Importers and traders are affected too
Most guides to the Hand Tools QCO are written for Indian factories. But a large share of the spanners, adjustable wrenches and pliers sold in India are imported, and many more pass through distributors and retailers who never make anything themselves.
Since 1 October 2026, all of them are affected. Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016 bars any person from importing, distributing, selling, storing or even exhibiting for sale a covered product without a valid ISI mark. This guide covers what importers, foreign manufacturers and traders need to do, and the mistakes that most often lead to held shipments and seized stock.
Which imported tools are affected
The Hand Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2025 (S.O. 5596(E), 4 December 2025) covers nine products: pipe wrenches (IS 4003 Part 1 and Part 2), open-jaw spanners (IS 2028), ring spanners (IS 2029), single-ended adjustable wrenches (IS 6149), chain pipe wrenches (IS 4123), slugging wrenches (IS 4508 and IS 4509) and combination side-cutting pliers (IS 3650).
The later MSME deadlines (1 January 2027 for small and 1 April 2027 for micro enterprises) are defined under India's MSMED Act. In practice they apply to Indian manufacturing units. Foreign manufacturers supplying India should treat 1 October 2026 as their deadline.
The importer's core rule: the factory holds the licence, not you
An Indian importer cannot get a BIS licence for someone else's product. The licence must be held by the overseas factory that makes the tool. Foreign factories apply under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS), which BIS has run since 2000.
The same rule applies to private labels. If you sell spanners under your own brand but they are made by a contract factory in China, Taiwan or Vietnam, that factory needs the FMCS licence, with your brand name listed in its scope.
How FMCS works
FMCS licences are handled by the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD) at BIS headquarters in New Delhi. The steps mirror the Indian process, with a few additions.
1. Appoint an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR). The AIR must be an Indian resident — an employee of the manufacturer's Indian branch is preferred, if it has one. The AIR should be at least a graduate, must understand the BIS Act and its rules, can represent only one manufacturing firm (apart from companies in the same group), and must have no conflict of interest with testing laboratories. The AIR is named on the licence, and any change must be notified to BIS in advance.
2. Apply online on Manakonline with the documents, fees and AIR nomination.
3. Factory inspection abroad: BIS officers inspect the overseas factory, and the manufacturer bears the costs set out in the FMCS fee schedule.
4. Sample testing in India against the Indian Standard.
5. Grant of licence: the factory receives a licence number and must apply the ISI mark to its production for India.
Allow more time than for an Indian licence
Overseas inspections take longer to schedule. Consultants commonly quote six to nine months from application to grant. FMCS applicants also do not get the MSME marking-fee concessions available to Indian micro and small units.
The AIR's duties continue after grant: helping BIS draw market samples from imported consignments, keeping information confidential and appearing before BIS when asked. The AIR must never contact laboratories about BIS samples beyond depositing samples and paying fees. If the AIR does not cooperate, the licence can be suspended.
The only import exemption: 200 pieces for R&D
The order allows manufacturers of hand tools to import up to 200 pieces a year for research and development, on three conditions: the pieces cannot be sold commercially, they must be disposed of as scrap, and the manufacturer must keep a year-wise record and show it to government authorities on request.
This exemption is for manufacturers only. A trader or importer cannot use it to bring in samples for buyers, trade-fair displays or "test orders".
Checklist for distributors and retailers
Traders are often the last to hear about a QCO and the first to face a market raid. Section 17 covers storing and exhibiting goods for sale, so unmarked stock on your shelf is a problem even if you never sell it.
Before you buy: ask the supplier for the CM/L licence number for each covered product. Check it on the BIS Care app or on Manakonline and confirm that the licence is operative (not suspended, cancelled or expired), that the IS number matches the product, and that the brand name and size range you are buying are listed in the licence scope. Put a clause in your purchase order that the goods carry a valid ISI mark under a licence in the supplier's name.
When stock arrives: check that every covered tool carries the ISI mark, with the IS number above the mark and the CM/L number below it. For combination pliers and small spanners, the mark is usually stamped or laser-etched on the tool itself — packaging alone may not be enough. Keep invoices that show the supplier's licence number.
For existing inventory: separate unmarked covered tools from compliant stock, do not display them for sale, and talk to your supplier about returns, export or scrapping. The order gives no grace period for stock made before the deadline.
Common mistakes that cause seizures and rejections
1. Relying on the importer's paperwork. Only the manufacturing factory can hold the licence. An importer's GST or trademark certificate means nothing to BIS.
2. Brand not on the licence. A factory may hold a valid licence for its own brand while shipping your private-label tools, which aren't covered. Every brand must be listed.
3. Sizes outside the licence scope. A licence covering 6–32 mm spanners does not cover a 41 mm spanner from the same factory.
4. Tool kits with one uncertified item. A 12-piece kit containing one unmarked combination plier is non-compliant.
5. Using the ISI mark without a licence. Section 17(3) of the BIS Act prohibits applying the mark, or any imitation of it, without a valid licence, and Section 17(2) prohibits claiming in advertising or price lists that a product conforms to an Indian Standard without one.
6. Treating the MSME deadlines as an exemption. The later dates only give small and micro Indian manufacturers more time. They do not cover imports, or traders buying from large manufacturers.
7. Letting the licence lapse. Licence fees and production statements are due every year, even under the new five-year validity rule. A supplier's suspended licence makes your stock non-compliant.
The legal risk
Contravening Section 17 is punishable under Section 29(3) of the BIS Act with imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh (first offence) or ₹5 lakh (later offences) — which can go up to ten times the value of the goods — or both.
The offence is cognizable. Under Section 30, the company's directors and managers in charge can be prosecuted along with the company.
How TechbyDR Services helps
We run FMCS applications for foreign hand-tool factories end to end and can act as or coordinate the Authorised Indian Representative. For Indian importers and traders, we audit supplier licences against your actual brands, sizes and kits, and help you sort compliant from non-compliant inventory.
FAQs
Can an Indian importer apply for the BIS licence instead of the foreign factory?
No. Under FMCS, the licence is granted to the foreign manufacturer. The importer's role is to buy only from licensed factories.
What is an AIR in BIS certification?
An Authorised Indian Representative: an Indian resident nominated by the foreign manufacturer to act for it before BIS and to make sure the licence conditions are met.
How do I check whether a hand tool's ISI mark is genuine?
Enter the CM/L number from the mark into the BIS Care app or the licence search on Manakonline. Check that the licence is operative and covers that product, brand and size.
Can I import a few pieces as samples without a licence?
Only manufacturers of hand tools can import up to 200 pieces a year, and only for R&D, without sale and with scrap disposal. There is no sample exemption for traders.
Do the small and micro enterprise deadlines help importers?
No. Those dates are for Indian micro and small manufacturers. Imported tools should carry the ISI mark from 1 October 2026.
This article is general information about BIS/NABL compliance, not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements change — confirm current applicability for your specific product before acting.
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FMCS – Foreign Manufacturers Certification
BIS licensing for manufacturers based outside India to use the ISI Mark.