Rubber insulated

Rubber insulated electric conductors for voltage exceeding 1000 V

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 14494

HSN 8544 60 30 (rubber insulated electric conductors for voltage exceeding 1000 V) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 14494:2019 and IS 9968 (Part 2):2002 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 21 January 2020 under the Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020. Directorate General of Foreign Trade Tariff Rate Quota allocation controls on copper products including HSN 8544 apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

8544 60 30

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 14494:2019 · 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
Verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence on the BIS online register before placing a purchase order. The licence must cite the correct IS — IS 14494:2019 for elastomer insulated flexible cables for mines, IS 9968 (Part 2):2002 for elastomer insulated cables at working voltages from 3.3 kV up to and including 33 kV, IS 17293:2020 for solar DC cables, or IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 for fire survival cables — matched to the product being imported.
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
Ensure every cable bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L licence number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the cable itself at prescribed intervals, not only on the reel label or outer packaging.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020
3
Confirm which Quality Control Order governs the specific cable type in the consignment: Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 covers elastomer insulated cables; the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 governs solar DC and fire survival cables from 26 February 2024. Mixed consignments must carry documentation against each applicable order.
S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020 · S.O. 3807(E) dated 24-08-2023 · IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 effective 26-02-2024
4
Check the DGFT Tariff Rate Quota position for copper products under Chapter 74 and CTH 8544 before shipment. Where TRQ allocation under the revised India-Nepal Treaty applies, obtain the DGFT allocation reference and quote it on the bill of entry.
DGFT Public Notice 17/2023 dated 22-06-2023 · Para 2.92 of the Handbook of Procedures, 2023
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L licence number and the applicable IS reference on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L against the BIS register in real time; a licence that is absent, expired, or whose scope does not cover the cable's voltage class or application triggers consignment detention.
Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 · S.O. 294(E) dated 21-01-2020 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The sharpest trap on this tariff line is treating it as a single-standard obligation. Four IS standards potentially apply — IS 14494:2019 (flexible mine cables), IS 9968 (Part 2):2002 (medium-voltage elastomer cables 3.3 kV–33 kV), IS 17293:2020 (solar DC cables), and IS 17505 (Part 1):2021 (fire survival cables) — each under a distinct Quality Control Order and enforcement date, with the fire survival cable obligation running only from 26 February 2024. An importer who sources against one CM/L and ships a mixed consignment containing cable types governed by a different IS and a different order faces detention on the out-of-scope portion, even where the headline IS 14494 licence is current and valid.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8544 60 30 require BIS certification?

Yes. Rubber insulated electric conductors for voltage exceeding 1000 V require BIS ISI Mark Scheme CM/L licensing. IS 14494:2019 and IS 9968 (Part 2):2002 are mandatory under the Cables (Quality Control) Order, 2020 with effect from 21 January 2020.

Do solar DC cables and fire survival cables under this HSN require separate BIS licences?

Yes. Solar DC cables must conform to IS 17293:2020 and fire survival cables to IS 17505 (Part 1):2021, both governed by the Solar DC Cable and Fire Survival Cable (Quality Control) Order, 2023 under S.O. 3807(E). The fire survival cable obligation applies from 26 February 2024.

What is the DGFT TRQ requirement referenced for this tariff line?

DGFT Public Notice 17/2023 dated 22-06-2023 designates DGFT as the authority for allocation and monitoring of 10,000 MT of copper products under Chapter 74 and CTH 8544 for FY 2023-24. Importers subject to the TRQ must obtain and quote the allocation reference on the bill of entry.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all rubber insulated cable types within this HSN?

No. Each CM/L is standard-specific and voltage-class-specific; a licence against IS 14494:2019 does not cover medium-voltage cables under IS 9968 (Part 2):2002, solar DC cables under IS 17293:2020, or fire survival cables under IS 17505 (Part 1):2021.

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