Shell and tube type

Shell-and-tube heat exchange units for industrial process duty

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 11329

HSN 8419 50 91 (shell-and-tube type heat exchange units) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 11329:2018 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 October 2023, by virtue of the Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order 2025. No separate customs-clearance overlay administered by a Partner Government Agency applies to this tariff line.

What this is

HSN code

8419 50 91

Chapter

84 · Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 11329:2018 · effective 01-10-2023

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 11329:2018 for finned-type heat exchangers for room air conditioners. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
IS 11329:2018; Air Conditioner and Its Related Parts Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order 2025 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019
2
Ensure each unit bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself, not on packaging alone.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019
3
Check whether the consignment falls within any exemption listed in paragraph 2 of S.O. 4354(E) or its successive amending notifications. Confirm exemption eligibility in writing before relying on it at port; absent documentary proof of exemption, the ISI-mark requirement applies in full.
S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019 as amended by 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. 695 dated 11-02-2025, and S.O. 1815(E) dated 17-04-2025
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or product-scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention and potential re-export or confiscation.
BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962 · S.O. 4354(E) dated 05-12-2019

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is importing shell-and-tube heat exchange units on the assumption that the QCO scope is limited to HVAC or room air-conditioner finned-type units, and that process-industry or general-purpose shell-and-tube exchangers fall outside it. IS 11329:2018 covers construction, performance, and safety requirements for heat exchangers across process, refrigeration, and HVAC duty; the QCO notification at S.O. 4354(E) applies to all units classifiable under HSN 8419 50 91, not merely to air-conditioning sub-types. Importers who take the narrower product-scope reading and omit BIS CM/L verification face detention and monetary penalty regardless of the end-application.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8419 50 91 require BIS certification?

Yes. Conformity to IS 11329:2018 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme from 01 October 2023; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the relevant heat-exchanger type and manufacturing facility.

Are there exemptions from the BIS QCO for shell-and-tube heat exchangers?

Yes, limited exemptions are listed in paragraph 2 of S.O. 4354(E) and its successive amending notifications up to S.O. 1815(E) dated 17-04-2025. Documentary proof of exemption eligibility must be in hand before the bill of entry is filed.

Does the QCO apply only to heat exchangers used in room air conditioners?

No. IS 11329:2018 covers heat exchangers across process, refrigeration, and HVAC duty; all units classifiable under HSN 8419 50 91, including shell-and-tube configurations for industrial process applications, are within the QCO scope.

Is a CM/L licence facility-specific, or does it cover all plants of the same manufacturer?

A CM/L licence is specific to the product scope and manufacturing facility; units produced at an unlicensed plant, or outside the licensed product-type scope, are not covered and will fail customs verification.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / Indian Customs CUSDATA.