BIS certification is not required for sofas or mattresses in India. The Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 covers six kinds of furniture: work chairs, general purpose chairs and stools, tables and desks, storage units, beds and bunk beds. Its chair standard expressly excludes settees and other multiple seating, and mattresses are not listed at all. Two rules can still catch a sofa: motorised furniture needs the ISI mark under the household electrical appliances order from 1 October 2026, and upholstery for non-domestic furniture must meet IS 15768.
Which furniture needs BIS
| Product | BIS mandatory? | Indian Standard | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sofas, settees and other multiple seating | No | IS 17632 excludes them | No order |
| Mattresses | No | None | No order |
| Rocking chairs | No | IS 17632 excludes them | No order |
| Cribs and cots for babies | No | None | No order |
| Work chairs | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17631:2022 | Furniture (QC) Order, 2025, S.O. 801(E) |
| General purpose chairs and stools | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17632:2022 | S.O. 801(E) |
| Tables and desks | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17633:2022 | S.O. 801(E) |
| Storage units | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17634:2022 | S.O. 801(E) |
| Beds | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17635:2022 | S.O. 801(E) |
| Bunk beds | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17636:2022 | S.O. 801(E) |
| Motorised furniture (power recliners, adjustable beds, motorised desks) | Yes, from 1 October 2026 | IS 302 (Part 1):2024 | Household appliances (QC) Order, 2026, S.O. 1739(E) |
| Upholstered composites for non-domestic furniture | Yes, ISI mark | IS 15768 | S.O. 3916(E), 12 September 2024 |
| Cabinet hinges and other hinges | Yes, ISI mark | IS 18297 and others | Hinges (QC) Order, 2025, S.O. 1368(E) |
| Telescopic drawer slides | Yes, ISI mark | IS 17954:2023 | S.O. 1962(E), 2 May 2024 |
What the Furniture QCO covers
DPIIT issued the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 (S.O. 801(E)), published in the Gazette on 14 February 2025. It lists “Furniture” against six Indian Standards and applies twelve months after publication. The Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 gives its date of implementation as 13 February 2026. Micro and small enterprises had eighteen months from publication.
The scope comes from the six standards:
- IS 17632, chairs and stools, applies to chairs and stools for adults and treats pouffes as stools. Its foreword says it “does not apply to settees and other multiple seating, nor to rocking chairs”, and its tests are not for reclining or tilting chairs.
- IS 17635, beds, covers beds for adults for domestic and non-domestic use. It does not cover waterbeds, airbeds, foldaway beds, bunk beds, beds for people with special needs or beds for healthcare. Its foreword adds that electrical adjustability and conversion from a sofa to a bed are not covered.
- IS 17636, bunk beds, covers bunk beds and also single beds whose base is 800 mm or more above the floor.
- IS 17631 covers work chairs, IS 17633 tables and desks used by adults, and IS 17634 storage units for domestic and institutional use.
Why mattresses are not covered
No order or Indian Standard on BIS’s compulsory lists names mattresses. IS 17635 tests the bed frame and base, and uses a test mattress only as equipment for those tests. A mattress sold on its own needs no ISI mark.
When a sofa does need BIS
- It has electric motors. The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026 (S.O. 1739(E)) applies from 1 October 2026 to household and commercial electrical appliances up to 250 V single-phase, including battery-operated ones. Its list includes “Furniture with Electrically Motorized Parts”. Power recliners, lift chairs and adjustable beds need the ISI mark under IS 302 (Part 1):2024. Small enterprises have until 1 January 2027 and micro enterprises until 1 April 2027.
- It is non-domestic upholstered furniture. The Protective Textiles Quality Control (Upholstered Composites used for Non-Domestic Furniture) Order, 2024 (S.O. 3916(E)) requires upholstered composites, and upholstery fabric traded or used to make non-domestic furniture, to meet IS 15768. Makers of domestic upholstered furniture give a self-declaration under IS 15768 that their products are meant for domestic use.
Exemptions in the Furniture QCO
- Exports. Furniture made in India for export, and non-BIS components imported by Indian furniture makers to make furniture for export, with a self-declaration (S.O. 774(E)).
- Small units. Furniture made in India by units registered on the Udyam portal with investment up to ₹1 crore and turnover up to ₹5 crore (S.O. 777(E), from 13 February 2026).
- Research and development. Up to 200 pieces a year imported by certified or applicant furniture makers, not for sale (S.O. 774(E)).
- Declared stock. Certified or applicant manufacturers could sell declared stock for twelve months from the date of implementation (S.O. 774(E)).
- Shipments in transit. Imports whose purchase order was placed by 12 August 2026, with the bill of lading issued by 30 November 2026 and the bill of entry by 31 December 2026; the importer sends the documents to BIS within seven days of clearance (S.O. 5950(E), 2 November 2026, which replaced the 180-day rule of S.O. 1125(E)).
What furniture importers and brands should do
- Map each model to one of the six standards, or record why it falls outside them: multiple seating, mattress, rocking chair, sofa-cum-bed.
- Check for motors. Anything with an electric motor needs IS 302 (Part 1) from 1 October 2026.
- Check the hardware. Hinges and drawer slides sold as products need their own ISI licences, and panels such as MDF, particle board and plywood have their own orders.
- Do not assume outdoor furniture is exempt. The standards have no outdoor exclusion.
- License each factory. Overseas furniture factories apply under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech maps furniture ranges against the Furniture QCO, the household appliances order and the upholstery order, model by model, and confirms in writing which products need the ISI mark. We handle ISI and FMCS licences for furniture factories, including acting as Authorised Indian Representative. Our team includes former BIS Directors.