Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) – Complete Guide


India-The Fastest Future Emerging Economy, standing beside the biggest international economies of the world. Illegal trade, services, factories, sale of goods, import-export-do these really exist in the spirit of globalization? In the past few decades, foreign companies came with several industries in India, like manufacturing. Manufacturing proposals are carried out with potential expansion of the market-base in cross-national boundaries to earn foreign exchange into the economy and thereby increase overall development. It is called an “engine of growth.” Gradually, this country has been emerging as the most desirable market for import and investment into manufacturing. There are a number of foreign giants that are in the process of investing in India; for example, Amazon is considering electronic manufacturing in India, while Samsung is putting in huge amounts of investment in manufacturing in Noida. A number of concessions are offered by the Government of India to promote and develop manufacturing in India.

There are lots of foreign companies in India, but every nation puts up a different set of rules and standards for manufacturers. You cannot bring your product directly into the market without product conformity compliance, testing, and marking. For this, you need to see a procedure, and this is where FMCS comes in for product certification by BIS under the ISI Mark Scheme.

WHAT IS FOREIGN MANUFACTURERS CERTIFICATION SCHEME (FMCS)?

Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme has been administered by the Bureau of Indian Standards since 2000, as granted under Scheme-I of Schedule-II, BIS Act, 2016, and (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 for foreign manufacturers. The scheme enables the foreign applicants/manufacturers to use the standard mark or ISI Mark, on their products for legal marketing purposes in India. The only department engaged in certifying the import of foreign manufacturers is the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD). The major motive of BIS for granting Manufacturing certificate to Foreign manufactures is that the public gets good quality, safe, reliable and risk-free products.

BIS FMCS Certificate in India, issued through the FMCD department, is meant for manufacturing units located overseas that are subjected to factory audit, which tests whether the manufacturer is complying with all requirements set forth by BIS. It is mandatory for the foreign applicants to nominate an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR).Let’s understand all these steps in detail.

The foreign manufacturers must obtain a BIS Certificate for Import in India under the FMCS Scheme to continue their uninterrupted exporting and selling of products in the Indian market.

Key Documents & Compliance Needed for FMCS Certification

A foreign manufacturer wishing to export product(s) to India needs to compulsorily obtain a manufacturer certificate from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), and the applicant for the same will have to comply with the following requirements. WeDo Certification being a global consulting firm in BIS FMCS Registration offers advisory and consulting services to industries in India and abroad.

    • The manufacturing unit has to be located outside of India.

    • The manufacturer has to ensure conformity of their product(s) to the applicable Indian Standards Specification (ISS).

    • All manufacturing machinery and testing facilities should be available at the factory premises.

    • Testing equipment should be available to test the product according to the applicable ISS and the quality control personnel present in an in-house laboratory.

    • The manufacturer should accept the Scheme of Inspection & Testing (SIT) and the annual marking fee.

    • The company/manufacturer (FMCS) should agree to adhere to all terms and conditions of the License.

Note: Separate applications must be submitted for each product and each factory location. Below is the list of the products under FMCS.

MANDATORY DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR FMCS ISI MARK CERTIFICATION

There is little documentation under the FMCS BIS Certification scheme of BIS as it is all very recent and the whole system of Online application had been introduced for recordkeeping purposes. The following are some of the documents that an applicant must have in his possession for filing an application:

    • Registration documents of the factory/company

    • Detailed structure of the manufacturing process

    • Manufacturing facilities both in-house and also outsourcing manufacturing, if applicable

    • Testing facilities

    • Quality Control parameters and records thereof

    • Agree with the Scheme of Testing and Inspection and the Annual Marking Fee, Laboratory Product Testing Report and all such information as per BIS Norms; so much for the hanky-panky of documents, which in fact is quite tedious and can be obtained from BIS.

Grant of BIS License Process under FMCS

The foreign manufacturer wants to extend its business in India with stringent standards of product quality and safety. The BIS hence ensures through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS) that only those products which are of good quality and safe can enter the Indian market.

The FMCS Certification in India ensures the product manufacturers comply with regulatory requirements, and it works towards building consumer trust in India. The ISI Mark Certification on your product is a declaration that it conforms to Indian Standards; a very important constituent in establishing brand credibility, and smooth imports, as well as market acceptance. Although the licensing procedures may appear to be tedious, with adequate preparation and documentation, it should flow without any hiccups.

Submit application:

    • All required documents will be compiled.

    • The application with the necessary documents shall be submitted online at BIS and the hard copy submitted to FMCD Department.

    • After receipt of the application, the application will be checked by the BIS Authority.

Queries raised (if any):

    • Applicants will be informed by e-mail in case of any document or test equipment missing or unfulfilled requirements. 

    • If the application is found satisfactory on all counts, it shall be recorded.

    • An acknowledgement number shall be allotted for future reference. 

Audit/Inspection:

    • BIS Officer will fix the date of inspection/audit in mutual consent with the applicant.

    • Remittance of the inspection/audit fee. 

    • BIS Officer shall check the manufacturing process, the testing infrastructure, and the testing of the product in your in-house laboratory.

    • The BIS officer shall seize the sample, seal it, and forward it for testing with an independent laboratory. 

Sample Testing:

    • Samples collected sent to the BIS approval laboratory

    • Receiving of Test Report by BIS(FMCS)

    • Charges for testing will be borne by the application firm

Grant of License:

    • The grant of licence shall be based on a satisfactory inspection report of the auditor who visited the factory premises and the test report of the product received in accordance with Indian Standards.

    • Satisfactory inspection report of the auditor visited the factory premises, and test report of the product received according to Indian Standards

    • Applicant should pay a Licence fee, advance minimum Marking fee & if any outstanding due

    • Letter for Grant of License issued

Guaranty Bond:

The Applicant and the BIS enter into an Indemnity Bond containing the following provisions:

    • Fees

    • Nomination

    • All rights and responsibilities of licensee

    • Indemnity

    • Termination

    • Performance bank guarantee

    • Cancellation of license

    • Non-Renewal

Once all of the above steps have been fulfilled, the licence will be granted on payment of all types of fees. The licence shall be granted initially for a period of one year and shall be renewable for subsequent years as well.

Time Schedule For BIS License

The time taken for issue of License may generally be expected to be about 6 months from the date of receipt of complete application, and its recording. Beyond that, it depends on the circumstances involved. It may take longer due to several reasons, such as if the applicant takes time to respond to queries, delays during inspection or testing of the sample, or delay in remittance of dues, etc.

Surveillance Inspection

There may be conducted, from time to time, Surveillance Inspection at the behest of BIS through the drawing of market samples to ascertain the performance of the foreign BIS license.

Complaint Redressal

Whenever a complaint is received against any product of the licensee, the complaint shall be investigated in accordance with IS / ISO 10002, and action shall be taken immediately to address the complaint, which would include free replacement or repair. In case of any damage on account of the action, such damage shall become the liability of the Licensee, and neither DoS nor BIS shall be liable for damages or losses.

What is the formality for renewal of a BIS License?

The duration of the license of BIS-certified manufacturers is one year. This can be renewed for another year by filing an application for renewal, accompanied by the prescribed fees given in the certificate by the Chartered accountant.

How to Appoint an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR)

Every Foreign applicant/manufacturer shall install a branch office in India that will undertake all liabilities and obligations with regard to the BIS Act, 1986, rules, and regulations framed for the purpose of registration, on behalf of the said foreign applicant. Foreign Manufacturers/companies need to appoint an Authorized Representative in India for representing their case and dealing with regulations and registrations.

If the foreign applicant does not have a branch office in India, nomination of an AIR in India is necessary to get the licence from the BIS or have the ISI Mark certificates issued. AIR is the local representative who takes care of submission and management of the application for certification and being available for clarifications if any. While nominating the AIR, the applicant should keep the following points in mind:

AIR, nominated by the foreign manufacturer, needs to be a resident of India.

AIR must give consent to accept responsibility for conformance to the provisions of the Indian BIS Act, Rules, Regulations, and Terms & Conditions stipulated in the BIS License, Agreement, Undertaking, or other document(s) executed by or on behalf of the Foreign Manufacturer in respect of the grant and operation of the license.

    • AIR can represent one Foreign manufacturer at one time and can never represent any other Foreign applicants as AIR. 

    • The AIR(s) shall not be having any conflict of interest between their AIR role with testing of sample(s) in third party laboratories. 

    • The minimum qualifications for the applicant to be appointed as AIR shall be a Degree (any stream) and knowledge of the provisions of the BIS Act, 2016, and the associated rules & regulations.

    • AIR’s name shall be mentioned in the license documents.

Obtaining a BIS Certification is more complicated than it might initially appear to be. It is, therefore, recommended for the applicant to hire a consultant who will provide a smooth and hassle-free certification service. 

WeDo Certification is the leading FMCS Agency in India, providing expert consultants and agents for easing the FMCS certification for foreign manufacturers. The 4+ years of experience ensure a smooth and efficient process, assisting businesses in complying with Indian regulatory standards.

Products Covered Under BIS Certification Scheme

The Bureau of Indian Standards is charged with ensuring safety, quality, and reliability of the products entering the Indian market. For consumer protection and trust maintenance, BIS has introduced various certification schemes. In India, many products cannot be sold without the BIS Certification because they affect consumer safety, health, and environment. At the same time, in a way, the manufacturer is benefited since product feedback through BIS Certification creates trust and acceptance of the products both in India and abroad.

The product list under the BIS Certification Scheme is very wide, covering industries like electronics, chemicals, food, healthcare, steel, and household products. The main areas are listed below:

1. Electronics and IT Products

Items like mobile phones, laptops, LED lights, smart watches, printers, adapters, and set-top boxes come under compulsory BIS certification. These goods directly affect consumer presence; thus, ensuring safety standards is a must.

2. Household Electrical Appliances

Everyday items such as refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, cables, switches, water heaters, and electric irons are included in the scheme. Certification ensures the safety of these products for home usage.

3. Steel & Chemical Products

Industrial products like cement, steel bars, paints, fertilizers, and other chemical-based products require BIS approval so as to ensure quality in construction and industrial safety.

4. Automobile Components

Roadworthy components include the tyres, brake linings, safety glass, and wheels required under mandatory certification.

5. Medical & Healthcare Devices

Due to the increased demand for healthcare products, BIS certifies thermometers, blood pressure monitors, and medical electronic devices and other instruments in the medical field to ensure accuracy and safety.

6. Food & Packaged Products

Under the BIS schemes would also come packaged drinking water, milk powder, infant food, and other types of processed food items to meet consumer quality-hygiene standards.

Why is BIS Certification Important for Products?

    • It protects consumer safety and health.

    • It ensures that the product meets Indian and international quality standards.

    • It increases brand trust and credibility.

    • It is compulsory for certain products to be sold in India.

About WeDo Certification

WeDo Certification is a professional consultancy firm that specializes in providing end-to-end services for BIS, FMCS, CRS, EPR, BEE, and other certification & compliance solutions in India. With more than 4+ years of experience, we have helped hundreds of Indian as well as international clients to obtain their required licenses smoothly and efficiently.

Our mission is to make the complex process of government certifications simple, transparent, and cost-effective for businesses. Whether you are a manufacturer, importer, or startup, our team of experts ensures that your products meet the legal standards and regulatory requirements set by Indian authorities.

Why Choose WeDo Certification?

    • 4+ Years of Expertise in BIS and other certification services.

    • Assisted 100+ clients across different industries including electronics, steel, household appliances, medical devices, and food products.

    • End-to-End Support – from document preparation, application filing, product testing, to final license approval.

    • Trusted by Manufacturers & Importers from India as well as international markets.

    • Customized Guidance as per your industry and product requirements.

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