Overview
The Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) is how the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) grants ISI mark licences to factories located outside India. It follows Scheme-I of Schedule II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, made under the BIS Act, 2016, with additional conditions for overseas applicants. Applications are handled by BIS’s Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department at its headquarters in New Delhi.
If your product is covered by a Quality Control Order (QCO), it cannot be imported into India without a valid BIS licence and the ISI mark on each unit. Customs checks this at the port, so FMCS is a precondition for exporting these products to India at all.
Who needs it
- Overseas manufacturers of products under a QCO that need the ISI mark (steel, chemicals and polymers, electrical items, appliances, toys, footwear, machinery components and many more).
- Foreign factories of Indian brands, where production for the Indian market is done abroad.
- Indian importers and distributors do not hold the licence, but they usually support the application and often serve as the Authorised Indian Representative.
Products covered
FMCS applies to any product certified under Scheme-I where the factory is abroad. The current list of products under compulsory certification, with the QCO and Indian Standard for each, is published at https://www.bis.gov.in. Common FMCS categories include:
| Sector | Examples |
|---|---|
| Steel | Hot and cold rolled flat products, stainless steel, coated sheets, wire rods |
| Chemicals and polymers | PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, specialty chemicals |
| Electrical | Cables, switches, circuit breakers, appliances |
| Consumer products | Toys, footwear, pressure cookers, helmets |
| Industrial | Valves, pumps, fasteners |
Note: QCOs are often amended, deferred or extended, and exemptions are sometimes notified. We check the live position for your product before you start.
Documents required
- Application in the prescribed form, with application fee, filed on BIS’s Manakonline portal (https://www.manakonline.in), with original hard copies where BIS asks for them
- Factory registration or business licence (with certified English translation where needed)
- Manufacturing process flow chart and list of plant and machinery
- List of testing equipment with calibration certificates
- Quality-control staff details and organisation chart
- Site plan and location map of the factory
- Trademark registration or brand authorisation
- AIR nomination, with the AIR’s identity and address documents
- Self-evaluation and undertakings in BIS formats
- After grant: agreement and indemnity bond, and the performance bank guarantee
Process
- Scope check. Confirm the QCO, the Indian Standard and the product-specific guidelines that apply.
- Appoint the AIR. Choose an Indian-resident representative who will be answerable to BIS for the licence.
- Prepare the factory. Align production controls and the in-house lab with the Indian Standard and BIS’s Scheme of Testing and Inspection.
- Apply. File the application with documents and fees. BIS scrutinises the file and raises any queries.
- Factory inspection. BIS officers visit the factory, assess the process and lab, witness tests and draw samples.
- Testing in India. Samples are tested at a BIS laboratory or a BIS-recognised laboratory.
- Grant. On satisfactory results, BIS grants the licence. The licensee then executes the agreement and indemnity bond and submits the performance bank guarantee within the time BIS sets.
Validity, renewal & surveillance
Licence validity follows the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations. The 2026 amendment to those regulations is reported to allow licences of up to five years, with the annual marking fee still payable in advance. The performance bank guarantee must be kept valid for the period BIS requires, which has been longer than the licence itself.
BIS surveillance continues after grant. It includes inspection visits to the overseas factory and samples drawn from the factory and from the Indian market. A failed sample or a lapsed bank guarantee can lead to stop-marking or cancellation, which stops your exports to India until it is resolved.
Note: Fees, inspection charges and the bank-guarantee rules are set by BIS and change from time to time. We’ll share a current fee estimate for your product.
How Aaditech helps
Aaditech is based in Delhi and was promoted in 2010 by former Directors of the Bureau of Indian Standards. Our CEO, Mr B.K. Jain, is an ex-Director of BIS, and our Chief Advisor, Mr Anupam Kaul, chairs several BIS committees. For overseas clients, that means a team that understands both the standard and the way BIS assesses a foreign factory.
- Scope and gap assessment against the Indian Standard and product guidelines, done remotely or at your site.
- AIR guidance: what the role involves, how to nominate, and how to keep the AIR informed.
- Documentation in BIS formats, with translations and consistency checks.
- Portal filing and query handling with BIS in New Delhi.
- Factory audit readiness: mock audits of your process, lab and records before BIS arrives.
- Sample and lab coordination for testing in India.
- Post-grant compliance: bank-guarantee renewals, marking fees, inclusions and surveillance visits.
We have supported global manufacturers such as SABIC, BASF, Ducab and iGuzzini on Indian compliance. Contact us to plan your FMCS application.
