India — Broad Mandatory BIS Certification for Household and Commercial Appliances is Now in Force

India’s Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 entered into force on 1 October 2026, making BIS certification mandatory for a wide range of electrical appliances.

The scope covers electrical appliances intended for household, commercial or similar applications with rated voltages up to 250 V for single-phase appliances and 480 V for other appliances, including DC-supplied and battery-operated products. Covered products must comply with IS 302 (Part 1):2024 / IEC 60335-1:2020 and bear the BIS Standard Mark under Scheme I. Appliances already subject to some other mandatory Quality Control Order are excluded from this QCO.

The scope is intentionally broad. It includes, among many other categories, coffee makers, appliances for heating liquids, cooking equipment, food-processing appliances, vacuum cleaners and other cleaning equipment, personal-care appliances and a wide range of commercial kitchen equipment. The BIS product listing confirms that the requirement is not limited to conventional household products but extends into many professional and commercial applications.

For larger manufacturers, the mandatory date was 1 October 2026. A phased introduction applies to smaller businesses: small enterprises must comply from 1 January 2027, while micro enterprises must comply from 1 April 2027.

Why It Matters for Manufacturers

For manufacturers exporting to India, this should not be treated simply as another IEC 60335-1 testing requirement. An existing CB report or IEC 60335 test report may provide a valuable technical basis, but market access depends on completing the applicable BIS testing and certification and ISI-marking process.

This distinction should also be reflected when planning projects and preparing quotations. The scope of work may involve not only product testing against the applicable Indian standard, but also BIS application and licensing activities, product and factory documentation, marking requirements and other local certification steps.

More information:
Anja Jerovšek
E-mail: anja.jerovsek@siq.si
Tel.: +386 1 4778 147