FMCS stands for Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. FMCS is a program that operates under BIS, Bureau of Indian Standards as per the BIS Act of 2016 and the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulation of 2018, it is made available to foreign producers. Manufacturers or producers either they are from India or other countries, must have BIS Certification if their products are under mandatory BIS Certification. If both foreign manufacturers and Indian manufacturers want to sale their products (which are under mandatory BIS Certification) in the Indian market, then they have to get a BIS license before launching products.
In the case of foreign manufacturers, if a manufacturer from other than India wants to get a BIS license and sale products in India then BIS Certification will be processed under FMCS, Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. Under this scheme, the products must be tested, labeled, and subject to compliance enforcement.
Who can Apply for FMCS?
To be eligible for the FMCS license, you must be a foreign manufacturer exporting regulated products to India, ensuring compliance with BIS safety and quality standards.
Here are the points by which you can understand that you are eligible for FMCS or not:
- The manufacturers, which have their factory location outside India can apply under FMCS.
- They shall: Ensure conformity of their product(s) to applicable Indian Standard Specifications (ISS).
- Have all manufacturing machineries/facilities at their factory premises.
- Arrangements/equipment in their factory premises for testing of the product(s) as per applicable ISS.
If you meet these criteria, you can apply for the FMCS license.
Application Process for FMCS License
There are several steps in the process of BIS licence under FMCS.
- Documentation before submission of application
Documents for FMCS are classified into three parts:
- General Documents
- Air Documents
- Technical Documents
- Scrutiny of application by BIS officials
- Nomination of Auditor by BIS for Audit
- Audit of manufacturing premises by BIS auditor
- Grant of BIS license to the manufacturer
Why BIS Certificate Mandatory for Foreign Manufacturers
If a foreign manufacturer wants to sale their product or goods in India, they must obtain BIS licence under Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme granted by Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS. The BIS product certification program seeks to guarantee the high caliber, long-term stability, and dependability of consumer goods. General items that are include under FMCS for foreign manufacturers are toys, iron and steel goods, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals, electronics and IT, solar energy, and toys). BIS licence under FMCS generally takes 6 months or may be longer to obtain from BIS and without BIS licence foreign manufacturers are not allowed to sale their products or goods in the Indian market.
It is also crucial for foreign manufacturers who want to sale or export their products in India to ensure that their products meet all necessary quality standard parameters. This license for foreign manufacturers will increase the trust of consumers in the market.
Responsibilities that are required to be performed after grant of License
After acquiring FMCS licence or any relevant permission that is needed by Indian law, foreign manufacturer shall identify and appoint a person to serve as its authorized representative in India. The appointment of this authorized person shall be officially informed to the BIS in writing.
The manufacturer’s designation must be written in the appropriate format and connected to letterhead. As a sign of your agreement with and acknowledgment of the terms of this Agreement, and to demonstrate your willingness to abide by various provisions of the Agreement/BIS Act 2016 and the Rules and Regulations there, the form designating the manufacturer’s authorized representative shall also include the signature of the authorized representative so designated, either at the time of entering into this contract or at the time of re-appointment during the term of this contract.
Conclusion
If you are a foreign manufacturer and want to sale your product or goods in India, it is necessary to obtain BIS license under FMCS from Bureau of Indian Standards. It will build trust among the consumers in the market as everyone prefers to purchase certified products. At the same time, it is difficult for a foreign manufacturer to get a BIS license since their product must adhere to several BIS regulations. In this way, we advise consulting with professionals who can assist you in obtaining your BIS licence with ease.
Induce INDIA as one of the best BIS consultancies in India offers ISI BIS Certifications for both foreign manufacturers and domestic manufacturers under the guidelines of Bureau of Indian Standards, Govt. of India. More than 200 domestic and overseas manufacturers received assistance from Induce INDIA for their ISI/BIS licence.
Consequently, if you are a foreign producer or manufacturer and want BIS licence for your product, please get in touch with us. Additionally, we provide you with assistance throughout the project with our expert team.