The Indian market is one of the most dynamic in the world. It is also one of the most regulated, at least for those who want to access it with footwear, household appliances or furniture.
BIS certification, mandatory for those who produce or export in these categories, has become in recent months one of the most discussed topics among European companies looking at India as a strategic destination.
At Analytical we follow this topic first-hand and from the very beginning: we are investing in India, with a new division and specialised technicians, and this allows us to operate directly on the ground and support our clients with concrete knowledge of the BIS system.
From this experience, a collection of the most frequently asked questions we receive from European manufacturers and importers was born: concrete doubts, often urgent, that deserve equally concrete answers.
Frequently asked questions:
- What happens if I ship products to India without BIS certification?
The consequences are immediate and severe: goods are held at customs and cannot be cleared; authorities may proceed with the physical seizure of the shipment. The BIS Act 2016 provides for criminal and financial penalties against both the manufacturer and the importer. The product is excluded from sale in India, with potentially permanent reputational damage to the brand. - Until when can I sell footwear stock without the ISI Mark?
Stock produced or imported before August 1, 2024, the date of entry into force of the 2024 footwear QCOs, may be sold, displayed, or offered for sale until July 31, 2026 (Amendment S.O. 3701(E) of August 30, 2024). After that date, the ISI Mark is mandatory on every covered footwear item.
Please note: the sell-through window applies only to existing stock; new imports must have active certification at the time of customs clearance. - Why is it urgent to start the certification process for home appliances?
BIS-recognized laboratories are already recording waiting times of 3 to 6 months for the home appliances category. A foreign manufacturer that starts the FMCS process after May 2026 runs a concrete risk of not obtaining certification by October 1, 2026, resulting in a block on exports to India. This urgency is compounded by the need to schedule the factory audit months in advance: every week of delay reduces the available safety margin. - What transitional exemptions exist for furniture that has already been produced, ordered, or shipped?
Two 2026 amendments introduced a structured transitional framework, and this is the area where the management of collections and ongoing orders comes into play.
The First Amendment (February 2026) provides for:
- Sell-through of stock produced or imported before February 13, 2026 for 12 months from the date of entry into force, subject to self-declaration;
- Imports of up to 200 units per fiscal year for research and development purposes, reserved for certified manufacturers or those with a BIS application already submitted, with a prohibition on sale and an obligation to dispose of the goods;
- Imports of non-ISI-marked products or components intended exclusively for export production, with an undertaking and a prohibition on placing them on the domestic market.
The Second Amendment (S.O. 1125(E) of March 2, 2026) adds two exemptions for shipments:
- Goods shipped before February 13, 2026 (Bill of Lading dated before that date) may enter without certification provided the Bill of Entry is submitted within 180 days, i.e. by August 13, 2026;
- Goods ordered before February 13, 2026 (prior Purchase Order) may enter if both the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry fall within the 180-day window, with an obligation to submit the order, bill of lading, customs entry, and supporting documents to BIS within 7 days of clearance. After August 13, 2026, all imports of covered furniture require the ISI Mark, with no exceptions.
- Does each product variant require separate certification and what does the process cost?
Not always: a single FMCS licence can cover multiple variants (models, colours, equivalent materials) if they fall under the same IS standard and are listed in the application. If something structural changes, such as the sole, adhesive, or load-bearing materials, BIS may require additional tests. The absolute rule is that separate applications are required for different IS standards and for different production sites. On the cost side, for each IS standard the main items are: BIS application fee, laboratory tests (EUR 2,000–8,000 per category); audit fee with inspectors’ travel costs borne by the manufacturer (USD 3,000–6,000 per inspection); annual marking fee proportional to volumes. The USD 10,000 PBG is not a cost but a security deposit returned upon expiry. A European manufacturer for a single IS standard can estimate an initial investment of between EUR 15,000 and EUR 35,000.