BIS certification is not required for plastic water bottles in India. No order covers plastic drinking bottles, whether PET, Tritan, polycarbonate or polypropylene, so they can be made, imported and sold without an ISI mark. The bottles that do need BIS are metal water bottles of copper, stainless steel or aluminium, insulated flasks and bottles, insulated food containers, and feeding bottles for infants.
Which bottles and containers need BIS
| Product | BIS mandatory? | Indian Standard | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic drinking bottles (PET, Tritan, polycarbonate, PP) | No | IS 8688 exists but is voluntary | No order |
| Sipper bottles, tumblers and mugs (non-insulated) | No | None | No order |
| Glass drinking bottles | No | None | No order |
| Plain lunch boxes and food storage containers | No | None | No order |
| Metal water bottles (copper, stainless steel, aluminium) | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17803:2022 | Potable Water Bottles (QC) Order, 2024, S.O. 1071(E) |
| Stainless steel vacuum flasks and bottles | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17526:2021 | Insulated Flask, Bottles and Containers (QC) Order, 2024, S.O. 1072(E) |
| Insulated flasks (steel inner, steel or plastic outer) | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17790:2022 | S.O. 1072(E) |
| Insulated food containers up to 20 litres | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17569:2021 | S.O. 1072(E) |
| Plastic feeding bottles | Yes, Standard Mark | IS 14625 | IMS Act, 1992, section 11(2) |
| Glass feeding bottles | Yes, Standard Mark | IS 5168 | IMS Act, 1992, section 11(2) |
Metal bottles: the Potable Water Bottles QCO
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued the Potable Water Bottles (Quality Control) Order, 2024 (S.O. 1071(E), 5 March 2024), which superseded the 2023 order (S.O. 2988(E)). It lists one product, “Potable water bottles”, against IS 17803:2022, Potable Water Bottles (Copper, Stainless Steel, Aluminium). The order applied three months after publication, six months for small enterprises and nine months for micro enterprises.
The standard sets the scope. Clause 1 of IS 17803 covers copper, stainless steel and aluminium bottles for carrying drinking water up to 1,500 ml, and says it does not cover insulated and vacuum flasks. A plastic bottle is outside the standard and outside the order. For metal bottles larger than 1.5 litres, check with BIS: the order names “potable water bottles” without a size limit, but the standard stops at 1,500 ml.
The order does not apply to bottles made in India for export. It also exempts bottles made in India by small units registered on the Udyam portal whose investment in plant and machinery does not exceed ₹1 crore and turnover does not exceed ₹5 crore, limits raised from ₹25 lakh and ₹2 crore by S.O. 777(E) on 13 February 2026. That exemption covers domestic manufacture only, not imports.
Insulated flasks, bottles and food containers
The Insulated Flask, Bottles and Containers for Domestic Use (Quality Control) Order, 2024 (S.O. 1072(E), 5 March 2024) covers three standards:
- IS 17526:2021, domestic stainless steel vacuum flasks and bottles for hot and cold drinks.
- IS 17790:2022, domestic insulated flasks with a stainless steel inner container; the outer may be stainless steel or plastic.
- IS 17569:2021, insulated containers for storing hot and cold food at home, up to 20 litres. Its types include plastic outside with stainless steel inside, stainless steel on both sides, plastic on both sides, and hot and cold boxes with inserts.
So a plastic bottle can need BIS if it is an insulated flask with a steel inner container, and an all-plastic insulated food container needs it too. An insulated tumbler or sipper needs a product-by-product check against IS 17526 and IS 17790.
Feeding bottles: a separate law
Feeding bottles for infants are covered by the Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992, not by a Quality Control Order. As BIS quotes it in the foreword of both standards, section 11(2) says no person shall sell or distribute any feeding bottle unless it conforms to the Standard Mark specified by BIS and the mark is affixed on its container. Plastic feeding bottles must meet IS 14625 and glass ones IS 5168, which requires borosilicate glass.
Polymers no longer need BIS either
Until November 2025, some plastics used to make bottles were under their own Quality Control Orders. On 12 November 2025 the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals rescinded the orders for polycarbonate, polyethylene moulding material, terephthalic acid, ethylene glycol and other polymers and inputs, with immediate effect (S.O. 5129(E) to S.O. 5142(E)). Those raw-material orders no longer apply.
What bottle importers and brands should do
- Sort the range by material and construction: single-wall plastic or glass (no BIS), single-wall metal (IS 17803), insulated (IS 17526 or IS 17790) and food containers (IS 17569).
- Get factory licences for the covered products. The ISI mark is licensed to the factory, and overseas factories apply under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
- Keep a note on file for uncovered bottles, citing the scope of IS 17803, in case customs or a marketplace asks.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech reviews bottle, flask and container ranges model by model and confirms in writing which need the ISI mark. For covered products, we handle the ISI licence for Indian factories and FMCS licences for overseas ones, including acting as Authorised Indian Representative. Our team includes former BIS Directors.