How to Export Products to India in 2026: Complete Compliance Guide for Foreign Manufacturers

Planning to export products to India in 2026? India is one of the world's largest consumer and industrial markets, but entering India is not simply a matter of finding a buyer and shipping the goods.

Depending on the product, compliance can involve BIS certification, BIS CRS, BIS FMCS, BEE energy-efficiency requirements, WPC/ETA for wireless products, EPR obligations, Legal Metrology, FSSAI for food, importer documentation, customs requirements and other product-specific approvals.

There is no single “India import certificate” that makes every product compliant. Compliance is determined product-by-product.

At Instacertify, we help manufacturers and exporters understand this compliance journey before they ship products to India.

Is BIS Certification Required for Products Exported to India?

BIS certification is not automatically mandatory for every product in India. BIS states that its certification scheme is basically voluntary, but the Government of India makes compliance compulsory for specified products through Quality Control Orders and other regulatory mechanisms.

The BIS framework includes routes such as Scheme-I / ISI Mark, Scheme-II / Registration Scheme, Scheme-IV / Certificate of Conformity and Scheme-X / Certification.

Foreign Manufacturers: BIS FMCS

If your product is covered by a BIS compulsory certification requirement and the manufacturing facility is outside India, you may need BIS certification through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS), where FMCS is the applicable route.

BIS FMCS is a manufacturer/factory-oriented certification route. The foreign factory must have the required manufacturing and testing infrastructure and must be prepared for the applicable BIS assessment.

Brand Owners and Third-Party Manufacturing

A brand owner is not automatically the BIS manufacturer.

If Company A owns the brand but Company B actually manufactures the product at Company B's factory, the certification structure needs to identify the actual manufacturer and manufacturing premises. Where permitted by the applicable BIS scheme, the manufacturer can manufacture the brand owner's products and the required brand authorisation can be documented.

Brand ownership does not itself transfer the manufacturing licence to the brand owner.

BIS CRS for Electronics and IT Products

If your product falls into a notified Electronics and IT category, the applicable route may be the BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) rather than FMCS.

Examples can include certain laptops, notebooks, tablets, automatic data processing machines, printers, scanners, televisions, electronic games and other notified products.

BIS CRS does not follow the same physical factory-audit model as traditional ISI certification. However, product testing and the applicable registration/documentation requirements remain important.

Batteries and Environmental Compliance

Batteries require special attention because different battery types and applications can trigger different BIS and environmental/EPR requirements. Evaluate the battery chemistry, application, whether it is supplied separately or incorporated into equipment, and who is the responsible Producer/Importer/Brand Owner in India.

BEE Energy Efficiency Certification

BIS is not the only Indian product-compliance system. For specified energy-consuming products, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) operates the Standards & Labelling programme.

Depending on the current mandatory programme, examples can include refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions, LED lamps, washing machines, fans, solar inverters and other notified products.

A product may therefore need BIS + BEE rather than BIS OR BEE.

Wireless Products: WPC / ETA

If your product contains Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 2.4 GHz wireless, 5 GHz Wi-Fi, SRD or other RF functionality, evaluate India's Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) requirements. DoT's ETA framework covers eligible wireless devices operating in permitted licence-exempt bands, subject to the applicable rules.

Food Products: FSSAI

For commercial food imports, the Indian importer needs the applicable FSSAI import licence and food-import clearance. A Certificate of Analysis may be one of the required documents for a consignment, but it does not replace the Indian importer's FSSAI licence.

Certificate of Origin

A Certificate of Origin establishes the origin of goods. It can be important when an importer is claiming preferential tariff treatment under an applicable Free Trade Agreement or other trade arrangement.

A Certificate of Origin does not replace BIS, BEE, WPC, FSSAI or other product approvals.

Legal Metrology / LMPC

Imported pre-packaged commodities can be subject to Legal Metrology requirements. Depending on the product and role of the Indian importer, requirements can include importer registration and package declarations such as importer details, country of origin, net quantity and MRP.

Review Indian packaging artwork before mass production.

IEC and Indian Importer Compliance

The Indian importer generally needs an active Importer Exporter Code (IEC), subject to applicable exemptions. The foreign manufacturer should confirm the Indian buyer/importer is properly set up before the first commercial shipment.

EPR Compliance

Depending on the product and packaging, EPR obligations can arise for e-waste, batteries, plastic packaging and other regulated waste streams. The foreign manufacturer should identify who is legally responsible in India: importer, Producer, brand owner or another obligated entity.

ISO Certification

ISO certification is not automatically required simply because a product is exported to India. It may instead be required by a customer, tender, contract or sector-specific requirement.

Other Product-Specific Approvals

Depending on the product, additional requirements may involve CDSCO, Plant Quarantine, Animal Quarantine, chemicals, telecom, automotive, medical devices, construction products, petroleum-related controls and other sector-specific authorities.

Restricted and Prohibited Imports

Before shipping, the Indian importer should check the DGFT import policy applicable to the product. Products may be Free, Restricted or Prohibited, or subject to additional conditions. Restricted goods may require prior authorisation.

Do Not Check Compliance After the Shipment Arrives

One of the most expensive mistakes is: Ship first → check compliance later.

The safer sequence is:

Compliance assessment → certification → testing → labelling → importer readiness → commercial shipment.

Practical India Export Compliance Workflow

Step 1 — Identify the product and technical specifications.
Step 2 — Identify the actual manufacturer and factory.
Step 3 — Identify the applicable Indian Standard.
Step 4 — Determine the BIS route: ISI, CRS, FMCS, Scheme X or another applicable route.
Step 5 — Check BEE.
Step 6 — Check WPC/ETA for wireless functions.
Step 7 — Check EPR/environmental obligations.
Step 8 — Check Legal Metrology.
Step 9 — Check FSSAI for food.
Step 10 — Check DGFT import policy.
Step 11 — Prepare customs and product documents.
Step 12 — Review Indian labels and packaging.
Step 13 — Ship only after compliance readiness.

What Instacertify Does for Foreign Manufacturers

At Instacertify, we help foreign manufacturers map the Indian regulatory journey before they manufacture and ship.

Our approach is:

Product → Regulation → Standard → Testing → Certification → Indian importer compliance → Labelling → Shipment

The objective is not simply to obtain one certificate. It is to understand the complete compliance journey for entering India.

Final Advice

India is a large opportunity for foreign manufacturers, but compliance should be planned before shipment.
Not every product needs every approval. That is precisely why a product-specific compliance assessment is important.

CHECK YOUR INDIA COMPLIANCE BEFORE SHIPPING TO INDIA: Certko