The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published a detailed set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), dated 22 July 2026, clarifying how manufacturers should migrate from India’s legacy audio/video and IT equipment safety standards to the new, globally aligned IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.
The FAQ builds on the migration guidelines issued earlier in 2026 and answers many of the practical questions licensees have raised, from what happens to existing licence numbers to how lead models must be tested. Here is what manufacturers, brands, and importers need to know.
What Is Changing
Under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS), IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 replaces two legacy standards: IS 13252 (Part 1):2010, which covered IT equipment, and IS 616:2017, which covered audio/video equipment. The new standard was notified by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) under the Compulsory Registration Order (CRO).
IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 takes a hazard-based safety engineering approach and consolidates IT and audio/video equipment into a single, internationally recognised safety standard, reflecting how modern products increasingly combine both functions.
The Key Timeline
A concurrent running period allows the old and new standards to coexist temporarily, but the windows differ by product type:
- Most product categories: old and new standards may run concurrently until 1 November 2028. After that date, IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 will be withdrawn, and only IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 will be accepted for CRS registration.
- Extended Reality (XR) products (AR, VR, and MR devices): the concurrent running period was shorter and has already closed, so these products now fall under IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.
The FAQ confirms that renewals under the old standards are permitted only up to the last date of concurrent running, in line with the implementation timeline notified by MeitY.
Scope
This is a broad change, affecting over 40 product categories under the CRO. In practical terms it reaches a large share of everyday consumer and IT electronics, including laptops, televisions, monitors, printers, set-top boxes, mobile phones, power banks, CCTV cameras, smart watches, wireless speakers, and more.
What the FAQ Clarifies
Several of the FAQ’s answers address the questions licensees most commonly ask:
- Licence numbers stay the same. Existing Licence Nos. (R-nos.) remain unchanged after successful migration, and separate licences held for different product categories continue to remain valid, with migration carried out separately for each.
- Lead models must be tested to the new standard. A single representative sample per licence is not sufficient; licensees must submit complete test reports from a BIS-recognised laboratory for all lead models in their scope, identified per the revised Series Guidelines.
- Critical components must also comply. Components complying only with the old standards will not be accepted in the Critical Component List (CCL); they must meet IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.
- No fee for migration of already-registered models, where applied via the Standard Revision provision available to licensees.
- Testing can start early. Manufacturers may begin testing to the new standard before submitting their migration application, and components and end products may be tested in parallel under the applicable BIS Parallel Testing Guidelines.
- BIS-recognised labs are available. The list can be found on the BIS Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) portal by searching the standard number.
What Licensees Need to Do
For businesses holding or applying for BIS CRS licences, the practical steps are:
- Get all applicable lead models tested by BIS-recognised laboratories against IS/IEC 62368-1:2023.
- Apply for migration of existing models and licences before the end of the concurrent running period.
- If filing under the old standards during the transition, submit the required declaration committing to implement IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 by the last date of concurrent running.
- Plan early: failure to complete migration by the deadline can lead to cancellation of the licence or deletion of models from the licence scope.
While 1 November 2028 may sound distant, testing, documentation, and certification timelines add up quickly, and testing-lab capacity is likely to tighten closer to the deadline. Starting the transition now is the safest way to maintain uninterrupted market access.
How C-PRAV Can Support You
As one of India’s leading certification service providers, C-PRAV helps manufacturers, brands, and importers navigate BIS CRS certification and the migration to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023. Our India-based experts can identify your lead models under the revised Series Guidelines, coordinate safety testing through BIS-recognised laboratories, manage critical component (CCL) requirements, and handle your migration application end-to-end, helping you complete the transition well ahead of the deadline and keep your products on the Indian market.
Have questions? We’re here to help.