Smartphones

Smartphones for cellular and wireless networks

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 16333 · WPC OVERLAY

HSN 8517 13 00 (Smartphones) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 16333 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 4 July 2019, under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. Wireless Planning and Coordination import licensing, Equipment Type Approval, and Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

8517 13 00

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 16333 · effective 04-07-2019

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

WPCWPC·Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Verify the foreign supplier's BIS CM/L licence number against IS 16333 on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order. Confirm the licensed product scope covers the specific smartphone model, language-support specification, and manufacturing facility listed on the consignment.
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
2
Confirm the handset also conforms to IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 for IT equipment safety. The concurrent-running window for IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 alongside IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 for smartphones (Serial No. 65) expires on 01-05-2026; after that date IS 13252 and IS 616 stand withdrawn.
Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 · S.O. 1248(E) dated 18-03-2021 as amended · S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025
3
Ensure each handset bears the BIS standard mark and the CM/L number, and that no unit has a blank, all-zero, or duplicate IMEI number. Import of GSM mobile handsets without a valid IMEI, or CDMA handsets without a valid ESN/MEID, is prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy.
ITC (HS) Import Policy · General Note 2(c) of Import Policy · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
4
Obtain Equipment Type Approval from Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Department of Telecommunications, or generate an ETA certificate via saralsanchar.gov.in for licence-exempt low-power wireless devices. Quote the ETA or import licence reference on the bill of entry.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT letter ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019 · R-11018/05/2019-PP dated 29-03-2019 · CBIC Instruction 24/24-CUS dated 22-10-2024
5
Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board before import, and quote the EPR authorisation number on the bill of entry. Micro enterprises as defined in the MSMED Act, 2006 are exempt from the EPR obligation.
Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is treating the Equipment Type Approval and IMEI-validity checks as secondary formalities once BIS CM/L compliance is confirmed. Customs port verification cross-checks the ETA reference, the BIS CM/L number, and IMEI format independently in real time; a consignment with a valid CM/L but absent or expired ETA, or any unit carrying an all-zero IMEI, is detained regardless of BIS marking status. Validate all three — CM/L scope, ETA currency, and IMEI integrity — against the physical consignment manifest before the shipping bill is filed.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 13 00 require BIS certification?

Yes. Smartphones under this tariff line must conform to IS 16333 and bear the BIS standard mark under a CM/L licence issued under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 4 July 2019, under S.O. 1248(E) dated 18-03-2021 as amended by S.O. 4997(E) dated 29-10-2025.

Is Equipment Type Approval from Wireless Planning and Coordination required separately from BIS compliance?

Yes. WPC Equipment Type Approval is a separate requirement administered by the Department of Telecommunications. Licence-exempt low-power devices may instead generate an ETA certificate through saralsanchar.gov.in; the reference must appear on the bill of entry.

What is the deadline for transitioning from IS 13252 and IS 616 to IS/IEC 62368 for smartphones?

For smartphones (Serial No. 65 of the Electronics and IT Goods CRO), the concurrent-running window for IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 and IS 616:2017 alongside IS/IEC 62368 (Part 1):2023 ends on 01-05-2026, after which IS 13252 and IS 616 stand withdrawn.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all smartphone models from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L is model-specific and facility-specific; models outside the licensed scope, or produced at an unlicensed plant, are not covered and customs detains the consignment on a model-code or facility mismatch.

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