Electronics is India's fastest-growing import category — and its most gated. Three separate regulators stand between your product and the market, each with its own portal, testing regime and timeline. This is the checklist we run for every electronics client.
Regulator 1 — BIS (Product Safety)
The Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) covers notified electronics: IT hardware, displays, batteries, appliances, LED products and more. Requirements: testing at a BIS-empanelled laboratory against the applicable Indian Standard, then registration per model. Timeline: 3–4 months, dominated by lab queues — ship test samples on day one.
Regulator 2 — WPC (Anything Wireless)
If the device transmits — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, NFC, LoRa, GPS — it needs Equipment Type Approval from the Wireless Planning & Coordination wing. Standard ETA: 2–3 months. The insider move: eligible licence-exempt low-power devices can use the ETA waiver route and finish in 3–4 weeks. Always assess waiver eligibility before committing to the full path.
Regulator 3 — CPCB / EPR (E-Waste)
Importers of electronics and batteries must register for Extended Producer Responsibility on the CPCB portal — no volume threshold — and file annual returns against escalating recycling targets. Timeline: 3–6 weeks. Start immediately; it's the fastest of the three.
The Parallel-Track Principle
The single biggest mistake: running these sequentially. Done in parallel with one coordinator, all three complete in 3–4 months total. Done one-after-another, you're looking at 7–9 months and a missed launch window.
Quick Answers to the Questions Everyone Asks
- Does CE or FCC count? No. India requires its own approvals. Existing test data can sometimes shorten Indian testing.
- How many samples? Typically 3–5 units for BIS, 1–3 for WPC.
- Wired-only device? Skip WPC. BIS and EPR usually still apply.
- Ship first, register later? Never. There is no retroactive path — detained cargo ends in re-export or destruction.
Launching hardware in India? See the full BIS/WPC/EPR service or request a 48-hour compliance assessment.