BIS Electronic Product Certification Testing in India

On January 9, 2024, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) issued guidelines for the implementation of parallel testing for mandatory certification (CRS) of electronic products. This guideline encompasses all electronic products listed under the CRS catalog and will be implemented permanently. This follows the pilot projects initiated on December 19, 2022, for mobile phone cells, batteries, and the phones themselves, as well as the inclusion of:

1. Wireless over-ear and in-ear headphones on June 12, 2023,

2. Laptops/notebooks/tablets in the pilot list, marking a broader implementation of parallel testing.

Previously, if both the product and its safety-critical components were controlled items under BIS regulations, they required separate BIS approvals in sequential order, with product testing only starting after the safety-critical components were approved. This extended the certification timeline. Under the parallel testing guidelines, products and their components can be tested simultaneously and submitted together, thereby shortening the certification process.

How Manufacturers Should Proceed

Testing Stage:

- All products requiring BIS-CRS registration can undergo parallel testing at BIS-recognized laboratories.

- In parallel testing, the laboratory will test the first component and issue a test report.

- For the second component's CDF, there is no need to include the R-number of the first component; only the laboratory name and the test report number need to be mentioned.

- Any subsequent components or the final product will follow this same procedure.

Registration Stage:

- The BIS will still complete the registration of components and the final product in sequential order.

Parallel Testing Explanation and Considerations:

1. This parallel testing guideline applies to electronic products covered under the mandatory certification product scheme, and it is a voluntary option. Manufacturers can still apply using the existing sequential application process.

2. All components undergoing parallel testing must be tested in BIS-recognized laboratories. In this scheme, the laboratory will test the first component and issue a test report. This test report number and the testing laboratory will be noted in the test report of the second component, and so forth until the final product's test report is issued.

3. The approval and certification of components will be carried out sequentially by the BIS.

4. When submitting samples to the laboratory and applying for project registration with the BIS, manufacturers must provide a declaration document meeting the following requirements:

   - The manufacturer assumes all risks associated with the parallel testing scheme (including costs). For example, if any application is subsequently rejected due to test failures or incomplete reports. The BIS has the final decision-making authority.

   - Products must not be supplied, sold, or manufactured in the market until they have obtained valid registration (BIS number).

   - Manufacturers must immediately apply for component changes after obtaining valid product registration (reporting the valid BIS number in the subsequent report).

   - If a component is on the list of mandatory registered products, the manufacturer is responsible for ensuring the BIS registration number for each relevant component.

   - The responsibility for linking the application to previously submitted applications in the chain lies with the manufacturer.