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BIS, CE, HACCP, Organic or PSARA: Which Certification or Licence Does Your Business Need?

· 2 min read · CA. Reet Darwani

Certifications are easy to confuse. Some are mandatory to sell in a market, some are voluntary but expected by buyers, and some are licences to carry on a regulated activity. Here is how five common ones fit together.

BIS certification (India)

The Bureau of Indian Standards runs schemes that become mandatory when the government notifies a Quality Control Order (QCO) for a product:

  • Product Certification Scheme (ISI mark) – for products such as cement, steel, electrical appliances, toys, helmets and many chemicals. It involves a factory inspection and testing.
  • Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) – mainly for electronics and IT products. It involves testing at a BIS-recognised lab and registration.
  • Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme – for overseas manufacturers exporting QCO products to India.

Selling, importing or storing a QCO product without valid BIS certification is an offence. Importers should check QCO coverage before placing orders.

CE marking (European Union)

CE marking shows that a product meets EU health, safety and environmental requirements. It applies to products such as machinery, electrical equipment, toys, medical devices and PPE. For many products, the manufacturer self-declares conformity, based on a technical file and a Declaration of Conformity. Higher-risk products need assessment by an EU Notified Body. Indian exporters to the EU need it, and EU importers will ask for the technical file.

HACCP (food safety)

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is a method for identifying and controlling food safety hazards at each stage of processing. It is the basis of FSSAI's food safety management requirements and of ISO 22000. HACCP certification is often requested by export buyers, hotel chains and retail customers.

Organic certification

  • NPOP (National Programme for Organic Production) – administered through APEDA. It is required to export products as "organic". Certification is by accredited certification bodies. Grower groups can use group certification.
  • Jaivik Bharat – FSSAI's logo for organic food sold in India. Products must be certified under NPOP or the PGS-India system.

Labelling a product as organic without certification is not permitted.

PSARA licence (private security agencies)

Under the Private Security Agencies (Regulation) Act, 2005, no person can carry on the business of providing security guards without a licence from the State Controlling Authority. The process covers:

  • police verification of the promoters, partners or directors
  • a tie-up with an approved training institute
  • compliance with conditions on uniforms, guard training and records

A PSARA licence is valid for five years and is specific to each state. An agency must obtain separate licences for the states where it operates.

Getting started

  1. List each product and the markets where you sell it.
  2. Check the current QCOs and the destination-country rules for each product.
  3. Plan testing early. Lab capacity is often the bottleneck.
  4. Keep the certificates and test reports linked to specific product models in your records.

The information in this article reflects the law as on the date of publication and is for general guidance only.