Paper insulated

Paper insulated electric cables (miners cap lamp cables, solar DC cables, fire survival cables)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 2593

HSN 8544 49 10 (paper insulated electric cables) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 2593:1984 under the Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 and to IS 17293:2020 and IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 under the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme. Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy controls — including TRQ allocation for copper products and ISFTA port restrictions — apply as separate customs-clearance overlays.

What this is

HSN code

8544 49 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 2593:1984 · effective 21-01-2020

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Identify which product variant is being imported — flexible cables for miners' cap lamps (IS 2593:1984), solar DC cables (IS 17293:2020), or fire survival cables (IS 17505 (Part 1):2021) — and verify the supplier's BIS CM/L licence number against the applicable standard on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020 · Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 · S.O. 3807(E) dated 24-08-2023
2
Confirm the CM/L licence covers the specific cable type, rating, and manufacturing facility. For fire survival cables, the enforcement date is 26 February 2024 under S.O. 3807(E); ensure the licence predates or matches that effective date.
S.O. 3807(E) dated 24-08-2023 · BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Scheme-I of Schedule-II
3
Ensure every cable in the consignment bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number in accordance with Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the cable itself at prescribed intervals, not on packaging or documentation alone.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020
4
If the consignment falls within the 10,000 MT TRQ allocation for copper products including CTH 8544, verify TRQ authorisation from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the revised India-Nepal treaty procedure before filing the bill of entry.
DGFT Public Notice 17/2023 dated 22-06-2023 · para 2.92 of the Handbook of Procedures 2023
5
For goods of Sri Lankan origin imported under ISFTA, route the consignment through the specified ports listed in policy condition 2 to Chapter 85 and quote the 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 scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention.
ITC (HS) Import Policy — policy condition 2 to Chapter 85 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The most consequential error on this tariff line is treating it as a single-QCO entry. Three distinct Indian Standards apply to three distinct cable types — IS 2593:1984 (miners' cap lamp cables under the Cables QCO 2020), IS 17293:2020 (solar DC cables), and IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 (fire survival cables, both under the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable QCO 2023) — and a CM/L licence against one standard does not cover shipments of another cable type. Presenting a miners' cap lamp cable CM/L against a consignment of fire survival cables will result in detention at port regardless of how current the licence is.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8544 49 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Flexible cables for miners' cap lamps require a BIS CM/L licence against IS 2593:1984 under the Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020. Solar DC cables require compliance with IS 17293:2020 and fire survival cables with IS 17505 (Part 1):2021, both mandatory under the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 from 26 February 2024.

Do the two Quality Control Orders apply simultaneously to a single consignment?

Only if the consignment contains multiple cable types: the Cables QCO 2020 governs miners' cap lamp cables and the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable QCO 2023 governs the other two variants. Each cable type must carry a CM/L licence against its own applicable Indian Standard.

What is the enforcement date for fire survival cables under this tariff line?

26 February 2024, per S.O. 3807(E) dated 24-08-2023. Solar DC cables under IS 17293:2020 and miners' cap lamp cables under IS 2593:1984 have an earlier obligation tied to their respective QCO notification dates.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all three cable types from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L is standard-specific and product-scope-specific; a licence against IS 2593:1984 does not authorise import of solar DC or fire survival cables, and vice versa. Each cable type requires its own CM/L against the applicable Indian Standard.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: BIS / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.