BIS SCHEME X CERTIFICATION

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) launched “Scheme X” on March 16, 2022. Its main objective is to enable Indian and foreign manufacturers to get all types of assemblies/sub-assemblies/machine tools under Schedule-II, Scheme-X certified with BIS mark before selling them in the Indian market.

BIS allows obtaining license or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for low voltage switchgear and control gear, Machinery, and Electrical equipment, under Scheme-X which allows manufacturers to use BIS Standard Mark on their products.

Products certified under Scheme-X comply with relevant Indian standards and regulations mandated by the Government, and ensure consumer confidence.

Scheme X is a product certification scheme introduced under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Conformity Assessment Regulations, 2018, which was further refined by the BIS Conformity Assessment (Amendment) Regulations, 2022. Its main objective is to align Indian safety standards with global norms. Under this, machinery and electrical equipment manufactured or imported in India are certified under Scheme X to meet the requirements of stringent technical and safety standards.

The “Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024” issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) which will come into effect from August 28, 2025, covers machinery and electrical equipment such as pumps for handling liquids, compressors, cranes, rotary electrical machines, transformers, switchgear etc. Under this order, machinery or electrical equipment, and their assemblies, sub-assemblies, or components made under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 are not subject to conformity assessment. Additionally, “Scheme X” for construction equipment falling under the CMVR Rules, 1989 issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is a special conformity assessment framework designed for products requiring stringent technical and safety standards.

The OTR known as “Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024” has been issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries through its gazette notification dated August 28, 2024. The main objective of the Omnibus Technical Regulation is to ensure the safety and compliance of machinery and electrical equipment safety and their assemblies as well as components as per Scheme X of BIS Regulations.

This order refers to every category of machinery or electrical equipment, including their assemblies, sub-assemblies, or any other parts thereof, but subject to certain exceptions noted below:

• For those machineries & components which fall under any other order made under Section 16 of Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
• Furthermore, domestic produced goods or articles meant for export are also not covered by this regulation.
• Last, but not the least, construction equipment which are subject to the CMVR Rule 1989 of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is also excluded. These exemptions are very helpful for compliance as well as for business activities." Based on this notification, this regulation shall come into force from 28th August 2025.

So In a nutshell, all these machinery and electrical equipment described in the Omnibus Technical Regulation 2024, along with the low voltage switchgear and control gear notified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, shall be covered by Saw Certification Scheme X of the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Under the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024, manufacturers of machinery and electrical equipment—such as pumps, compressors, centrifuges, cranes, transformers and switchgear—manufactured or imported in India are required to obtain certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under Scheme X.

Under BIS Scheme X, manufacturers can obtain a BIS license or Certificate of Conformity (CoC) for their products and use the BIS standard mark. This certification helps ensure safety, reliability and consumer confidence of machinery and electrical equipment.

Manufacturers of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are required to obtain BIS certification under Scheme X for their products to ensure compliance with stringent safety standards and gain a competitive advantage in the market.

BIS Scheme X Certification is a BIS Certification Scheme for Low Voltage Switchgear & Control Gear, Machinery and Electrical Equipment (Omnibus Technical Regulation) product under Scheme-X, launched by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on March 16, 2022. compliance with safety standards is mandatory for all types of machine tools working on stone, ceramic, concrete, asbestos cement or mineral glass products and their assembly. For this, BIS Scheme-X certification has been made mandatory for the manufacturer.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is responsible for providing BIS certification for products falling under Scheme X. The BIS Standard Mark or BIS Scheme X Certification Mark consists of the license number of the product indicated at the bottom as 'CM/L-XXXXXXXXXX' while the standard number is indicated at the top of the mark.

This mark is provided by the Bureau of Indian Standards only after the successful grant of BIS Licence. Every manufacturer must comply with the Indian Standards norms and market their product with a valid BIS Mark.

Without a BIS Licence, it is a punishable offence to mark any product with a license number as 'CM/L-XXXXXXXXXXXX' and sell it in the Indian consumer market.

Scheme-I:

Scheme I covers a wide range of consumer products including electronics, home appliances and industrial materials.

• It requires the products to bear a standard mark (ISI mark).
• It covers both domestic and foreign manufacturers.
• The certification process ensures quality through factory inspection and sample testing.

Scheme-X:

• This scheme is targeted to high risk and industrial products including electrical safety equipment, special industrial products, and heavy machinery.
• The certification process under this scheme is rigorous and entails detailed reporting as well as thorough inspections.
• The surcharge for additional compliance requirements explains the higher certification fee compared to Scheme I.

If electric equipment and industrial machinery are your business, then you fall under Scheme-X.

Know about the various products covered under Scheme-X. This scheme is for products that have the highest risk and are defined as, for example, low voltage switchgear and controlgear :

• Electrical Equipment: Industrial Transformers, Power Supply Units, and High Voltage Equipment.
• Heavy Machinery: Hydraulic Presses, Industrial Cranes, and Automation Equipment.
• Safety Equipment: Fire Extinguishers, Pressure Vessels, and Emergency Electrical Systems.
• Specialized Consumer Electronics: Medical Grade Electrical Appliances that have prominent safety features.

If you are a manufacturer whose products match any of the above, it is important to obtain Scheme-X certification before you start manufacturing or selling in India.

List of products requiring mandatory BIS certification under Scheme X includes the following categories of low-voltage switchgear and controlgear as notified by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

Low – Voltage switchgear and controlgear – Notified by Ministry of Heavy Industries

BIS Scheme-X certification gives confidence on safety and quality. Following are the essential elements of safety which the manufacturers are bound to meet.

• Electrical Safety: Compliance with IEC standards to avoid risks such as short circuits and electrical failures.
• Mechanical Safety: Comprehensive testing of primary structure, innovative materials, and reliability of industrial equipment.
• Fire Safety: Use of fire-retardant materials for construction and meeting the performance of the applied products with respect to flame propagation.
• Environmental Compliance: Controlled consumption of energy and eco-friendly materials during production.
• Quality Management: Continuous checks on machinery to maintain the prescribed norms and standards, regulating factory conditions and production processes.

Conform to the corresponding Indian Standards, as applicable, as given below :

• Type A standards - IS 16819:2018 / ISO 12100:2010 (Safety of Machinery General Principles for Design - Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction)
• Type B Standards - as per the Second Schedule of the OTR order
• Type C Standards - as per the Third Schedule of the OTR order
• IS/IEC 60947 (various parts/sections) - Low-Voltage switchgear and controlgear

Safety standards guarantee that certified products comply with regulations and safeguard the interests of the end-users. which the manufacturers are bound to meet.

Under Scheme X or Schedule II, manufacturers must have the following documents to obtain BIS certification for Machinery and Electrical Equipment from BIS

Prior Registration : Manufacturers must provide the following information for registration:

Registration - Manufacturers must register on the official BIS portal called Manak online The portal offers a registration feature specifically for OTR.

The following steps explain the process of getting BIS certification under Scheme-X :

• Check Applicability: Determine whether your product is compliant with BIS safety requirements and falls under the scope of Scheme-X.
• Prepare Documents: Business Registration, Product Specifications, Factory Layout, Test Reports.
• Technical File: A compliance report is prepared in support of the technical file along with the product and demonstrates that the product has been statistically proven to meet the prescribed standards. The technical file should contain product information, details of manufacturing processes, compliance documents, scope of product, quality check documents, and other relevant information demonstrating traceability. If required, it should provide testing, raw materials and sub-contract agreements, and test documents.
• Submission of Application: The application is submitted through the BIS portal, and the relevant fee is paid.
• Factory Inspection: The factory inspection period is 2 days for domestic manufacturers and 3 days for foreign manufacturers. Additional days will be required for extra requests, if any. During the visit, BIS officials carefully monitor the manufacturing methods and quality assurance systems in use, review the technical file, witness testing, check for non-conformities or provide advice, and report to the applicant. After the audit, all findings are presented.
• Sample Testing: Product sample testing is carried out at the manufacturer's premises or through BIS-accredited laboratories if a test is outsourced.
• Certification Issuance: Upon meeting the requirements as outlined, BIS issues a license allowing the use of the BIS mark.

"In this way, these actions guarantee the consistent receipt of certifications while complying with the required international standards."

PROCEDURE OF BIS SCHEME X CERTIFICATION

Know the Certification process for products under Scheme X and its License Procedure for domestic and foreign manufacturers.

Procedure for grant of Licence for Domestic Manufacturers

The following steps will take place for Domestic Manufacturers mentioned below:

1. Documentation Process
2. Submission of Application along with Application Fee
3. Application recording by BIS
4. Scrutiny of Application and response to any queries raised by BIS
5. Nomination of Auditor & Payment to BIS (Audit charges)
6. Factory Audit and Sample sending for Testing at OSL
7. Testing of sample in BIS recognized lab & Payment to Laboratory for Testing (Sub contracted facilities may vary.)
8. Payment to BIS (Marking fee and licence fee)
9. Grant of License

General Timeline: approx 90 working days as per BIS practice.

Procedure for grant of Licence for Foreign Manufacturers

The following steps will take place for Foreign Manufacturers mentioned below:

1. Documentation Process
2. Submission of Application along with Application Fee
3. Application recording by BIS
4. Scrutiny of Application and response to any queries raised by BIS
5. Nomination of Auditor & Payment to BIS (Audit charges)
6. Audit preparation (including arrangements for Visa, Air tickets, Hotel Booking)
7. Factory Audit and Sample sending for Testing at OSL
8. Testing of sample in BIS recognized lab & Payment to Laboratory for Testing (Sub contracted facilities may vary.)
9. Payment to BIS (Marking fee and licence fee)
10. Grant of License

General Timeline: Approx. 6-7 months, based on current practices.

KEY ADDITIONAL POINTERS FOR BIS SCHEME X CERTIFICATION

Additional Pointers For Foreign Manufacturers:

• All foreign manufacturers are classified as ‘Large Scale’ under FMCS norms, irrespective of their actual scale of operations.
• Foreign manufacturers must nominate an AIR (Authorised Indian Representative) to act as a liaison for the operation and maintenance of the BIS licence.
• Factory audits, in case of foreign manufacturers, involve on-site inspections and sample testing at BIS recognized labs, typically lasting 3 days, with additional man-days for each extra application.

To simplify the certification process, manufacturers must adhere to the specified fee structure. As per Schedule-II, Scheme-X, Paragraph 5 of the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, the Bureau has notified the following fee structure. This notification shall be applicable to those products or product groups for which no separate fee has been specifically notified.

Validity and Renewal Process of Scheme-X Certificate

• Licence Validity and Renewal: Licences for continuous production are issued for 3 to 6 years, with renewal options for the same duration.
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC): Issued for one-time production, applicable to both domestic and foreign manufacturers, with no renewal option.
• Product Test Reports: If test reports are from the manufacturer’s in-house lab, BIS officers will verify results during the factory visit through witness testing. Sub-contracted facilities used for in-house testing will also be inspected.

Manufacturers must comply with the Scheme-X certification process to maintain the conformity and approval of their products. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will review the application and issue a renewed license using Form-VIII, following the provisions of Regulation 8 of the applicable regulations.

BIS Scheme X Certification is required to ensure quality and safety of low voltage switchgear, control gear, machinery, and electrical equipment. Scheme X allows the manufacturer to simplify the production process and adhere to strict Indian standards.

It is mandatory to obtain BIS Scheme-X certification for machine tools of stone, ceramic, concrete, asbestos cement, and mineral glass products. Compliance with this regulation not only ensures product reliability but also increases consumer confidence in certified brands.

Contact Aleph India, a leading BIS Scheme-X certification consultant, to simplify the complex certification process. As a BIS Consultant, Aleph India has been a trusted manufacturer partner in India for over 16 years. With rich experience in product testing, inspection, and regulatory compliance, Aleph India offers comprehensive support for manufacturers and importers.

For assistance with BIS Scheme-X certification, including documentation, testing, and application processing, contact Aleph India at [email protected].