The draft Safety of Hand-held Motor-Operated Electric Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2026 would make BIS certification with the ISI mark compulsory for six kinds of power tools: drills, screwdrivers and impact wrenches, grinders and sanders, circular saws, hammers and spray guns. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) circulated it for stakeholder comments in June 2026, after an earlier version in 2025. It is not in force: it applies only once published in the Gazette of India, and then from twelve months after notification for most manufacturers.
The draft at a glance
| Item | What the draft says |
|---|---|
| Issued by | DPIIT, Light Engineering Industry Section, F. No. P-29026/5/2022-LEI |
| Status | Draft; comments were due by 13 June 2026; stakeholder consultation held on 17 June 2026 |
| Products | Hand-held motor-operated electric tools, under six sections of IS 4665 Part 2 (table below) |
| Certification | ISI mark under a BIS licence, Scheme-I of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 |
| Date of application | Twelve months from notification in the e-Gazette; fifteen months for small and eighteen months for micro enterprises |
| Exemptions | Goods made in India for export; up to 100 units a year imported by tool manufacturers for research and development, not for sale |
| Existing stock | Licensed or applicant manufacturers can sell declared stock for up to six months after commencement |
Source: DPIIT request for stakeholder comments on draft Quality Control Orders, June 2026. The same notice covered four other drafts.
The six standards in the draft
| Tools | Indian Standard | Corresponding IEC standard |
|---|---|---|
| Drills and impact drills | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 1):2023 | IEC 60745-2-1:2003 |
| Screwdrivers and impact wrenches | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 2):2023 | IEC 60745-2-2:2003 |
| Grinders, polishers and disk-type sanders | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 3):2023 | IEC 60745-2-3:2006 |
| Circular saws | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 5):2023 | IEC 60745-2-5:2010 |
| Hammers | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 6):2023 | IEC 60745-2-6:2003 |
| Spray guns for non-flammable liquids | IS 4665 (Part 2/Sec 7):2023 | IEC 60745-2-7:1989 |
Each Part 2 section is read with IS 4665 (Part 1):2023, the general safety requirements for hand-held motor-operated electric tools. Tools not in the table, such as jigsaws, routers and planers, are not in the draft.
How the 2026 draft differs from the 2025 version
DPIIT first circulated a Safety of Hand-held Motor-Operated Electric Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2025 with the same six standards. The June 2026 version changes three things:
- Longer dates. Twelve, fifteen and eighteen months from notification, against six, nine and twelve months in 2025.
- An R&D exemption. Up to 100 units a year imported by manufacturers for research and development, which the 2025 draft did not have.
- Declared stock. Certified or applicant manufacturers can sell stock made or imported before commencement for six months.
What does not change: hand tools and batteries
- Non-powered hand tools are under a separate, notified order. The Hand Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2024 covers specified spanners, wrenches, pipe wrenches and combination side-cutting pliers.
- The household appliances order does not reach power tools. The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, in force since 1 October 2026, applies IS 302 (Part 1):2024, which states that it does not apply to hand-held motor-operated electric tools.
- Batteries and chargers for cordless tools are separate products from the tool. Check each against the BIS product list, including the CRS entries for portable lithium batteries.
How to prepare now
- Map every model to the right section of IS 4665 Part 2. A combination tool may fall under more than one.
- Use existing IEC test reports as a gap check. The sections follow IEC 60745-2, but the licence needs testing at a BIS or BIS-recognised laboratory.
- Prepare each factory for a BIS inspection: in-house test equipment, calibration and quality records.
- Plan applications early. Many power tools are made overseas, and FMCS licences take longer than domestic ones.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech tracks draft and notified Quality Control Orders and alerts clients when an order is published in the Gazette. We run gap assessments against IS 4665 and handle ISI and FMCS licences for power tool factories, including acting as Authorised Indian Representative for overseas manufacturers. Our team includes former BIS Directors.