Other
Reversible heat pump air conditioners (split, unitary, ducted, package units)
HSN 8415 81 90 (reversible heat pump air conditioners) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (QC) Amendment Order 2025. Conformity to IS 1391 (Part 1):2017 for unitary units, IS 1391 (Part 2):2018 for split units, and IS 8148:2018 for ducted and package units is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 October 2023. Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation, Ozone Depleting Substances licensing, and Bureau of Energy Efficiency labelling apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence number on the BIS online register against the applicable standard before placing the purchase order: IS 1391 (Part 1):2017 for unitary room air conditioners, IS 1391 (Part 2):2018 for split-type units, or IS 8148:2018 for ducted and package air conditioners. Confirm the licensed product scope, capacity range, and manufacturing facility.Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (QC) Amendment Order 2025 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019 · IS 1391 (Part 1):2017; IS 1391 (Part 2):2018; IS 8148:2018
- 2Ensure each unit bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L licence number as required under Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself, not solely on packaging.Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (QC) Amendment Order 2025
- 3Obtain an Ozone Depleting Substances import licence from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade if the equipment contains ODS refrigerants under Schedule VII of the ODS Rules, 2000. Units that do not contain ODS must carry a label to that effect before import.Rule 10 of the Ozone Depleting Substances Rules, 2000 · General Note 8(A) of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
- 4Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board before import, unless the importer is a micro enterprise as defined under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. Centralised air conditioning plants are excluded from the EPR requirement.Schedule-I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022
- 5Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number, the DGFT ODS licence (where applicable), and the CPCB EPR authorisation on the bill of entry. Verify that exemptions under Para 2 of S.O. 4354(E) and its subsequent amendments are documented if claimed; absent, expired, or scope-mismatched credentials trigger consignment detention.S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019 · S.O. 1518(E) dated 18-05-2020 · S.O. 4671(E) dated 22-12-2020 · S.O. 5095(E) dated 08-12-2021 · S.O. 5972(E) dated 21-12-2022 · S.O. 32(E) dated 02-01-2024 · S.O. 1815(E) dated 17-04-2025
The most common error on this tariff line is presenting a CM/L licence against one standard for a product that falls within a different standard's scope — for example, tendering an IS 1391 (Part 2):2018 licence for a ducted or package unit that is governed by IS 8148:2018, or vice versa. Customs and BIS inspectors verify the product type against the licensed scope at the unit level; a scope mismatch is treated as an unmarked import and exposes the consignment to detention, re-export, or confiscation regardless of whether the manufacturer holds another valid CM/L for a different product category.