BIS certification is not required for cycling gloves in India. No Quality Control Order covers cycling or other sports gloves. Only three kinds of gloves are on BIS’s list of products under compulsory certification: protective gloves for firefighters, insulating gloves for live electrical work and knitted gloves for tobacco harvesters. Standard cycling gloves, whether full-finger, fingerless, padded or winter gloves, can be imported and sold without an ISI mark. The exception is electrically heated gloves, which need the ISI mark under the household electrical appliances order from 1 October 2026.
Which gloves need BIS in India
| Gloves | BIS mandatory? | Indian Standard | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycling gloves (unheated) | No | None made compulsory | No order |
| Electrically heated gloves, including battery-operated | Yes, ISI mark, from 1 October 2026 | IS 302 (Part 1):2024 | Household appliances (QC) Order, 2026, S.O. 1739(E) |
| Other sports gloves (gym, golf, goalkeeper) | No | None made compulsory | No order |
| Protective gloves for firefighters | Yes, ISI mark | IS 16874:2018 | Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022, S.O. 1707(E) |
| Live working gloves of insulating material | Yes, ISI mark | IS 13774:2021 | Electrical Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2023, S.O. 43(E) |
| Nylon knitted seamless gloves for tobacco harvesters | Yes, ISI mark | IS 16390:2015 | Agro Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2023, S.O. 4248(E), 27 September 2023 |
Each glove order names its product and standard. A glove is covered only if it is the product the order describes, so the use a glove is made and sold for decides coverage, not its material.
When cycling gloves bring in other requirements
Unheated cycling gloves never need BIS. Some features do bring in other rules:
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Heating elements. Since 1 October 2026, the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 has applied to household electrical appliances, including battery-operated ones. Its list includes “Blankets, Pads, Clothing and Similar Flexible Heating Appliances”, and IS 302 (Part 2/Sec 17):2026 covers battery-operated clothing that heats the body. Heated gloves therefore need the ISI mark (from 1 January 2027 for small and 1 April 2027 for micro enterprises). See is BIS required for clothing and garments.
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Built-in batteries. Heated gloves, and gloves with lights or signal indicators, often carry a rechargeable lithium battery. Sealed secondary cells and batteries for portable applications need BIS registration under IS 16046 through the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS). A USB charger or adaptor supplied in the box may need its own CRS registration.
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Dual-use claims. A glove marketed for firefighting, live electrical work or tobacco harvesting falls under the matching order whatever its brand name. Keep Indian packaging and listings consistent with cycling use.
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High-visibility kit sold alongside. Jackets or vests sold as high-visibility warning clothing can need BIS: IS 15809:2017 is compulsory under the Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022.
What importers of cycling gloves should do
- List each glove model with its materials, intended use and HS code, and note any batteries, heating elements or lights.
- Send photos and specifications for any model whose use is unclear, for example gloves also sold for work or motorcycling, so its coverage can be confirmed.
- License heated gloves under IS 302 (Part 1) and register the batteries in heated or lit gloves under CRS before import.
- Check the rest of the range. Reflectors, tyres, tubes and battery-powered accessories do need BIS. See our guide to BIS for bicycles and bicycle accessories.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech checks cycling and sportswear ranges against every Quality Control Order, model by model, and confirms in writing which products need BIS and which do not. For helmets, see is BIS required for bicycle helmets. Where an accessory does need certification, our team, which includes former BIS Directors, handles the licence or registration from testing to grant.