Since 2018, India has notified a steadily growing list of industrial chemicals under individual Quality Control Orders. For overseas producers, the impact is direct: a notified chemical cannot be shipped to an Indian buyer unless the producing plant holds a BIS licence under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS). A certificate of analysis, however good, no longer clears customs on its own.
🎯 The 26 notified chemicals, grouped by family
| Family | Chemical | IS Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Inorganic / alkali | Caustic Soda | IS 252:2013 |
| Boric Acid | IS 10116:2015 | |
| Sodium Sulphide | IS 297:2001 | |
| Potassium Carbonate, Anhydrous | IS 7129:1992 | |
| Precipitated Barium Carbonate | IS 3205:1984 / IS 12928:1990 | |
| Stabilized Hydrogen Peroxide | IS 2080:2021 | |
| Phosphorus compounds | Phosphorous Trichloride | IS 4581:1978 |
| Phosphorous Pentachloride | IS 11744:1986 | |
| Phosphorous Oxychloride | IS 11657:1986 | |
| Red Phosphorus | IS 2012:2006 | |
| Solvents | Acetone | IS 170:2004 |
| Ether | IS 336:1973 | |
| Methylene Chloride (Dichloromethane) | IS 4566:2020 | |
| Organic intermediates and petrochemicals | Phthalic Anhydride | IS 5158:1987 |
| Gamma Picoline | IS 16113:2013 | |
| Morpholine | IS 12084:2018 | |
| n-Butyl Acrylate | IS 14709:1999 | |
| Linear Alkyl Benzene | IS 12795:2020 | |
| 3-(N,N-Diethyl) Aminophenol | IS 7686:2020 | |
| 1,3-Phenylenediamine | IS 17450:2020 | |
| Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate | IS 4505:2015 | |
| Water treatment, polymers and others | Poly Aluminium Chloride | IS 15573 |
| Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Latex | IS 11356:2020 | |
| Synthetic Micro-Fibres for cement-based matrix | IS 16481:2016 | |
| Rubberseed Fatty Acids | IS 12124:1987 |
Note: Each chemical has its own QCO, and many have been amended since first notification. Scope, grades and any exemptions must be checked against the latest amendment order for that chemical.
📜 Why chemicals are different from other ISI products
Chemical standards are specification standards: purity or assay, named impurities, moisture, residue and similar limits, often defined separately for each grade. That changes three things for an applicant:
- Grade-specific licences: technical, pure and analytical grades are tested and licensed separately where the standard defines them.
- Batch-wise testing: the plant lab must test every batch to the parameters in the Scheme of Inspection and Testing and keep records.
- Packaging and marking: each drum, bag, IBC or bulk shipment document must carry the ISI mark and licence number as required.
⏱ FMCS process for an overseas chemical plant
- Appoint an AIRAn Authorised Indian Representative is mandatory and shares responsibility for compliance in India.
- Prepare the dossierPlant details, process flow, raw material sources, lab equipment with calibration, QC manpower and test records.
- Apply onlineFile the FMCS application with fees and the performance bank guarantee.
- Plant inspectionBIS officers audit the plant and QC laboratory, witness tests and draw samples.
- Sample shipment and testingSamples travel to India for independent testing. Plan dangerous-goods packing and documentation in advance.
- Grant and markingLicence issued with a CM/L number. Exports can then move with ISI-marked packaging.
⚠ Practical pitfalls we see
- Applying for one grade but exporting another
- Toll or contract manufacturing sites not declared as the licensed site
- Hazardous samples delayed in transit for want of DG documentation
- Traders shipping from multiple plants under one plant's licence
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can an Indian importer hold the BIS licence for a chemical?
No. The licence is granted to the manufacturing plant. The importer can serve as the overseas plant's Authorised Indian Representative.
Is a certificate of analysis enough to import caustic soda into India?
No. Caustic soda (IS 252) is notified under BIS, so the producing plant must hold a valid BIS licence and the goods must carry the ISI mark.
Do different grades of the same chemical need separate approval?
Where the Indian Standard defines separate grades, each grade you supply must be covered in the licence scope after testing.
Chemicals BIS ISI Certification, Handled End to End
Global Approbation manages the complete BIS ISI (Scheme-I) licensing process for chemicals manufacturers and importers: IS standard mapping, documentation, FMCS and AIR support, factory inspection and testing coordination.
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