A NABL accredited laboratory has been assessed by NABL against ISO/IEC 17025 and found competent for the tests listed in its scope. A BIS-recognised laboratory has, in addition, been approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards to test products for its certification schemes, for specific Indian Standards. The first is about technical competence. The second is about who BIS will accept reports from. For a tender, a PSU, a utility or a private buyer, a NABL report is usually enough. For an ISI mark licence or CRS registration, BIS accepts reports only from laboratories it has recognised for that standard, so a NABL report alone may not be accepted.
The difference at a glance
| NABL accredited lab | BIS-recognised lab | |
|---|---|---|
| Granted by | NABL, a constituent board of the Quality Council of India | Bureau of Indian Standards |
| Basis | Assessment against ISO/IEC 17025 | BIS laboratory recognition, which generally builds on ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for the tests |
| What it covers | The tests, products and methods in the lab’s scope | Testing for BIS conformity assessment against specific Indian Standards |
| Where to check | NABL directory of accredited laboratories | BIS lists of recognised labs on bis.gov.in, and crsbis.in for CRS |
| Report accepted by | Tenders, PSUs, utilities, EPC contractors, GeM and private buyers, export customers (via ILAC MRA, subject to local rules) | BIS for ISI (Scheme-I) and CRS (Scheme-II) applications, and anyone who accepts a NABL report |
A laboratory can be NABL accredited for a standard without being BIS-recognised for it. Recognition is also granted standard by standard and sometimes part by part, so a lab recognised for IS 1554 (Part 1) is not automatically recognised for IS 1554 (Part 2).
If you are new to NABL scopes, start with what NABL accreditation is and how to verify a report.
When each report is accepted
BIS ISI mark (Scheme-I)
For an ISI licence, the product is tested against its Indian Standard in a BIS laboratory or a BIS-recognised laboratory. Under the simplified procedure, the applicant submits that report with the application. A NABL report from a laboratory that is not recognised for the standard will not be accepted, however good it is. Cables are a typical ISI case: IS 694, IS 1554 (Part 1) and IS 7098 (Part 1) are all under compulsory ISI certification. See our ISI mark guide for the full process.
BIS CRS registration (Scheme-II)
Under CRS, testing must be done at a laboratory recognised by BIS for the standard, and the report must be used within 90 days of issue. A NABL report from any other laboratory cannot be filed. Typical CRS standards include IS/IEC 62368-1 for adapters, laptops and power banks, IS 16102 for LED lamps, IS 16242 (Part 1) for UPS and IS 16046 for lithium-ion and nickel portable batteries. See our CRS registration guide.
Tenders, PSUs and utilities
Government departments, state utilities, railways, metro projects and PSUs usually ask for type test reports from a NABL accredited laboratory with the bid or before supply. Common conditions include:
- the exact standard and edition, and sometimes the clauses to be covered;
- a maximum age for the type test report;
- that the tested sample matches the offered rating, size or construction;
- acceptance tests on supplied lots, often witnessed by the buyer or a third-party inspector.
BIS recognition is rarely required here, but if the product is also under a Quality Control Order, the buyer will expect a valid BIS licence or registration as well.
GeM
Products sold on the Government e-Marketplace must meet any BIS requirement that applies to them by law. Beyond that, buyers can add conditions to a bid, and test reports from a NABL accredited laboratory are a common one. Read the bid’s additional terms and conditions before you bid.
Private buyers, EPC contractors and exporters
Private buyers and EPC contractors generally accept NABL accredited reports. Export customers may accept them through the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement, but the importing country’s rules decide, and some markets require their own certification.
Examples from our NABL scope
The table below shows how this plays out for standards in our accredited scope. “BIS-recognised testing” means testing to that standard is also available at a BIS-recognised laboratory, so one report can serve both a BIS application and a tender or buyer.
| Standard | Product | BIS scheme | NABL accredited tests | BIS-recognised testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IS 694 | PVC insulated cables up to 1,100 V | ISI | 26 | Available |
| IS 1554 | PVC insulated heavy duty cables | ISI | 69 | Available |
| IS 7098 | XLPE insulated cables | ISI | 86 | Available |
| IS 17293 | Solar PV cables, 1,500 V DC | ISI | 31 | Available |
| IS 302 | Household appliance safety | ISI and CRS, depending on the product | 160 | Available |
| IS/IEC 62368 | Audio, video and ICT equipment | CRS | 62 | Available |
| IS 16102 | Self-ballasted LED lamps | CRS | 11 | Available |
| IS 16242 | UPS safety | CRS | 23 | Available |
| IS 16046 | Portable lithium and nickel cells and batteries | CRS | 53 | We confirm which recognised lab your registration needs |
| IS 398 | AAC, AAAC and ACSR overhead conductors | Mainly bought on tender | 40 | Not usually needed |
| IS 16893 | Lithium-ion cells for electric vehicles | Buyer and development testing | 22 | Not usually needed |
Two examples:
- A cable maker applying for an ISI licence for IS 7098 (Part 1) needs a BIS-recognised lab report. Because testing to IS 7098 is available at a BIS-recognised laboratory, the same report can later go with a utility tender that asks for a NABL type test report, provided the edition and report age meet the bid conditions.
- A power bank or battery importer registering under CRS to IS 16046 needs a report from a laboratory recognised by BIS for IS 16046. A NABL report from another lab is still useful for a buyer or for pre-compliance, but it cannot be filed with BIS. We confirm the right laboratory before testing so you do not pay twice.
Common mistakes that cost a second test
- Testing before deciding what the report is for. The same product may need a BIS-recognised lab for certification and only a NABL lab for a tender. Decide first.
- Checking the lab, not the standard. A lab recognised for one Indian Standard, or one part of it, is not recognised for the rest.
- Wrong edition. If BIS or the buyer works to a revised standard, a report to the old edition may be rejected.
- Name and address mismatches. For BIS, the manufacturer’s name and address must match across the application, the test report and the label.
- Report too old. CRS reports must be used within 90 days of issue, and tenders often set their own limits.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech offers NABL accredited testing across more than 3,200 tests, with BIS-recognised testing available for 20 Indian Standards. We start by asking what the report is for, then plan the tests, laboratory and samples so one round of testing covers BIS, the tender and the buyer wherever that is possible. Browse the scope by category: cables, batteries, appliances, LED lighting, IT and electronics and UPS.