BEE is the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, which rates how much energy an appliance uses and gives it a star label. BIS is the Bureau of Indian Standards, which certifies that a product meets an Indian Standard for safety and quality, through the ISI mark or CRS registration. They are different government bodies, under different ministries and laws, and they check different things. A ceiling fan, an air conditioner or an LED bulb sold in India usually needs both: a BIS licence or registration for safety and a BEE star label for energy performance.
If you make or import an appliance that needs a star label, our BEE star rating registration service and ISI mark certification service cover both sides.
BEE vs BIS at a glance
| BEE | BIS | |
|---|---|---|
| Full form | Bureau of Energy Efficiency | Bureau of Indian Standards |
| Ministry | Ministry of Power | Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution |
| Law | Energy Conservation Act, 2001 | Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 |
| Set up | 1 March 2002 | 1 April 1987, taking over from the Indian Standards Institution |
| What it checks | Energy performance against a star rating table | Conformity with an Indian Standard, mainly safety and quality |
| What the buyer sees | Star label with a QR code | ISI mark with CM/L number, or Standard Mark with R-number (CRS) |
| Who holds the approval | The permittee: manufacturer, importer, OEM or brand owner | The manufacturer, for a specific factory |
| Portal | beestarlabel.com | Manak Online (ISI), crsbis.in (CRS) |
| Testing | BEE-recognised laboratories for the appliance category | BIS laboratories or BIS-recognised laboratories for the Indian Standard |
| Validity | Model permission for three years, renewable, tied to the label series | Up to five years initially, renewable for up to five years |
| How to verify | BEE Star Label app (scan QR code) | BIS Care app (CM/L or R-number) |
What BEE does
BEE was set up on 1 March 2002 under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. For manufacturers, its most visible work is the Standards & Labelling programme: BEE sets minimum energy performance standards and a star rating table for each appliance category, and the appliance carries a label showing its star level, energy figure, label series and a QR code.
A star label is mandatory only for appliances notified under the mandatory regime. Other categories, such as laptops, microwave ovens and solar PV modules, are voluntary. Once you use the label, the same rules, fees and check testing apply. For the full lists, see BEE star labelling: mandatory vs voluntary appliances, and for how to read a label, BEE full form and star rating meaning.
What BIS does
BIS is India’s national standards body. It writes Indian Standards and runs product certification schemes. The two that matter for most manufacturers are:
- Scheme-I, the ISI mark, granted after BIS assesses the factory and the product is tested. The product carries the ISI mark, the IS number and a CM/L licence number.
- Scheme-II, the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS), mainly for electronics, IT, LED and solar products, granted on a self-declaration backed by a test report from a BIS-recognised laboratory. The product carries the Standard Mark, the IS number and an R-number.
BIS certification is compulsory only where the Central Government has notified the product, usually through a Quality Control Order. See BIS full form and meaning and what is BIS certification.
The key difference: energy vs safety
The simplest way to remember it:
- BIS answers “is it safe and made to the standard?” An ISI-marked ceiling fan has been made to IS 374 under a BIS licence.
- BEE answers “how much power does it use compared with similar models?” A 5-star ceiling fan uses less electricity than a 1-star fan in the same category.
A BEE label says nothing about electrical safety, and a BIS licence gives no star rating. That is why the two sit side by side on many appliances, and why one cannot be used in place of the other.
There is some overlap in what is tested. Some Indian Standards include performance or energy requirements; for example, IS 12615 for energy efficient three-phase induction motors and IS 1475 (Part 1) for the energy consumption and performance of drinking water coolers are both under compulsory ISI certification. Even so, a BIS licence against such a standard is not a BEE star label.
Products that need both BEE and BIS
The table matches BEE’s mandatory and voluntary lists with BIS’s compulsory product lists at the time of writing. Both lists change, so check the live lists before you plan.
| Product | BEE star label | BIS route and standard |
|---|---|---|
| Ceiling fans | Mandatory | ISI, IS 374 |
| Room air conditioners | Mandatory | ISI, IS 1391 (Part 1) and IS 1391 (Part 2) |
| Frost-free and direct cool refrigerators | Mandatory | ISI, IS 17550 (Part 1) |
| Deep freezers | Mandatory | ISI, IS 7872 |
| Washing machines | Mandatory | ISI, IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 7) |
| Stationary storage type electric water heaters | Mandatory | ISI, IS 2082 and IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 21) |
| Domestic LPG stoves | Mandatory | ISI, IS 4246 |
| Distribution transformers | Mandatory | ISI, IS 1180 (Part 1) |
| LED lamps | Mandatory | CRS, IS 16102 (Part 1) |
| Televisions | Mandatory | CRS, IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Grid-connected solar inverters | Mandatory | CRS, IS 16270 |
| Induction hobs | Mandatory from 1 January 2027 | CRS, IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 6) |
| Microwave ovens | Voluntary | CRS, IS 302-2-25 |
| Laptops and notebooks | Voluntary | CRS, IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Evaporative air coolers | Voluntary | ISI, IS 3315 |
| Crystalline silicon solar PV modules | Voluntary | CRS, IS 14286 and IS/IEC 61730 |
Where BEE is voluntary but BIS is compulsory, the BIS approval is still a legal requirement; the star label is a commercial choice.
How the approvals fit together in practice
For a new appliance, the usual order is:
- Confirm the BIS route. Check whether the product is under ISI or CRS, and which Indian Standard applies. Without this, the product cannot be made for sale or imported.
- Plan testing once. BIS and BEE each need reports from laboratories they recognise. Some laboratories are recognised by both for the same product, which saves samples and time, but check each recognition separately.
- Get the BIS licence or registration. A star label does not make a product saleable on its own, so plan the BIS grant first and check the BEE product guidelines for your category for any BIS documents they ask for.
- Register the company, brand and model with BEE. Each brand is registered separately on the BEE portal, then each model.
- Print both marks correctly. The ISI or CRS mark with its numbers, and the BEE label with its QR code, alongside the Legal Metrology declarations required on the package.
Imported appliances often also need EPR registration for e-waste, and wireless models need WPC ETA.
Penalties are separate too
Because the laws are different, so are the consequences of getting it wrong:
- BIS. Under Section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016, making, importing or selling notified goods without a valid licence, or using the Standard Mark without one, can lead to imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh for a first offence and ₹5 lakh for later ones, which may extend to ten times the value of the goods, or both.
- BEE. Under Section 26(2) of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, as substituted in 2022, failing to meet the energy performance standard or to display the label correctly attracts a penalty of ₹10 lakh plus ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 for each non-compliant appliance.
How to check both on a product
- BEE. Scan the QR code next to the star label with the official BEE Star Label app. The brand, model, star level and energy figure should match the label, and the label series should be current.
- BIS. Enter the CM/L licence number in “Verify Licence Details”, or the R-number in “Verify R-No under CRS”, in the official BIS Care app. The manufacturer, product and IS number should match.
Our guides to checking a CM/L number and checking a BIS registration number walk through each screen.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech is a private compliance consultancy, independent of BEE and BIS. We work out which approvals an appliance needs, plan testing at laboratories recognised by both bodies where possible, file the BIS application on Manak Online or crsbis.in, and register the company, brands and models on the BEE portal. Our team includes former BIS officers, and Aaditech has been appointed by BEE as an Independent Agency for Monitoring and Evaluation. See our BEE star rating registration, ISI mark certification and BIS CRS registration services.