The Electronics and IT Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order: what it covers and how it drives BIS CRS

It is the order that turns BIS registration from optional into compulsory for a listed set of electronics. India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) first issued it as the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2012, S.O. 2357(E) dated 7 September 2012^[2]. BIS's CRS portal also states that the 2012 order was notified on 3 October 2012 and covered fifteen product categories^[8]; the relationship between the two dates was not confirmed in our sources. BIS records 3 July 2013 as the date the requirement for IS 13252 and IS 616 products was notified and implemented^[9].

The 2012 order was superseded by the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, notified by MeitY as S.O. 1248(E) on 18 March 2021^[1]. The 2021 order came into force six months after its Gazette publication; the 2012 order ran alongside it, and registrations issued under the 2012 order were renewed under the 2021 order^[1].

People often call it “the CRS order” or “the CRO”. It works like a Quality Control Order: it names products, ties each to an Indian Standard and bans trade in non-conforming goods. The difference is the certification route. Products under this order are certified under Scheme-II (the Registration Scheme) of the BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations, 2018^[2], which is based on the manufacturer's self-declaration of conformity backed by a test report^[8]. Many other QCOs use the ISI mark under Scheme-I, where BIS inspects the factory^[10]. See BIS CRS for the scheme itself.

Under the order, no person may manufacture, store for sale, import, sell or distribute covered goods that do not conform to the specified Indian Standard and do not bear the Standard Mark with a unique registration number from BIS^[8].

This matters for importers because the BIS Act defines “person” to include manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, sellers and their representatives^[11]. The prohibition reaches every link in the chain, not only the factory.

The registration itself, though, belongs to the factory. The applicant under CRS is the manufacturer (factory owner) of the product, and the licence is granted per manufacturing unit, not to an importer or trader^[8]. An importer of a covered product therefore needs its supplier's factory to hold a valid registration that covers the exact model being shipped.

BIS's Scheme-II page shows 66 numbered product categories under the order, the latest being S. No. 66, screen protectors for smartphones^[2]. The list grew in phases. Fifteen more categories were added on 7 November 2014 (the gazette is dated 13 November 2014)^[8]. Later expansions added Indian language support for mobile phones (24 October 2016), 13 categories (17 August 2017), 12 categories (1 April 2020), 7 categories (1 October 2020) and IS 18112 digital TV receivers (26 April 2023)^[8].

Other ministries have also put products under CRS. Solar photovoltaic products, for example, come under a separate Ministry of New and Renewable Energy order of 2017^[8]. The table below shows a sample of MeitY-schedule products as BIS lists them, with the standard and the date BIS gives for implementation of the order.

Product guides for the most common categories: power banks, mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches, Bluetooth earphones, CCTV cameras, LED bulbs and lithium-ion battery packs.

None, as far as our sources show. The order defines its scope by product description and Indian Standard, not by customs tariff heading, and we have not sourced an official mapping of HS codes to CRS categories. Comploa therefore does not give HS codes for this order.

In practice that means you decide coverage by what the product is and does, not by the tariff line on your Bill of Entry. BIS guidance settles some borderline products. For example, BIS guidance of 13 August 2026 says audio glasses fall under wireless earphones and headphones, smart glasses with a photo-only camera under digital camera, smart glasses with video under video camera, and AR/MR glasses under extended reality products^[13]. If your product sits between two descriptions, check the BIS list and its guidance before you test.

For most IT and audio-video products the order has historically named two safety standards. IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 is “Information Technology Equipment – Safety Part 1: General Requirements”, identical to IEC 60950-1:2005^[9]. IS 616:2017 is “Audio, video and similar electronic apparatus – Safety requirements”, identical to IEC 60065:2014^[14].

That is changing. MeitY S.O. 4997(E), dated 29 October 2025 and published in the Gazette of 4 November 2025, replaced IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 in the order's schedule with IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023^[4]. The new standard is “Audio Video Information and Communication Technology Equipment – Part 1: Safety Requirements”, identical to IEC 62368-1:2023^[15]. The old standards may run concurrently with the new one until 1 November 2028, after which they stand withdrawn^[5].

One oddity: S.O. 2204(E) of May 2026 still cites IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 for standalone hard disk drives (S. No. 50), even after the migration notice^[16]. That falls inside the 2028 concurrent window, so it is not a contradiction, but it shows the schedule is not yet uniform.

Other categories use product-specific standards. Lithium and nickel portable cells and batteries are tested to IS 16046^[2]; LED controlgear to IS 15885 (Part 2/Sec 13)^[2]. Some of these are being revised too: BIS extended the last date for the revised IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 for self-ballasted LED lamps to 2 February 2027^[17], and concurrent running of old and revised IS 10322 Part 5 standards for seven LED luminaire categories to the same date^[18]. Standard-by-standard detail is on IS 13252 (Part 1), IS 616, IS 16046 and IS 15885.

Our standard pages cover each one: IS/IEC 62368-1, IS 16102 (Part 1) for LED lamps and IS 10322 (Part 1) for luminaires.

The 2021 order has been amended by S.O. 1353(E) of 25 March 2021, 2844(E) of 1 July 2021, 1929(E) of 26 April 2023, 1652(E) of 9 April 2024, 4378(E) of 9 October 2024, 1363(E) of 20 March 2025, 4362(E) of 22 September 2025, 4997(E) of 29 October 2025, 352(E) of 22 January 2026, 1246(E) of 10 March 2026, 2204(E) of 5 May 2026, 4182(E) of 26 July 2026, 5190(E) of 21 September 2026 and 5689(E) of 16 October 2026^[3]. Where our sources record what an amendment did, the table says so; where they do not, we say that rather than guess.

Two dates on BIS pages lag behind the Gazette, and you should go by the Gazette.

• TV sets and IS 18112. The crsbis.in product list shows 26 July 2026 as the implementation date for television sets under the digital satellite receiver requirement^[12]. MeitY S.O. 4182(E) of 26 July 2026 moved that date to 26 January 2027^[20], and a BIS circular of 31 July 2026 says the same^[23]. The current date is 26 January 2027.
• Screen protectors. A BIS circular of 15 October 2026 announcing the 66th entry did not give an enforcement date, and the item was not yet on the crsbis.in product list^[24]. The Gazette notification, MeitY S.O. 5190(E) of 21 September 2026, makes it effective from 1 April 2027^[7]. The Gazette is the official source.
• Count of categories. BIS's Scheme-II page numbers 66 categories^[2], while the crsbis.in product list splits some categories, such as the IS 16046 cells category, into separate rows^[12][2]; CRS also covers products under other ministries' orders, such as solar products^[8]. Neither is wrong; they count different things.

The main exemption in our sources is for Highly Specialized Equipment. MeitY S.O. 1246(E) of 10 March 2026, effective 15 June 2026, exempts equipment that is three-phase, single-phase over 16 A, larger than 1.5 m x 0.8 m or heavier than 80 kg, when made or imported in fewer than 100 units per model per year, on a specific exemption from MeitY^[21]. The exemption is not automatic: you need MeitY's specific exemption for the model.

The CRS portal and MeitY have also issued scope clarifications that work like exemptions for some variants. BIS has said the CCTV security Essential Requirements do not apply to analog CCTV cameras; we saw this only in circular titles, not the circular text^[22].

Samples are treated differently. MeitY's CRS FAQ says the order does not apply to goods imported for demonstration, research and development or testing in India, citing a MeitY circular of 26 April 2022^[25]. It applies to finished goods, not spare parts or components unless those are separately notified^[26]. Units sent abroad for repair may come back without an R-number if the model and serial number do not change^[27]. Our sources record no small-business exemption. See importing samples for BIS testing.

Transition rule. For goods made overseas, the date the consignment lands in India decides whether a CRS deadline applies: goods landing on or after the due date must comply, while goods imported before it are grandfathered^[28]. That is the rule to apply to the TV, screen protector and hard disk dates still ahead.

Yes. As of October 2026 the 2021 order is in force. The categories still pending are TV sets under IS 18112 (26 January 2027), smartphone screen protectors (1 April 2027) and standalone hard disk drives (1 May 2027)^[6].

For extended reality products, S.O. 4997(E) allowed concurrent running of the old standards only until 1 May 2026^[5], so new XR registrations are now against IS/IEC 62368-1:2023. BIS guidance of 13 August 2026 splits XR into sub-categories (AR glasses, other AR devices, VR headset, MR glasses, other MR devices), each needing a separate licence^[12].

The full dated list of pending changes across all QCOs is on the QCO tracker.

The registration has to be in the name of the factory that makes the product. If that factory is outside India, it must nominate an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) using Form IV^[29]. The steps below are the official sequence on the BIS CRS portal^[30].

Since 25 February 2026 the CRS processing fee is Rs 25,000 a year per application, paid in advance^[34], plus a Rs 1,000 application fee^[34] and a Rs 1,000 annual licence fee^[34], all before GST^[35]. This is the fee schedule in Gazette of India No. 142^[34]; it replaced the 2018 table's one-time Rs 50,000^[35]. Indian micro enterprises and start-ups get 80% off processing, small firms 50% and medium firms 20% until 31 May 2029^[34]. Lab testing charges are separate.

BIS says the grant process is expected to take 20 working days if documents and product conformity are satisfactory first time^[29]. Since the February 2026 amendment, a CRS licence is granted for up to five years and renewed for up to five more, with fees paid annually in advance^[36]. A missed yearly fee suspends the licence for 90 days; paying with a Rs 5,000 late fee lifts it^[34]. Full detail is on BIS CRS fees and CRS renewal.

Only BIS-recognised labs in India can test for CRS, and each declares its own price. On 1 November 2026, BIS's LIMS portal showed medians of about Rs 63,750 for IS 13252 (Part 1), Rs 80,000 for IS 16046 and Rs 45,000 for IS 15885 tests.

Test requests generated on the CRS portal reach recognised labs through BIS's LIMS system^[37], and labs accept CRS samples only with that online request^[38]. A recognised lab's declared charges stay fixed for three years^[39], and it must issue the report within 7 days of finishing testing^[39]. Component and end-product testing can run in parallel, at the manufacturer's risk if a component fails^[40].

Ask for the R-number and look it up. BIS's free BIS Care app checks an R-number and the manufacturer's self-declaration from a valid eight-digit R-number^[44], and can search CRS registrations by category or model with brand and status filters^[44].

Match three things: the brand on your goods, the model numbers, and the factory. Different brands must be registered separately, though they can share a test report when the product and factory are the same^[45]. MeitY's CRS market surveillance portal, run at STPI, also requires each R-number to be registered with model details^[46]. Our guide on how to verify a BIS licence shows the screens, and CRS labelling covers the mark itself.

A foreign factory needs an Authorised Indian Representative; a consultant is optional. Many importers act as AIR for their own suppliers, which the rules allow for related importers^[47].

One consultancy lists a CRS professional fee of Rs 14,999 alongside a Rs 25,000 lab figure, excluding GST^[48]; compare what each quote includes. One consultancy's own guide lists red flags such as promises of registration without testing or within two to three days^[49]. See the BIS consultants directory, the Delhi and Bengaluru pages, the BIS labs directory, CRS test labs and our guide to choosing a consultant.

The order is made under the BIS Act, and section 17 of the Act prohibits manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, hiring, leasing, storing or exhibiting for sale notified goods without a Standard Mark under a valid licence^[11].

Under section 29(3) as enacted (later amendments not checked), breaking section 17 is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh for a first contravention and not less than Rs 5 lakh for later ones, extendable to ten times the value of the goods, or both; the offence is cognizable^[11]. Where a company commits the offence, responsible officers and the authorised representative are also deemed guilty^[11], which is why AIRs take the role seriously. BIS can also direct a licence holder to stop supply and recall non-conforming marked goods^[11].

The practical risk for most importers comes earlier, at the port: goods without a valid registration and correct marking can be held until the problem is resolved. See why shipments get held.

Use the QCO deadline checker for the CRS dates still ahead (TVs, screen protectors, hard disk drives), the BIS CRS fee calculator for government fees, and the HS code approval finder to see whether WPC, MTCTE or EPR applies too. The QCO data table lists every order, and CRS rejections covers why applications bounce. For a first shipment, the first electronics import checklist pulls it together. Unsure? Ask for a free compliance check.