BIS FMCS for Foreign Manufacturers

If you manufacture products outside India and want to sell them here, you cannot simply ship and list them. For most notified goods, your overseas factory must first hold a BIS licence under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS), which lets you carry the BIS Standard Mark, the familiar ISI Mark, on products bound for the Indian market. This guide explains what FMCS is, who needs it, and how the licence is granted.

What is BIS FMCS?

FMCS, the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, is the route through which an overseas manufacturer obtains a licence from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to use the BIS Standard Mark (the ISI Mark) on products sold in India, provided those products conform to the relevant Indian Standard. BIS has operated FMCS since 2000. Its legal basis is Scheme-I of Schedule-II under the BIS Act, 2016 and the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. On a certified product, the mark displays the Indian Standard number at the top and a licence number in the format CM/L-XXXXXXXXXX at the bottom.

The scheme is administered by BIS, with a dedicated Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD) that issues certificates to foreign manufacturers. Alongside the online application, a hard copy of the application is submitted to the FMCD office in New Delhi (ITO).

Who needs it?

• Foreign (overseas) manufacturers who want to sell products covered by mandatory Indian certification into the Indian market.
• Any overseas maker whose goods, without conformance, testing and proper marking, simply cannot be released to Indian buyers.
• Manufacturers prepared to have their overseas production facility inspected, since the scheme includes a factory audit of the plant abroad.

Products and standards covered

FMCS applies to the same list of products that are notified for mandatory certification under the ISI scheme, currently around 975 products, each tied to a specific Indian Standard. A few representative examples:

This is only a small sample. The full schedule runs to hundreds of products, including steel, fasteners, pipes and fittings, and many consumer and medical items, each mapped to its own Indian Standard. Always verify your exact product and the applicable standard against the current BIS schedule.

The registration process

1. Application submission: prepare the required documents, submit the application online to BIS, and send a hard copy to the FMCD office in New Delhi (ITO). BIS then scrutinises the application.
2. Queries: BIS may raise questions or ask for clarifications, which the applicant must resolve.
3. Factory audit and inspection: BIS officers travel to and inspect the overseas manufacturing facility.
4. Sample testing: product samples are tested against the applicable Indian Standard.
5. Grant of licence: once BIS is satisfied, the licence is granted. The applicant signs an agreement and indemnity bond with BIS covering fees, the AIR nomination, licensee rights and responsibilities, termination, the Performance Bank Guarantee, cancellation, non-renewal and scheme inspection and testing.

Documents required

BIS expects a complete documentation set with the application, typically covering the following:

• Covering letter.
• Application form in the prescribed BIS format.
• Proof of payment remittance.
• Business or manufacturing licence.
• List of raw materials with supplier details.
• Raw material test certificates with invoices.
• List of plant and machinery.
• Factory layout showing manufacturing and testing locations.
• Manufacturing process flow chart.
• List of testing equipment as required by the relevant IS standards.
• Quality-control engineer documents.
• Calibration certificates for testing instruments.
• Scope of licence per the product manual format.
• Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) documents: Aadhaar, PAN and a degree certificate.
• Trademark registration certificate, if available.
• Undertaking from the manufacturer.

Timeline and validity

FMCS does not follow a single fixed timeline. The overall duration depends on how quickly the documentation is completed, how soon the overseas factory audit can be scheduled, the travel involved for BIS officers, and the time taken for sample testing against the applicable Indian Standard.

The licence is granted for a defined period and must be renewed to remain valid. Because BIS periodically revises these terms, confirm the current licence validity and renewal conditions against the official BIS schedule before you plan around them.

Fees (indicative)

Costs under FMCS include both standard charges and reimbursements tied to the overseas audit. Indicative figures are set out below.

These figures are indicative only. They vary by product, country and BIS policy, and are revised from time to time, so every amount must be verified against the current BIS schedule before you budget.

Why it matters

• Legal market access – an FMCS licence lets a foreign manufacturer sell covered products in India and apply the ISI Mark lawfully.
• Entry to the Indian market – without conformance, testing and marking, goods cannot be released to Indian buyers at all.
• Independent proof of quality – certification is third-party evidence that your product meets recognised safety and performance requirements.
• Smoother acceptance – the mark eases customs clearance and builds trust with distributors and end customers.

This page is general information and is not legal advice. The standards, fees, timelines and product lists described here are set by BIS and are revised periodically. Always verify current requirements against official BIS notifications, or consult our team, before acting.