BIS Compliance News · 1 August 2025
Revised Guidelines for Grant of Licence under Scheme-I set timelines, test report rules and option choices
BIS's Central Marks Department-I issued revised Guidelines for Grant of Licence (GoL) under Scheme-I of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, Ref. CMD-I/2:12:1, dated 1 August 2025. They explain how branch offices process ISI mark applications, which are filed online in Form-V with a self-evaluation cum verification report.
Applicants choose between two routes. Under Option 1, BIS visits the factory and draws samples for third-party lab testing; processing is expected within 90 days if everything is satisfactory first time. Under Option 2, the applicant submits third-party lab test reports with the application, BIS still visits the factory and draws a sample, and the licence can be granted within about 30 days. Foreign manufacturers, products listed for Option 1 only, and applicants whose earlier licence for the same product and premises ended because of failed samples must use Option 1.
Test reports for Option 2 must be from BIS recognised (including Group-2) labs, BIS-empanelled government labs or other labs approved by the Executive Committee, and must be no more than 90 days old when the application reaches the branch office (with the oldest no more than 180 days where there are several). A factory visit normally takes one day for Indian units and two for foreign units, and branch heads are told to aim for 45 days on 'All India First' cases.
The guidelines said a licence would initially be granted for one to two years. That has since been overtaken by the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026 of 25 February 2026, which allow initial grant for up to five years.
Who is affected
Indian and foreign manufacturers applying for an ISI mark (Scheme-I) licence, and the labs that test their samples.
What to do
- Check which option your product is listed under in the annexures before you start testing.
- If you plan to use Option 2, register on the BIS portal first, quote the unique code when submitting samples to the lab, and file within 90 days of the test report date.
- If a previous licence was cancelled for non-conforming samples, prepare the corrective-action records the guidelines require.
Source: BIS — Guidelines for Grant of Licence under Scheme-I, CMD-I/2:12:1 (1 August 2025)
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