The transition from offline to online BIS FMCS filing is more than a change of medium — it changes documentation discipline, internal coordination, and the way Authorised Indian Representatives (AIRs) interact with BIS. This blog walks through every meaningful difference between the legacy offline regime and the new online workflow on manakonline.in, effective 1st June 2026.
📌 While BIS has not issued a separate gazette for this change, the announcement on the BIS Manakonline portal is the official communication to foreign manufacturers and AIRs.
📝 The Big Picture: Mode of Filing
Under the offline regime, foreign manufacturers prepared physical Form-VI applications with annexures and dispatched them by courier to BIS. The online regime collapses this entire workflow into a single, structured 9-section online form with section-wise PDF / Excel uploads. Drafts are auto-saved, and the application is locked only on payment.
📊 Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Parameter | Offline FMCS (Until 31-May-2026) | Online FMCS (From 01-Jun-2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Mode of Filing | Physical Form-VI couriered to BIS HQ / branch | Online filing through Manakonline portal |
| Account & Login | Not required | Mandatory account on Manakonline with email + mobile OTP verification |
| Form Structure | Multiple paper annexures & declarations | Single online form with 9 structured sections |
| Document Submission | Hard copies / scanned email attachments | Direct upload (PDF / Excel, max 20 MB per file) |
| IS Standard Selection | Filled manually on Form-VI | Selected from in-portal IS lookup ("Click here to know Standards") |
| Fee Calculation | Manually computed by applicant / consultant | Auto-calculated by system in INR (paid in equivalent USD) |
| Payment Mode | USD wire / draft to BIS branch | USD offline transfer + portal upload of bank advice |
| Tracking | Phone / email follow-up with BIS officer | Live dashboard — Draft, Submitted, Licences, Payment Receipts |
| Preview & Edit | Difficult once couriered | Section-wise preview & edit before locking the application |
| Draft Save | Not applicable | Automatic Draft save after every section |
| Query Handling | Email / phone follow-up | Document re-uploads / responses via the applicant dashboard |
| Acceptance of Offline Submission | Yes | No — strictly discontinued |
🎯 Operational Differences That Matter
The online regime is not just paperless — it forces a level of upstream discipline that many foreign manufacturers historically deferred until BIS asked for it.
Profile Completeness Gate
The Apply for New Licence button is unlocked only at 100% Organisation Profile completion — there's no "send incomplete and follow up" route.
Templates Are Enforced
BIS templates (e.g., Manufacturing Machinery List Excel) are downloadable inside the form — the system rejects non-standard formats.
One Locked Email
The email registered at account creation is permanent — choose a corporate ID and document the password handover process.
Auditable Trail
Every action — submission, query response, payment — is logged and visible on the dashboard, creating a clean audit trail.
⏱️ Timeline Differences
The total licence-grant timeline (typically 6–9 months) doesn't shrink dramatically because the preliminary factory inspection by BIS is unchanged. However, document handling and query resolution can save 2–4 weeks on average compared to offline.
❗ What Stays the Same?
- Statutory framework — BIS Act, 2016 and ISI Mark licensing under FMCS Regulations
- Indian Standard (IS) numbers and applicable technical requirements
- Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) requirement
- Preliminary factory inspection by a BIS officer
- Form-IV in-house test report and Scheme of Inspection & Testing (SIT)
- USD payment route for fees
- Licence validity, marking fee structure and renewal cycle
Transitioning From Offline to Online?
We help foreign manufacturers move their existing FMCS files and renewals to the Manakonline portal seamlessly.
BIS FMCS Services Talk to Our Team