IS 16102 (Part 1) explained: the LED bulb safety standard and its 2026 revision

IS 16102 (Part 1) is the Indian safety standard for self-ballasted LED lamps for general lighting services: ordinary LED bulbs and similar lamps with the driver built into the cap. It is the standard BIS uses to register LED bulbs under the Compulsory Registration Scheme^[4].

The number is still current, but the edition is changing. IS 16102 (Part 1):2012 has been revised as IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 (First Revision), which supersedes it^[1]. BIS keeps the standard under committee ETD 23, Lamps and Related Equipments^[1]. Both editions can be used for registration until 2 February 2027^[2].

Part 1 deals with safety. Its companion, IS 16102 (Part 2), sets performance requirements; Part 2 was also revised in 2026 (Second Revision), superseding the 2017 edition^[5]. BEE's star labelling for LED lamps refers to both parts^[10].

This page gives facts about the standard and how Indian rules use it. It does not reproduce the standard's text; BIS sells the full standard.

IS 16102 (Part 1) is the LED bulb safety standard. Performance, energy labelling, fittings and drivers are covered elsewhere. This table shows which standard or scheme does which job.

Three documents matter today: the 2012 safety edition that most existing licences use, the 2026 safety edition that replaces it, and the 2026 performance standard. The 2012 edition was amended twice, and BIS issued implementation guidelines for both amendments^[11].

BIS's guidelines of 24 February 2026 set 2 August 2026 as the last date of concurrent running, after which the 2012 edition would stand withdrawn^[3]. A BIS circular of 31 July 2026 extended the last date of implementation to 2 February 2027^[2]. The CRS portal's product list shows both editions against LED lamps^[12].

Existing licensees must, by the last date^[3]:

• submit complete test reports from a BIS-recognised lab for every lead model previously tested to the 2012 edition;
• give an undertaking that series models also meet the 2026 edition;
• otherwise, the licence stops being operative, and BIS may cancel it or delete models.

New applicants can file under either edition until the last date, but those using the 2012 edition must declare that they will move to the 2026 edition. After the last date, no licence is granted on the 2012 edition^[3].

Changes in scope (adding models) follow the applicant rules; old-standard requests are accepted only until the licensee switches or the last date, whichever is earlier^[3].

BIS lists these changes in the 2026 edition^[3]:

Self-ballasted LED lamps for general lighting services are the CRS category, implemented on 13 September 2015 according to the CRS portal^[4]. In practice that means LED bulbs with a built-in driver and a standard cap. See LED bulbs.

Not covered by IS 16102:

• LED luminaires (complete fittings) use IS 10322 (Part 5) sections^[4]. See LED luminaires.
• Separate LED drivers use IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13)^[12]. See IS 15885.
• Independent LED modules use IS 16103 (Part 1)^[4].

Rechargeable LED bulbs are now expressly within the 2026 edition^[3]. Their importer is also a producer under the battery rules^[13].

LED lamps are ITC(HS) 85395200, LED light sources: LED lamps^[9]. Fittings and drivers have different codes and different standards. The HS code alone does not decide BIS coverage; see HS code.

Confirm the product is a self-ballasted lamp and not a luminaire, then test to the 2026 edition and line up the BEE label. These steps cover it.

BIS's cross-reference record shows that IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 refers to, among others, IS 10322 (Part 1):2026 (luminaires, general requirements), IS 15885 (Part 1):2011 (lamp controlgear, general) and IS 16102 (Part 2):2026^[1]. So the 2026 revision of the luminaire general standard feeds into the lamp standard too. See IS 10322 (Part 1).

Lab price lists on BIS's LIMS portal show what a 2026-edition test covers. Intertek India in New Delhi charges Rs 40,000 and prices lines for marking, cap interchangeability, bending moment at the lamp holder, accidental contact with live parts, insulation resistance and electric strength, torsion resistance, axial strength of Edison caps, cap temperature rise (Rs 5,000, the largest line), resistance to heat, flame and ignition, fault conditions, creepage, abnormal operation, dimmable lamps, ingress protection and accidentally broken lamps^[8]. Several of these lines match the changes BIS lists for the 2026 edition^[3]. The official process around the test is:

Testing an LED lamp to IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 costs Rs 17,000 to Rs 1,25,000 before tax across 25 labs on BIS LIMS, with a median of about Rs 51,000; 51 labs still list the 2012 edition at a median of about Rs 40,000^[8]. Only two labs listed the 2026 Part 2 performance standard.

Labs fix declared charges for three years unless the standard is revised^[18], so 2026-edition prices are new prices. Budget with the BIS CRS fee calculator and our CRS registration cost guide.

BIS does not publish a unit count for an IS 16102 (Part 1) CRS test; the lab sets it. BIS's rules decide which wattages are tested, through MeitY's Phase II series guidelines, which cover LED lamps^[15].

• Lab scope. Check the lab's declared limits: one Gurugram lab is restricted to B22d, E14 and E27 caps for the 2012 edition, a Ghaziabad lab lists up to 35 W for 2012 and up to 60 W for 2026, and BIS's own Bengaluru branch lab lists the 2012 edition for lamps up to 60 W and 250 V^[8].
• Migration. Existing licensees must re-test every lead model to the 2026 edition^[3].
• Brands. One report can serve several brands from the same factory, with each brand's label in it^[20].
• Samples into India. Goods imported only for testing are outside the CRS order^[21]; see importing samples for BIS testing.

Most problems in 2026 come from the edition switch and from labels. A lamp tested to the 2012 edition needs a second report before 2 February 2027^[2], and the 2026 edition adds photobiological safety marking and a marking for lamps not suitable for water contact^[3].

The usual report checks still catch applicants out. BIS's January 2025 advisory requires model numbers that match the test request, the marking label of every applied model in the report, and ratings that match the product description^[22]. For bulb ranges with many wattages, one missing label is enough for a query. BIS also flags brand certificates that do not match the label in the report^[23].

Fees are not refunded once BIS rejects a processed application^[24]. See CRS rejections, how to read a BIS test report and the CRS application checklist.

BIS CRS. LED lamps are under MeitY's 2021 CRS order^[25] (see the electronics CRS order), certified under Scheme-II of the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme^[26]. The manufacturer holds the licence for each factory^[27]. The Standard Mark carries the IS number and R-number^[28]. Fees: Rs 1,000 application, Rs 50,000 processing including one test report, and Rs 1,000 a year^[19].

BEE. Self-ballasted LED lamps are on BEE's mandatory list, with IS 16102 (Parts 1 and 2) as the reference standard^[10]. The label fee is Rs 10 per 100 lamps^[6]. BEE has also issued an advisory upgrading the LED lamp star rating table from 1 January 2027^[7]. So an LED bulb importer has two revisions landing within weeks of each other: the BIS safety edition by 2 February 2027 and the BEE star table from 1 January 2027.

HS code. LED lamps are ITC(HS) 85395200^[9].

If you import LED bulbs, the factory holds the BIS licence, but a lapsed or unmigrated licence stops your shipments. Work through this with your supplier:

1. Ask which edition each licensed model is on. The CRS portal lists both editions against LED lamps^[12].
2. Get a migration plan with dates. Existing licensees must submit full test reports for all lead models to the 2026 edition and an undertaking for series models by 2 February 2027^[3][2].
3. Update your artwork. The 2026 edition adds photobiological safety marking and a marking for lamps not suitable for water contact^[3]. Keep the Standard Mark with the IS number and R-number^[28].
4. Check new models are tested to 2026. New applications on the 2012 edition need a declaration to switch^[3], so you would pay for testing twice.
5. Line up the BEE change. The BEE star table for LED lamps changes from 1 January 2027^[7]; plan label reprints once, for both changes.
6. Watch rechargeable models. Lamps with non-removable batteries are now expressly covered^[3], and bring battery EPR^[13].

Licences not migrated by the last date stop being operative, and BIS may cancel them or delete models^[3]. Importing or selling LED lamps without a valid licence breaches section 17 of the BIS Act^[29].

1. A brand importing 9 W, 12 W and 15 W bulbs from one factory. Testing to the 2026 edition at the median of about Rs 51,000^[8], plus the published BIS fees of Rs 1,000, Rs 50,000 and Rs 1,000^[19], comes to about Rs 1,03,000 before GST for the first year, if one report covers the series. The BEE label adds Rs 10 per 100 lamps^[6]: Rs 1,000 for a 10,000-lamp shipment.

2. A rechargeable emergency bulb. The 2026 edition now expressly covers lamps with non-removable rechargeable batteries^[3], so the lamp is tested to it, and the importer becomes a battery producer^[13]. See battery EPR.

3. A Wi-Fi smart bulb. It needs IS 16102 registration and a BEE label like any LED lamp^[10], plus a WPC ETA for the radio^[30]. See WPC ETA and importing from China.

LED lamps have needed BIS registration since 2015, and two changes land within weeks of each other in early 2027. Track the wider list on the QCO tracker and new rules for 2026.

• Units per test. BIS publishes no sample count; ask the lab.
• Series size for lamps. We have the Phase II guidelines' scope but not a lamp-specific model cap we can cite.
• Part 2 capacity. Only two labs listed the 2026 Part 2 on 1 November 2026^[8]; whether BEE testing will be held up by this we cannot say.
• 2026 fee structure. Consultants report a Rs 25,000 yearly processing fee^[31]; we have not seen the official table.

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