Electrical accessories, wires and cables QCOs: which switches, plugs, sockets, breakers and cables need the ISI mark in 2026

There is no single "electrical accessories QCO" for everything. Four orders share the ground, plus a solar cable order, and the product you import decides which one bites:

• The 2003 order. The Electrical Wires, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (QC) Order, 2003 is the oldest. It covers switches (IS 3854), MCBs (IS 8828, since revised as IS/IEC 60898), RCCBs (IS 12640 Parts 1 and 2), PVC insulated cables (IS 694), elastomer cables (IS 9968 Part 1), some lamps, meters and several appliances^[4].
• The plugs and sockets order. Plugs and socket-outlets must conform to IS 1293 and carry the ISI mark from 1 June 2022 under the 2021 order^[5].
• The Cables QCO 2020. Heavy-duty PVC, XLPE, aerial bunched, welding, mining and HFFR cables, from 1 August 2020^[6].
• The Electrical Accessories QCO 2023. Boxes and enclosures, cable trunking, bayonet lamp holders, switch-socket-outlets, live-working gloves, insulating mats and cable wrap^[2].
• Solar DC and fire survival cables. A separate 2023 order^[4].

All of them use BIS Scheme-I: the factory holds a licence and each product carries the ISI mark^[1].

Some products sit outside these orders, or only partly inside:

• Extension boards and cord extension sets. The Electrical Accessories QCO 2023 does not list them^[2]. Their plug and socket parts still fall under IS 1293, whose licence scope covers portable and multiple socket-outlets^[8]. See extension boards.
• PVC insulating tape. IS 7809 (Part 3/Sec 1) tape was in the original 2023 order, but S.O. 187(E) of 13 January 2026 removed it^[3].
• Industrial switchgear and controlgear. These were headed for the machinery omnibus regulation, which listed switchgear and controlgear up to and above 1,000 V^[9]. That order was rescinded on 16 January 2026^[10], so it does not apply. See machinery safety.
• Smart plugs. Not a CRS product; our product research suggests their plug and socket parts are likely to fall under IS 1293^[11]. See smart plugs.

The electrical accessory orders define coverage by product and Indian Standard, not by HS code. For extension boards, Comploa's product research lists ITC(HS) 85366910 (plugs and sockets of plastic) as a likely code^[12]. For the other accessories we have not sourced an official HS mapping, so we do not list codes.

The rule of thumb is the same as for other QCOs: if the product is made to, or functions as, a listed standard's product, expect the order to apply whatever code you declare.

The 2023 order staggered its start date. It came into force six months after publication, nine months for small enterprises and twelve months for micro enterprises, and eighteen months for the cable wrap item^[1]. Those dates have all passed.

For importers, the more relevant relief is from February 2026. DPIIT S.O. 775(E) exempts goods shipped before a QCO's implementation date, where the Bill of Entry is filed within 180 days of implementation, for 26 already-implemented QCOs including electrical accessories; documents go to BIS within 7 days of clearance^[7]. S.O. 776(E) gives the same relief where the purchase order predates implementation^[13]. Both help only with goods ordered or shipped before the order started, so they are now of limited use for this order.

Goods made in India for export are outside the 2023 order^[1].

Yes. As of 1 November 2026 none of these orders has been rescinded. The only 2026 change to the 2023 order was the removal of insulating tape^[3], and BIS's list still shows the 2003 order, the cables order and the solar cable order^[4].

The late-2025 rescission wave hit chemicals, polymers and metals, not electrical safety products^[14]. For a running list, see the QCO tracker.

No. For a foreign factory under FMCS, BIS accepts only test reports against the relevant Indian Standard, not IEC or other standards^[20]. Samples drawn by BIS during the factory visit are tested only in BIS or BIS-recognised laboratories; the applicant ships the samples to the laboratory in India and pays the actual testing charges^[20].

That matters because many of these Indian Standards are close to, but not the same as, their IEC equivalents. A CB report for an IEC 60884 socket is useful engineering evidence, but it does not replace an IS 1293 test.

To give a sense of scale: the BIS product manual for IS 1293 asks for 10 socket-outlets and 15 plugs as the sample^[16], and its test list runs from marking and dimensions through temperature rise, breaking capacity, mechanical strength, glow-wire and tracking^[16]. Plan the sample shipment and lab slot before you promise a launch date to buyers.

Since December 2025 a licensed factory no longer has to keep a full in-house laboratory; it may use shared, cluster or sub-contracted testing at BIS-recognised or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs^[21].

BIS's product manual for IS 1293:2019 covers plugs and socket-outlets up to 250 V and 16 A^[16], and sets out the factory controls, tests and marking a licensee must keep up. It is the closest thing to an audit checklist.

• Routine tests. Every plug and socket gets a marking check and a flash (electric strength) test. A day's production of one type and rating is a control unit; temperature rise and withdrawal force are tested weekly and making and breaking capacity yearly per type and rating^[16].
• Licence scope. The scope can list socket-outlet types Fixed, Portable, Multiple, Combined and for Appliances^[8], which is how multi-socket extension boards get covered.
• Outsourced mouldings. The manual has an annex on outsourcing moulded bodies, and many tests may be sub-contracted to BIS-recognised or empanelled government labs^[16].
• Traceability. Each product or its packaging must carry an identification mark, in code or otherwise, on top of the IS 1293 marking^[16].

One oddity: BIS's Scheme-I list still labels the plugs entry as IS 1293:2005^[4], while the manual applies to IS 1293:2019^[16]. Test to the edition the manual names. Our IS 1293 page has the details.

For a foreign factory the fees mirror Indian Scheme-I fees: Rs 1,000 application fee and Rs 7,000 per man-day for visits^[22], plus per-diem, travel, visa and insurance for BIS officers and a Rs 10,000 contingency payment^[22]. After grant: an annual licence fee of Rs 1,000, the product's minimum marking fee and a USD 10,000 Performance Bank Guarantee^[22][18]. Each new variety added later costs Rs 5,000, or per group where grouping rules exist^[22]. Details are on FMCS fees.

A brand importing modular switches and sockets. Switches need IS 3854^[4] and sockets need IS 1293^[5]. That is two licences at the factory, possibly three if the range includes switch-socket-outlets under IS 15787^[2].

A trader importing MCB and RCCB distribution boards. The MCBs and RCCBs inside each need the ISI mark under the 2003 order^[4]. The plastic enclosure may fall under IS 14772 if it is a box for household fixed installations^[2].

A solar EPC importing PV cable. Solar DC cable needs IS 17293 under its own 2023 order^[4]. The general Cables QCO does not cover it.

An electrician-supplies importer buying PVC tape. Insulating tape was removed from the order on 13 January 2026^[3], so new shipments no longer need the ISI mark under this QCO.

For whole products built around these parts, see the guides to extension boards, smart plugs and solar inverters, and the electrical appliances QCO for finished appliances.

• Licence covers the wrong variety. A licence for 6 A sockets may not cover 16 A sockets. The IS 1293 grouping rules require testing of each current rating^[16].
• Mixed consignments. A container with switches, sockets and cables involves three standards. One missing licence holds the whole Bill of Entry.
• Licence from a sister factory. Licences are factory-specific^[15].
• Old marking on new stock. Goods must carry the mark under a licence that was valid when they were made.

For general port problems, see why shipments get held.

Each standard has its own annual minimum marking fee, from Rs 56,000 (switch-socket-outlets) to Rs 3,59,000 (solar PV cable) for a large factory, plus a unit rate per 100 pieces or 100 metres^[25].

Small units pay half and micro units one fifth of the large-scale figure^[25], and from 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029 BIS adds concessions of 80% for micro, 50% for small and 80% for start-ups^[26]. These turn on Indian MSME status, so most foreign factories pay the large or medium rate.

A foreign factory making modular switches and sockets needs two licences, IS 3854 and IS 1293, and pays about Rs 1.75 lakh in fixed BIS charges in year one before testing, travel and per-diem. Here is the build-up for a large factory.

• Two applications: Rs 1,000 each^[22], because each standard needs its own application^[15].
• Inspection: Rs 7,000 per man-day^[22]; a foreign visit normally takes two days^[27], so Rs 14,000 if one visit covers both.
• Contingency: Rs 10,000, plus officers' per-diem, tickets, visa and insurance^[22].
• Licence fees: Rs 1,000 a year per licence^[22].
• Minimum marking fees: Rs 69,000 for IS 3854 and Rs 78,000 for IS 1293^[25].
• Bank guarantee: USD 10,000 per licence after grant^[18].

That totals Rs 1,75,000 by our arithmetic. Unit rates rarely bite for sockets: at Rs 1.75 per 100 pieces^[25], even 10 lakh sockets come to Rs 17,500, well below the minimum. Add switch-socket-outlets and you need a third licence under IS 15787^[2]. Model your range in the compliance cost estimator and compare the ISI fee page and ISI licence costs.

The factory files online on Manakonline, through its own FMCS login^[23], with an Authorised Indian Representative, a process flow chart, machinery and test-equipment lists with calibration, product drawings, QC staff papers, test reports and plant layout^[28].

The importer cannot apply for the factory^[20], but a related importer may be nominated as AIR^[29]. Every foreign application goes through option-1 with a factory visit and samples; the option-2 test-report route is closed to foreign makers^[30]. Calibration certificates must be valid for at least three months after the application is recorded^[31]. See ISI documents and the Manakonline guide.

Ask for a CM/L number for each standard in your order and check it before the deposit. Every ISI licence number takes the form CM/L- followed by digits^[32], and BIS requires it on the product with the Standard Mark, preferably below it^[33].

BIS's free BIS Care app fetches the licensee's details from a CM/L number^[34]. Check three things against your purchase order:

1. The standard. The licence must name the Indian Standard for your item, for example IS 3854 for a switch or IS 1293 for a socket.
2. The factory. A licence covers one product standard at one factory^[15], so a licence held by the supplier's other plant does not count.
3. The varieties. The mark may be used only on the varieties, sizes or grades in the licence's scope^[35].

Our guide on how to verify a BIS licence shows each screen. Also check the current rating and socket type in the scope, because those are listed separately.

Not by law, but most foreign factories use a consultant to handle the AIR role, the sample shipment and BIS's visit.

BIS has 36 branch offices and 10 of its own laboratories^[36]. Its list of recognised outside labs had 444 entries on 30 October 2026, all of them in India^[37]. Since December 2025 a manufacturer no longer needs an in-house laboratory; shared, cluster or sub-contracted testing at BIS-recognised or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs is allowed^[21].

Consultant pricing varies widely, and published prices rarely say what they include. One consultancy lists an ISI professional fee from Rs 40,000, with testing and marking fees extra^[38]. Start with the BIS consultants directory, with city pages such as Delhi and Noida, and the BIS labs directory. Our guide to choosing a BIS consultant lists the red flags. For testing, see Delhi NCR labs and Bengaluru labs.

Fees, quarterly production and consignee reports, market samples and a timely renewal. Accessories are cheap to buy off the shelf, so market sampling is a real risk for poor batches.

• Market surveillance. BIS generally buys two market samples a year per licence for third-party testing^[39], and may draw them anywhere in the supply chain, including the port of entry^[39].
• Consignee reports. Licensees report month-wise production and consignee details every quarter^[39].
• Renewal. An FMCS renewal needs Form XII, production details with consignee addresses, a bank guarantee extended six months beyond validity and the marking fees; late renewal costs Rs 5,000 extra^[40].
• Automatic expiry. Licences more than 90 days past validity expire automatically on the portal^[23].

Set a reminder with the licence renewal date tool, and see ISI licence renewal for the forms.

Packaging, labelling and, for connected products, radio approval apply alongside the ISI mark.

• Plastic EPR. An importer of extension boards in plastic packaging is an importer under the plastic EPR rules^[41]; registration is on CPCB's portal^[42]. See plastic EPR.
• Legal Metrology. Pre-packed retail units are reported to need rule 27 importer registration^[43]; the fee is Rs 500^[44]. See LMPC.
• Radio approval. Smart plugs with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth are likely to need a WPC ETA by self-declaration^[24]. See WPC ETA.
• USB cables are different. They do not appear in BIS's CRS product lists^[11]. See USB cables.
• IEC. No import without an IEC unless exempt^[45]; see IEC code.

Section 17 of the BIS Act bars importing, selling or storing notified goods without the Standard Mark under a valid licence^[19]. The penalty is 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^[19]. BIS can also order a licensee to stop supply and recall non-conforming marked goods^[19].

BIS officers may search premises and seize goods they believe breach section 17^[46], and a first offence not punishable with imprisonment alone can be compounded^[19]. See selling without BIS.

Check each standard in a mixed consignment separately; one missing licence holds the whole Bill of Entry. The QCO deadline checker tells you whether an order applies on a given date, the QCO data table lists every order with its standards and dates, and the QCO tracker logs each change newest first. BIS's upcoming list showed 30 product entries pending between 6 November 2026 and 1 May 2027 when we last checked^[47]. To screen a whole catalogue, try the HS code approval finder and the compliance cost estimator. If you are unsure whether an item is caught, ask for a free compliance check.