The Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) has always been the cornerstone of BIS Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme — the resident Indian point of contact between BIS and the overseas manufacturer. Under the new online filing regime effective 1st June 2026, the AIR's role becomes even more central because all correspondence, query handling and post-licence operations move to a single digital trail on manakonline.in.
📌 A foreign lubricant brand cannot self-register on Manakonline as a foreign entity for FMCS — the AIR (or the importer / Indian arm) must be the operational link. This is captured in the Management Details section as a required field with supporting documents.
👤 Who Is an AIR?
An AIR is a resident Indian — an individual or an Indian-registered legal entity — formally nominated by the foreign manufacturer to receive notices, respond to queries, coordinate factory inspections and represent the manufacturer for any BIS-related action in India.
The Manakonline portal recognises four residency status categories for the AIR in the Management Details section:
Resident Indian
An independent Indian individual nominated by the foreign manufacturer to act as AIR.
Resident Indian in Applicant's Org.
An Indian-resident employee of the foreign manufacturer's organisation or group company.
Importer
An Indian importer of the manufacturer's product nominated to function as AIR.
Specialist Consultant
A regulatory consultancy in India formally engaged to act as AIR for BIS purposes.
📋 What Does the AIR Do on Manakonline?
Under the new online regime, the AIR's responsibilities span the full lifecycle of the BIS FMCS licence:
- Coordinate Manakonline account creation with the foreign manufacturer
- Be named in the Management Details section with email, mobile, DIN (if applicable) and AIR Nomination Letter
- Manage correspondence as the "Correspondence Address Communication" contact
- Receive all BIS alerts and queries — and respond inside the portal within timelines
- Coordinate the preliminary factory inspection logistics with the BIS officer
- Handle consignee notifications for ISI-marked supplies once the licence is granted
- Coordinate annual marking fee renewals, inclusions and post-licence amendments
- Maintain records on behalf of the foreign manufacturer for any future BIS audit
📝 The AIR Nomination Letter — What Must It Contain?
The AIR Nomination Letter is uploaded in the Management Details section of the online form. While BIS does not mandate a single template, a well-drafted letter typically includes:
- Issuing AuthorityOn the foreign manufacturer's letterhead, signed by the CEO or duly authorised signatory.
- Manufacturer DetailsFull legal name of the foreign manufacturer, registered office, factory address and country.
- AIR IdentityFull name, designation, organisation, registered office address, email, mobile and Indian PAN of the AIR.
- Scope of AuthorityAuthority to file FMCS applications on Manakonline, sign declarations, respond to queries and coordinate factory inspections.
- Acceptance ClauseThe AIR's signed acceptance of the nomination and confirmation of legal liability under BIS regulations.
- Validity PeriodThe duration of the AIR nomination (typically aligned with licence validity) and termination conditions.
- Date & NotarisationDate of issue and, where applicable, notarisation / consular attestation for cross-border legal validity.
🔍 How to Choose the Right AIR
Selecting the right AIR is one of the highest-leverage decisions a foreign manufacturer makes in the FMCS journey. The wrong AIR can stretch a 6-month licence grant into a 12-month ordeal.
- Regulatory familiarity — direct, repeated experience with BIS FMCS files (not just CRS or other schemes)
- Bandwidth — capacity to respond to BIS queries within the stipulated days, not when "free"
- Documentation discipline — ability to draft SIT, Form-IV reports and undertakings in BIS-acceptable formats
- Reachability — Indian phone, Indian email and office presence at a verifiable address
- Conflict of interest — for non-importer AIRs, no exclusive tie-ups that conflict with the manufacturer's commercial freedom
- Long-term relationship — willingness to continue post-licence (marking fee, renewals, audits, inclusions)
- Confidentiality & data hygiene — robust handling of brand and process documents on the online portal
🛡️ Common AIR-Related Mistakes
Avoid these common AIR mistakes that cause BIS query loops and delayed licences:
- AIR Nomination Letter without specific scope of authority for FMCS online filing
- AIR's contact details on Manakonline not matching the Nomination Letter
- Mismatched residency status declaration (e.g., declared "Resident Indian" but employee of the manufacturer)
- AIR's Indian PAN, address and email not consistent across documents
- Sudden change of AIR mid-application without a formal supersession letter
- AIR being unavailable for the preliminary factory inspection coordination call from BIS
🏆 Why Use a Specialist AIR
Global Approbation provides Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) services as part of its end-to-end BIS FMCS solution. Our AIR engagement covers Manakonline account management, online application drafting, query response, factory inspection coordination, consignee notifications, marking fee management, renewals and post-licence inclusions — under a single accountability umbrella.
Need a Reliable AIR for Your BIS FMCS?
Global Approbation can act as your Authorised Indian Representative — managing the full online FMCS lifecycle for your factory.
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