Key takeaways
- BIS certification and QCOs govern goods made, sold or imported in India, not goods shipped abroad.
- Export exemptions are written into each QCO and their wording differs; read the order that covers your product.
- QCOs on inputs such as steel can still affect what an Indian factory buys and the documents it holds.
- A BIS licence shows a factory has a certified process for an Indian Standard, which is useful but not proof of export compliance.
- India's ban on hazardous azo dyes is a separate environmental rule, not a BIS standard.
What BIS certification and QCOs cover
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is India's national standards body under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. It publishes Indian Standards (IS) and runs product certification. Most certification is voluntary. It becomes compulsory when the central government issues a Quality Control Order (QCO) under section 16 of the Act, on grounds such as public interest, health and safety, the environment, unfair trade practices or national security.
| Scheme | What it is |
|---|---|
| Scheme I | Licence to use the Standard Mark (ISI mark) on products made to an Indian Standard |
| Scheme II | Registration scheme (run through the BIS registration portal, crsbis.in) |
| Scheme IV | Certificates of conformity |
A QCO lists the products, the Indian Standard each must meet and the date it takes effect. Under a QCO, covered goods cannot be made, sold or imported in India without the mark. The ministry for the sector issues the order, for example the Ministry of Steel for steel or the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for furniture.
Why export-only production is usually outside QCOs
QCOs protect the Indian market, and many say so directly. Two examples:
| Order | Products | Export wording |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025, S.O. 801(E), 13 Feb 2025, DPIIT | Work chairs, general purpose chairs and stools, tables and desks, storage units, beds and bunk beds (IS 17631 to IS 17636:2022) | “Nothing in this order shall apply to goods or articles manufactured domestically for export” |
| Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024, Ministry of Steel | Steel products listed in its schedule | Excludes steel made in India for export that meets another specification required by a foreign buyer |
The furniture QCO came into force twelve months after publication. It also gives time-limited relief to micro and small enterprises and exempts some very small units, and it has since been amended. A furniture factory that sells in India as well as abroad may need a BIS licence for its domestic range even if its export range is exempt.
Do not assume every QCO has the same exemption. The wording varies, and some exempt export goods only when they follow a foreign buyer's specification.
A simple step for buyers: ask the factory which QCOs cover its products, whether it sells any of them in India, and which licence numbers it holds. Keep the answer with your supplier file and recheck it when the product range changes.
When BIS and Indian Standards still matter to overseas buyers
- Inputs. Steel and other materials sold in India under a QCO must carry the Standard Mark. An Indian factory buying domestic steel will often hold BIS-marked material and certificates for an Indian Standard grade. Check that grade against your drawing. A BIS-marked IS grade is not automatically the EN or ASTM grade you specified; see mill test certificates.
- Supplier capability. A BIS licence means the factory has passed BIS assessment for that product and Indian Standard. It is one signal of process control, alongside a factory audit.
- Mixed production. A factory making the same item for India and for export may run two specifications. Make sure your order follows yours.
- Destination rules still apply. BIS certification does not show compliance with EU REACH, the EU GPSR, UKCA, US CPSC rules or any other foreign law.
One Indian rule that is not a BIS standard but often matters for textiles and leather is the ban on hazardous dyes under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. See azo dyes and restricted substances.
What an inspection can verify, and what needs a lab
| An inspector at the factory can check | Needs BIS, a certifier or a lab |
|---|---|
| Whether the factory holds a BIS licence and for which product and Indian Standard, from the documents it shows | Whether a licence is current (BIS records) |
| Which steel or other input grades are in the store, with their marks and certificates | Whether input material meets your specified grade (lab test) |
| That export goods follow your specification, not the factory's domestic one | Compliance with destination-market product rules (accredited lab) |
How Clear To Load checks this in India
Our factory audit in India records certifications the factory holds, including BIS licences, as part of a scored eight-section capability and quality audit. On a pre-shipment inspection, the inspector checks the goods against your specification, whatever Indian Standard the factory also works to.
Each inspection ends in a verdict: Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared. Book an inspection to add these checks.