Compact fluorescent lamps

Compact fluorescent lamps for general lighting services

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 15111 · BEE OVERLAY · CPCB OVERLAY · WPC OVERLAY

HSN 8539 31 10 (compact fluorescent lamps) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 15111 (Parts 1 and 2) is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, enforced under the Electrical Wires, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2003 with effect from 24 November 2000. Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation, Bureau of Energy Efficiency labelling, and Wireless Planning and Coordination equipment approvals apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

8539 31 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 15111 · effective 24-11-2000

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BEEBEE·Bureau of Energy Efficiency

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

CPCBCPCB·Central Pollution Control Board

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
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 15111 (Part 1 and Part 2). Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Electrical Wires, Cables, Appliances and Protection Devices and Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2003, No. 189(E) dated 17-02-2003 as amended · DGFT Notification 44(RE)2000 dated 24-11-2000
2
Ensure every compact fluorescent lamp bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number. Marking must appear on the product itself; markings only on packaging do not satisfy the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 Scheme-I requirements.
IS 15111 (Part 1: Safety Requirements; Part 2: Performance Requirements) · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018
3
Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board before import, as compact fluorescent lamps are mercury-containing and listed in Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Micro enterprises as defined under the MSMED Act, 2006 are exempt.
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 if the product falls within the BEE labelling scope. Quote the relevant BEE labelling reference in consignment-level documentation.
BEE Notification No. 5506/BEE/S&L/AL/2025-26 dated 26-12-2025
5
If the lamp incorporates any wireless module operating in a licence-exempt band, obtain Equipment Type Approval through the Saralsanchar portal and present the ETA certificate to customs. Apply at least 30 days before the expected date of arrival.
CBIC Instruction No. 16/2022-Cus dated 21-07-2022 · CBIC Instruction No. 24/2024-Cus dated 22-10-2024 · DOT letter ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is treating the BEE and EPR overlays as the primary compliance barriers while presenting lamps from a manufacturer whose CM/L licence under IS 15111 (Part 1 and Part 2) has lapsed or whose licensed scope does not cover the wattage or base type of the specific lamp being imported. The BIS QCO has been in force since 24 November 2000 — one of India's oldest lighting QCOs — and customs exercises real-time CM/L verification at port; a lapsed or scope-mismatched licence triggers detention and potential confiscation regardless of clean EPR and BEE documentation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8539 31 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Compact fluorescent lamps must conform to IS 15111 (Part 1: Safety Requirements and Part 2: Performance Requirements) under the ISI Mark Scheme; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence covering the specific lamp type and manufacturing facility.

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 because compact fluorescent lamps contain mercury. It is independent of the BIS QCO; micro enterprises registered under the MSMED Act, 2006 are exempt.

Do both parts of IS 15111 apply, or only one?

Both parts apply. IS 15111 Part 1 covers safety requirements and Part 2 covers performance requirements; the CCR and the QCO require conformity to both parts, and the CM/L licence must specifically cover both.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all wattages and base types of compact fluorescent lamps from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by lamp wattage, base type, and manufacturing facility; lamps outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered, and a scope mismatch at customs triggers detention.

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