The Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) is how a factory outside India obtains a BIS licence to use the ISI Standard Mark. If your product is covered by an Indian Quality Control Order (QCO), you cannot ship it to India without that licence. From 1 June 2026 every FMCS application has to be filed online through BIS’s Manak Online portal.
What FMCS is and who it covers
According to the BIS FMCS overview, BIS has operated FMCS since 2000. It covers all product categories under the ISI mark scheme except the electronics and IT goods notified by MeitY, which use the separate Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS). Licences are handled by the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD) at BIS headquarters in New Delhi.
FMCS matters because of how QCOs apply to imports. BIS’s guidance document on QCOs explains that if a domestic product must comply with an Indian Standard, an imported product must comply too, so the overseas manufacturer has to obtain a licence or certificate of conformity from BIS.
Key rules for foreign applicants
The FMCS FAQs and BIS’s Grant of Licence guidelines (4 February 2025) set out how FMCS differs from domestic certification:
- Only the manufacturer can apply. Importers and traders cannot hold the licence for the factory.
- One application per product, standard and factory. A single application cannot cover several products or several locations. Different brands from the same factory do not need separate applications, but a brand undertaking is required.
- Normal procedure only. All foreign applications are processed under Option 1, which means a BIS factory inspection with samples drawn for testing. The faster simplified route (Option 2) is not available.
- All foreign manufacturers are treated as large scale for FMCS purposes.
- Testing is done in India. Samples drawn during inspection are tested in BIS or BIS-recognised laboratories, and the manufacturer is responsible for delivering them and paying the testing charges.
- Indian Standard reports only. Reports against IEC or other foreign standards are not accepted in place of the Indian Standard.
The Authorised Indian Representative (AIR)
Every foreign applicant must nominate an AIR. BIS’s guidelines and its AIR nomination page set these conditions:
- The AIR must be an Indian resident.
- An AIR can represent only one manufacturer, except within a group of companies or where a related importer is nominated.
- The AIR must have no conflict of interest with testing in third-party laboratories.
- The AIR should preferably be a graduate and understand the BIS Act, rules and regulations.
- The AIR formally accepts responsibility for compliance with the Act and the licence conditions, and their name is endorsed on the licence.
Choose the AIR carefully. In practice they become BIS’s first point of contact for queries, surveillance and any enforcement issue.
Step-by-step FMCS process
- Confirm the standard and QCO. Check the product, Indian Standard and its current amendment on the BIS compulsory certification pages.
- Register on Manak Online. Per the BIS FMCS user manual, applicants create an account on manakonline.in, select the FMCS option and complete the organisation profile before a new licence application can be started.
- Complete the online application. The manual describes a nine-section application that stays in draft until payment is completed. The portal calculates fees in rupees; the manual states that applicants pay the equivalent in US dollars and upload the payment proof.
- Nominate the AIR using the prescribed form.
- Preliminary scrutiny. FMCD checks the documents and raises queries.
- Factory inspection. A BIS officer visits the factory. The guidelines say a visit for a foreign manufacturer normally lasts two days. The applicant arranges visas, travel, insurance, accommodation and local transport for the officer and pays the charges specified in the guidelines.
- Sample testing in India. Samples drawn and sealed during the visit are sent to the designated laboratory.
- Grant of licence. After grant, the guidelines require an agreement, an indemnity bond and a performance bank guarantee from a bank with an RBI-approved branch in India, valid for six months beyond the licence period.
The FMCS FAQs state, at the time of writing, that grant takes on average around six months from receipt of a complete application, with incomplete applications, slow responses, inspection scheduling and sample transport being the usual causes of delay.
Note: BIS’s how-to-apply page states that offline or hard-copy FMCS applications were accepted only up to 31 May 2026, and that with effect from 1 June 2026 only applications submitted through the online portal are accepted. If you have an offline application or licence in progress, check with FMCD how subsequent submissions and changes should be made, and look for amendments listed on the FMCS pages.
Obligations after the licence is granted
Getting the licence is only the start. Under FMCS:
| Obligation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Scheme of Inspection and Testing | Test production as specified and keep records |
| Standard Mark | Mark all production covered by the licence, with the licence number |
| Consignment reporting | Report details of marked consignments (Indian importer, distributor, destination, expected arrival) to BIS as they are despatched, as required by the Conformity Assessment Regulations |
| Surveillance | Expect factory and market samples to be drawn and tested |
| Renewal | Licences are initially granted for up to two years; the FAQs say renewal can be for up to five years |
| Changes | Follow BIS’s procedure (see the “Operation of Licence” pages) for changes to scope, brands or AIR |
Preparing the factory for the BIS visit
The inspection is where most FMCS applications are won or lost. Before the officer arrives, the factory should be able to show:
- Production of the exact product and varieties applied for, running on the day of the visit where possible.
- In-house testing facilities for the tests the Indian Standard and its Scheme of Inspection and Testing require at the factory, with calibrated equipment and trained staff who can run the tests in front of the officer.
- Raw material controls, including supplier certificates where the Indian Standard calls for particular material grades.
- Records of production, routine testing and non-conformities, in a form that can be reviewed in English.
- Marking and labelling arrangements for the Standard Mark and the licence number.
Samples are drawn and sealed during the visit and must then reach the designated laboratory in India. Plan the courier, import paperwork and laboratory payment in advance, because the responsibility for safe delivery and testing charges rests with the manufacturer.
Common mistakes exporters make
- Starting too late. Shipping schedules are often built around QCO dates, but a six-month average grant time leaves little margin.
- Relying on IEC reports. Even when the Indian Standard is an adoption of an IEC standard, test reports must be against the Indian Standard version and from a recognised lab.
- Weak factory readiness. Inspectors check in-house test equipment, calibration and the quality control set-up against the product’s testing scheme.
- An AIR who cannot act. A nominal AIR who does not respond to BIS slows everything down.
- Assuming one licence covers all plants. Each factory needs its own licence.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech acts for overseas manufacturers seeking BIS licences, including standard identification, online filing on Manak Online, inspection readiness, sample logistics in India and post-licence compliance. Our founders served as Directors at BIS, so we are familiar with how FMCD reviews applications and what inspectors look for. See our BIS FMCS certification service for details.