Obtain BIS Certification for Multipurpose Dry Batteries - IS 8144

The AA cell in your TV remote, the AAA in your wall clock, the D-cell in the torch - multipurpose dry batteries are the most distributed electrical product in India, sold in crores through every kirana store and supermarket. They are zinc-carbon (Leclanche-type) primary (single-use) batteries, standardised in four familiar sizes. And they have been under mandatory ISI certification for decades - one of India's oldest compulsory-certification products.

The governing instrument is the Multipurpose Dry Batteries (Quality Control) Order, issued under Section 14 of the BIS Act, 1986 by the then Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies. BIS is the certifying and enforcing authority. Every dry battery sold in India must conform to the applicable Indian Standard and carry the ISI Mark with a valid CM/L licence number - whether made in India or imported.

IS 8144 is the Indian Standard for Multipurpose Dry Batteries - the zinc-carbon (Leclanche-type) primary batteries used in remote controls, clocks, torches, toys, hearing aids and countless everyday devices. A significant revision in 2018 merged the old heavy-duty standard IS 9128:1999 into IS 8144, so one standard now covers all categories. The latest notified version, including amendments by BIS, always applies.

Dry batteries are bought overwhelmingly on price, by everyone, from every channel - from organised retail to open bazaars. Without mandatory certification, the market races to the bottom: under-gauge wire, less zinc and manganese dioxide inside, thinner separators, and fake brand names on cells that deliver a fraction of their declared service life. Worse, sub-standard dry cells leak electrolyte into the devices they power, causing corrosion damage that costs far more than the battery.

The QCO puts a verified floor under all of it: proven dimensions (a fat AA jams the battery compartment), proven discharge output (service life actually delivered), proven leakage resistance, and the ISI Mark that lets a buyer and a customs officer tell real from counterfeit. This certification requirement is one of India's oldest - and it exists because the need never went away.

The Scheme-I route has six clear steps. Unlike CRS (which is lab-test + portal only), Scheme-I includes a factory assessment by BIS:

1. Map your sizes and categories - confirm which of the four sizes and two categories your product covers under IS 8144. We do this mapping free before any testing begins.
2. Prepare factory and in-house test setup - BIS requires your manufacturing facility and in-house testing capability to meet IS 8144 requirements. We assess and guide this before the BIS audit, so the real visit gets a clean report.
3. Laboratory sample testing - samples are tested at a BIS-recognised Indian laboratory against IS 8144. Note: testing must be done in India at BIS-recognised labs - foreign lab reports are not a substitute.
4. Prepare documentation in BIS format - application forms, quality manual, process flow charts, equipment lists, technical specification, and marking/labelling artwork. Format errors are the most common cause of BIS objections.
5. BIS factory assessment - a BIS officer visits your facility to verify manufacturing and testing capability. We prepare your team for the audit in advance.
6. Licence grant with CM/L number - on satisfactory review, BIS issues the ISI Mark licence with your unique CM/L number. This is what goes on every battery and pack.

For foreign manufacturers the route is FMCS (Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme) with an Authorized Indian Representative - same steps, with the factory audit happening at your overseas facility. Full detail on our FMCS guide.

• Legal market access: manufacture, import, stock and sell freely across India without customs detention or seizure risk.
• Institutional and government tenders: railway, defence and public procurement routinely specifies ISI-marked batteries - the CM/L is your tender qualification.
• Brand protection: the ISI Mark on your battery, traceable to your CM/L, is the visible signal separating genuine product from the counterfeit copies that flood the bazaar category.
• Consumer trust: the ISI Mark is India's most recognised quality mark in electrical retail - visible on packaging, it moves product at the point of sale.
• E-commerce and modern trade: leading platforms and modern retailers increasingly verify ISI certification as a listing and stocking requirement.
• Competitive moat: uncertified product is legally out of the market; certified factories capture the compliance-verified buyer base their uncertified competition can no longer legally serve.

BIS expects documentation in three broad groups:

• Administrative: company registration certificate, factory licence, GST registration (Indian manufacturers), trademark certificate and authorisation, Import Export Code (where applicable), and - for foreign manufacturers - the Authorized Indian Representative appointment documents.
• Technical: product specification to IS 8144 (sizes, categories, construction details), machinery and equipment list, in-house test equipment list with calibration certificates, process flow chart, and the BIS-recognised laboratory test report covering all IS 8144 test parameters.
• Quality control: quality manual, competent QC personnel details, batch-testing and inspection procedures, and marking/labelling artwork showing the ISI Mark with CM/L placement per IS 8144.

This changed recently, and most websites have not caught up. Under the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026 (notified 25 February 2026), Scheme-I licences are now granted for periods of up to 5 years - previously the initial grant was typically up to 2 years. On expiry, the licence is renewable for further periods of up to 5 years.

The trade-off: the applicable licence fee is payable annually in advance along with a production statement. Miss the due date and the licence can be suspended for up to 90 days (with a late fee to restore it); continued default triggers cancellation. In practice: renewals are less frequent, but the annual fee deadline is now a hard compliance event.

Renewal process: apply through the BIS Manakonline portal before expiry with production details and the fee for the renewal period opted. We run the annual-fee and renewal calendar for our clients so nothing lapses.

The ISI Mark with the CM/L number must appear on each battery and its packaging per IS 8144's marking clauses - along with size designation, polarity marking, date coding and manufacturer/brand details. On a product this widely counterfeited, correct marking is also your brand-protection tool: buyers, enforcement officers and e-commerce platforms verify CM/L numbers against the BIS database.

BIS is the certifying and enforcing authority. Non-compliance is punishable under the BIS Act, 2016: seizure of stock, customs detention of imports, and for a first offence imprisonment up to two years or a fine of at least two lakh rupees - rising steeply for repeat offences. Beyond legal penalties: institutional buyers verify CM/L numbers, e-commerce platforms delist unmarked batteries, and the customs hold on an uncertified imported shipment typically costs more than the entire certification would have.

With 20+ years and 10,000+ certifications, we work across the entire battery compliance map - ISI Mark for dry batteries and voluntary lead-acid products, CRS for lithium and nickel rechargeables, FMCS for overseas factories. For dry batteries specifically, we prepare the factory for the BIS audit, manage Indian laboratory testing, build the documentation in exact BIS format, and run the annual-fee compliance calendar so your CM/L never lapses.