Magnetic tape drives
Magnetic tape drives for data storage units
HSN 8471 70 40 (magnetic tape drives) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 is mandatory under the Compulsory Registration Scheme with effect from 18 March 2021, by virtue of the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation administered by the Central Pollution Control Board applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.
Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
- 1Verify the foreign supplier's BIS Compulsory Registration Scheme R-number on the BIS portal against IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 (or, during the concurrent-running window, IS 13252:Part 1:2010 or IS 616:2017). The R-number must be model-specific and current on the shipping bill date.Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 · S.O. 1248(E) dated 18-03-2021 · S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025
- 2Confirm which concurrent-running standard covers the specific model. For goods at serial number 65 of the QCO Schedule, concurrent running of IS 13252:Part 1:2010 and IS 616:2017 with IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 is permitted until 1 May 2026; for all other listed goods, the concurrent-running window extends until 1 November 2028, after which IS 13252 and IS 616 stand withdrawn.S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025 · General Note 2(c) of the ITC (HS) Import Policy
- 3Ensure every unit bears the BIS Standard Mark with the supplier's R-number under Scheme-II of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself and in accompanying documentation.Scheme-II of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021
- 4Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board before import, as electronic data storage devices fall within Schedule-I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. MSMED-registered micro enterprises are exempt.Schedule-I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022
- 5Quote the supplier's BIS R-number and the CPCB EPR authorisation number on the bill of entry. Also ensure compliance with DGFT Notification 13/24-25 dated 20-05-2024 and CBIC Instruction 27/2025-Cus dated 26-08-2025, as applicable to the consignment.DGFT Notification 13/24-25 dated 20-05-2024 · CBIC Instruction 27/2025-Cus dated 26-08-2025 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
The single most common error on this tariff line is registering the consignment against IS 13252:Part 1:2010 without confirming whether the specific model falls under serial number 65 of the QCO Schedule — which carries the earlier concurrent-running deadline of 1 May 2026 — or under the general category with the later deadline of 1 November 2028. A model registered under the wrong concurrent-running window will present an expired or scope-mismatched R-number at customs and trigger consignment detention regardless of the underlying product conformity.