,000^[7]. That lab is at the top of the range; the median is far lower (see the cost section below).

As with every CRS product, the test is done at a BIS-recognised lab^[19], the sample must be sent to the lab within 60 days of the portal test request^[20], and the report must be no more than 90 days old when BIS receives the application^[19].

IS 16046 is one of the more expensive CRS tests. On 1 November 2026, BIS LIMS listed 35 labs for each part, with Part 2 charges from Rs 37,500 to Rs 4,80,000 and Part 1 from Rs 40,000 to Rs 4,00,000 before tax; the median for each is about Rs 80,000^[7].

The spread is wide because the misuse tests dominate the price at some labs^[7]. Labs fix their declared charges for three years^[21]. Use the BIS CRS fee calculator for BIS fees and the CRS registration cost guide for the full budget.

BIS does not publish a fixed CRS sample quantity for IS 16046; the lab specifies it, so confirm the quantity before you ship. BIS fixes how far one report stretches: up to 20 models in one series for lithium cells and batteries^[14].

• Brands. Several brands from the same factory can share one report, with each brand's label in it^[23].
• Adding models later. New models are added by inclusion with a fresh report^[24]; the published inclusion fee is Rs 30,000 including one report^[22].
• Samples into India. Goods imported only for testing are outside the CRS order^[25]; see importing samples for BIS testing.
• Remnants. Labs keep sample remnants for at least 3 months from the report date^[21].

Three problems recur with battery registrations: the wrong part, the wrong factory, and labels that do not match the report.

• Wrong part. A lithium product tested to Part 1, or the reverse, does not support the registration^[1].
• Factory and brand trail. BIS's deficiency list includes factory names and addresses that differ between documents and brands that do not match the label in the report^[26].
• Report details. Model numbers must match the test request, and the report must contain the marking labels of every applied model with matching ratings^[27].
• Capacity. After 30 April 2027, a lithium application without the rated capacity verification will not get a licence^[8].

Fees are not refunded once BIS rejects a processed application^[28]. See CRS rejections and the CRS application checklist.

IS 16046 is applied through the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme, BIS's Scheme-II^[3], under MeitY's electronics CRS order. The manufacturer of the cell or battery applies, and the registration is per factory, not per importer^[29]. A foreign manufacturer must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative^[19]. A separate application is needed for each brand unless the brand owner is the same^[19].

In the published BIS fee table, the processing fee is Rs 50,000 including one test report, plus Rs 1,000 application fee and Rs 1,000 annual licence fee^[22]. Consultants report that the February 2026 amendment changed the processing fee to Rs 25,000 a year paid in advance; the official text has not been located^[30]. See CRS fees.

The marked product needs the Standard Mark with the R-number and the IS reference^[31].

BIS registration covers safety. A separate environmental rule, the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, applies to the same products^[12].

• You are a producer if you import. A producer includes anyone who imports batteries or equipment containing batteries^[11]. CPCB says such importers must register before importing^[32], and it has asked Customs to check registration at clearance^[33].
• EPR number on the battery. Producers had to mark batteries and packs with their EPR registration number by 31 March 2025^[11]. For imported batteries, marking it on the equipment or its packaging is enough^[34]. Since the 2025 amendment it can also be carried in a barcode or QR code, after informing CPCB^[35].
• Crossed-out bin symbol. Every battery or pack must carry the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol, sized by the rules^[12].
• Annual return. The FY 2025-26 annual return deadline has been extended to 30 November 2026^[5].

See battery EPR.

Most problems with IS 16046 products start with paperwork that does not match the goods. Before you place an order, check these points with the supplier and against the BIS records.

Goods covered by the CRS order may not be imported, sold or stored for sale without conforming to the Indian Standard and bearing the Standard Mark with a registration number^[29]. The penalty under section 29(3) of the BIS Act as enacted (later amendments not checked) is 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^[6].

1. A battery pack brand with 30 lithium models. At up to 20 models per series^[14], 30 models need two series and two reports. On the published BIS fee table that is Rs 1,000 application fee, Rs 50,000 processing fee with one report, Rs 20,000 for the second report and Rs 1,000 annual licence fee^[22], or Rs 72,000. Two lab tests at the median of about Rs 80,000^[7] add Rs 1,60,000, so roughly Rs 2,32,000 before GST and before the capacity test.

2. A power bank importer. The power bank is registered as a device under IS/IEC 62368-1 or IS 13252 (Part 1)^[9]. Whether its cells also need a separate IS 16046 registration is something to settle with BIS or the lab, as we have no official statement on it. The importer is a battery producer under the EPR rules^[38], must register before importing^[32] and files annual returns; see battery EPR targets and EPR annual returns.

IS 16046 has been compulsory since 2016, and 2026 added a capacity check. Wider changes are on the QCO tracker.

• Cells inside registered devices. We have no official statement on whether every cell inside a registered device needs its own IS 16046 registration.
• Amendment year. BIS lists one amendment for each part but not its year^[2].
• Sample quantities. BIS publishes no CRS sample count; ask the lab.
• 2026 fee structure. Consultants report a Rs 25,000 yearly processing fee^[30]; we have not seen the official table.

For product-specific advice, ask for a free compliance check or compare BIS consultants. All the standards we track are on the IS codes hub.