BIS and WPC approve different things. BIS CRS registration, from the Bureau of Indian Standards, shows that a notified electronic product has been tested to an Indian Standard, mainly for electrical safety, and gives it an R-number. WPC ETA, the Equipment Type Approval from the Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing of the Department of Telecommunications, approves a wireless model for use in India’s licence-exempt radio bands. A Wi-Fi laptop, a Bluetooth speaker or a smart watch usually needs both, and sometimes a third approval, TEC’s MTCTE certificate.
Our WPC ETA approval and BIS CRS registration services file both.
BIS vs WPC at a glance
| BIS CRS registration | WPC ETA | |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Bureau of Indian Standards, Ministry of Consumer Affairs | WPC Wing, Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications |
| Law | BIS Act, 2016 and MeitY’s Compulsory Registration Order, 2021 | Telecommunications Act, 2023, with the licence-exemption notifications made under the earlier Acts |
| What it covers | Conformity with an Indian Standard, mainly safety | Radio use in licence-exempt bands |
| Basis | Test report from a BIS-recognised laboratory, with self-declaration | Self-declaration with RF test reports (except radar, jammers, drones and satellite equipment) |
| Granted to | The manufacturer; foreign makers nominate an Authorised Indian Representative | The manufacturer, or an importer or Indian representative with the manufacturer’s authorisation |
| Granted per | Product and brand, with models in scope | Make and model |
| Evidence on the product | Standard Mark with IS number and R-number | ETA certificate for the model (no BIS-style mark) |
| Portal | crsbis.in | Saral Sanchar |
| Government fee | ₹1,000 + ₹1,000 + ₹25,000 per year (MSME concessions) | Rs 10,000, as listed by DoT |
| Validity | Up to five years, renewable for up to five years | Lifetime of the model, unless revoked |
What BIS CRS covers
Under the Compulsory Registration Scheme, notified electronics and IT goods cannot be manufactured, imported, sold or distributed unless they carry the BIS Standard Mark with a registration number. Most IT and audio-video products are now tested to IS/IEC 62368-1, the safety standard for audio/video, information and communication technology equipment. Registration does not look at the radio at all. See CRS full form and meaning.
What WPC ETA covers
ETA is about spectrum. The WPC Wing allows low-power devices to operate without a user licence in de-licensed bands, such as 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and the 5 GHz Wi-Fi sub-bands, and approves each model that uses them. DoT describes ETA as required for the import, sale and use of such wireless devices, and grants it on self-declaration through Saral Sanchar. ETA says nothing about electrical safety. See WPC and ETA full forms and WPC ETA self-declaration.
Products that usually need both
These products are on BIS’s CRS list at the time of writing and, when they include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other radios in licence-exempt bands, also need ETA:
| Product | BIS CRS standard |
|---|---|
| Mobile phones | IS/IEC 62368-1 and IS 16333 (Part 3) |
| Laptops, notebooks and tablets | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Smart watches | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Wireless headphones and earphones | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Bluetooth speakers | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Smart speakers | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Wireless keyboards | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Wireless microphones | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
| Televisions with Wi-Fi | IS/IEC 62368-1 |
Many wireless products need only ETA, because their category is not on the BIS list, for example a Wi-Fi module sold on its own or an IoT sensor. Equally, a wired product on the CRS list needs no ETA. Check each approval separately.
Where MTCTE fits
MTCTE, Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment, is run by the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), also part of DoT. DoT’s MTCTE page says no telecom equipment notified under MTCTE may be sold or deployed without a valid certificate. It applies to notified telecom and network equipment, so a router or a phone can fall under MTCTE as well as ETA and CRS. Check TEC’s current list of notified equipment for your product.
Customs and selling online
At import, customs can ask for evidence of each approval separately. DoT’s ETA page says a self-declaration from the importer or authorised Indian representative may be treated as sufficient evidence for customs clearance of the wireless aspect. For CRS-notified goods, consignments without a valid registration can be held, whatever radio approvals the product has. Marketplaces commonly ask for both the R-number and the ETA certificate before listing.
Testing: separate reports
- CRS needs a safety test report to the Indian Standard from a laboratory recognised by BIS for that standard, used within 90 days of issue.
- ETA relies on RF test reports showing the device operates within the parameters of the relevant de-licensing notification. See our RF testing page.
The two reports test different things, so one cannot replace the other.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech is a private compliance consultancy, independent of BIS and DoT. For each wireless product, we map which approvals apply (CRS, ETA, MTCTE, BEE and EPR), review RF and safety test reports, file the ETA application on Saral Sanchar and the CRS application on crsbis.in, and set up the Authorised Indian Representative for overseas manufacturers. See our WPC ETA approval and BIS CRS registration services.