Of an output exceeding 750 kVA but not exceeding 2,000 kVA

AC generators of output exceeding 750 kVA up to 2,000 kVA

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 14286 · BEE OVERLAY · CPCB OVERLAY

HSN 8501 64 10 (AC generators of output exceeding 750 kVA but not exceeding 2,000 kVA) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Solar photovoltaic modules with blocking diodes fall within this tariff line per Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Instruction 08/2018-Cus, requiring BIS registration under the ISI Mark Scheme against IS 14286 or IS 16077. Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation and Bureau of Energy Efficiency labelling apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

8501 64 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 14286 · effective 30-08-2017

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BEEBEE·Bureau of Energy Efficiency

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

CPCBCPCB·Central Pollution Control Board

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Verify the foreign supplier's BIS CM/L licence on the BIS online register against IS 14286 for crystalline-silicon PV modules or IS 16077 for thin-film PV modules. The licence must be current, model-specific, and cover the relevant facility on the shipping bill date.
Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017 · S.O. 2920(E) dated 30-08-2017 · S.O. 5259(E) dated 12-10-2018
2
Confirm diode topology in writing with the supplier before placing the purchase order: modules equipped with blocking diodes (or both blocking and bypass diodes) are classifiable under HSN 8501; modules with only bypass diodes fall under HSN 8541. The bill of entry must reflect the actual diode configuration.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Instruction 08/2018-Cus dated 06-04-2018
3
Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board before import. MSMED-registered micro enterprises are exempt. Quote the EPR authorisation number on the bill of entry alongside the BIS licence reference.
Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022
4
Ensure compliance with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Appliance Labelling and Compliance) Regulations, 2026 for equipment within the labelling scope. The BEE labelling reference must accompany consignment-level documentation at the time of customs filing.
BEE Notification 5506/BEE/S&L/AL/2025-26 dated 26-12-2025
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the CPCB EPR authorisation number on the bill of entry. Customs verifies each independently; any one absent, expired, or scope-mismatched triggers consignment detention, demurrage, and potential re-export at the importer's cost.
Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices and Components Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2017 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The most frequent error on this tariff line is failing to reconcile the heading's nominal description — AC generators up to 2,000 kVA — with the BIS QCO's operative product scope, which targets solar PV modules classified here by virtue of blocking-diode topology. Importers sourcing large-format crystalline-silicon or thin-film modules sometimes proceed on the assumption that the heading's wattage descriptor excludes standard panel arrays; it does not. A CM/L licence obtained for the wrong IS number (IS 14286 for thin-film, or IS 16077 for crystalline-silicon) is treated as no licence at port.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8501 64 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Solar PV modules with blocking diodes classified under this tariff line require a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L licence under the ISI Mark Scheme against IS 14286 (crystalline-silicon) or IS 16077 (thin-film) with effect from 30 August 2017.

Is Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. EPR authorisation is administered by the Central Pollution Control Board under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 and is independent of the BIS ISI Mark Scheme obligation. Micro enterprises as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006 are exempt.

Why are solar photovoltaic modules classified under HSN 8501 rather than HSN 8541?

Per Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs Instruction 08/2018-Cus, modules with blocking diodes (or both blocking and bypass diodes) are classifiable under HSN 8501; modules with only bypass diodes fall under HSN 8541. Diode topology governs classification, not the heading's generator descriptor.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all module variants and power-output levels from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by technology type (crystalline-silicon or thin-film), model, and manufacturing facility; modules outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and attract detention at port.

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