NABL accredited testing
Cable & Wire Testing
NABL-accredited type, routine and acceptance testing for power, control, flexible, solar, fire-survival, HFFR and communication cables to Indian, IEC and BS standards.
Cables are among the most tested products in India. Every ISI-marked cable needs a type test report against its Indian Standard, utilities and EPC contractors ask for NABL reports with every lot, and government tenders often list the exact clauses they want covered.
We test the full set: conductor resistance and construction, insulation and sheath thickness, tensile strength and elongation before and after ageing, hot set, shrinkage, cold bend and impact, insulation resistance and volume resistivity, high-voltage withstand, flame retardance, smoke density, halogen acid gas, oxygen and temperature index, and circuit integrity under fire.
Indian Standards we test to
| Standard | Covers | Tests | BIS-recognised |
|---|---|---|---|
| IS 10810 | Methods of Test for Cables | 277 | — |
| IS 7098 | XLPE Insulated Cables | 86 | Yes |
| IS 1554 | PVC Insulated Heavy Duty Cables | 69 | Yes |
| IS 9968 | Elastomer Insulated Cables | 54 | Yes |
| IS 17505 | Fire Survival Cables | 42 | Yes |
| IS 6380 | Elastomeric Insulation & Sheath for Cables | 41 | — |
| IS 5831 | PVC Insulation & Sheath for Cables | 33 | — |
| IS 4289 | Flexible Lift Cables | 32 | — |
| IS 16246 | Fire Resistant Circuit Integrity Cables | 32 | — |
| IS 8130 | Conductors for Insulated Cables | 31 | — |
| IS 17293 | Solar PV Cables | 31 | Yes |
| IS 14494 | Flexible Mining Cables | 30 | Yes |
| IS 17048 | HFFR Cables | 28 | Yes |
| IS 694 | PVC Insulated Cables | 26 | Yes |
| IS 2465 | Cables for Motor Vehicles | 22 | — |
| IS 3975 | Steel Armour Wires & Tapes for Cables | 22 | — |
| IS 14255 | Aerial Bunched Cables | 21 | Yes |
| IS 9857 | Welding Cables | 15 | Yes |
International and other standards
| Standard | Products | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60502 | Power Cables With Extruded Insulation And their Accessories For Rated Voltages From 1 kV Upto 30 kV; Power cable with extruded insulation rated voltages of 1kV (Um =1.2 kV) and 3 kV (Um =3.6 kV); Power cables with extruded insulation and their accessories for rated voltages from 1 kV (Um = 1,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) - Part 2: Cables for rated voltages from 6 kV (Um = 7,2 kV) up to 30 kV (Um = 36 kV) and 5 more | 119 |
| ANSI/TIA 568-C | Ethernet Cables (Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications cabling and components standards) Category Category-3; Ethernet Cables (Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications cabling and components standards) Category Category-5e; Ethernet Cables (Balanced Twisted-Pair Telecommunications cabling and components standards) Category Category-6 and 2 more | 99 |
| IEC 60245 | Rubber insulated cable- rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V Part 1: General requirement; IEC 60245(Pt-3): 1994 Rubber insulated cable- rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V Part 3:Heat resistant silicone insulated cables; Rubber insulated cable- rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V Part 3:Heat resistant silicone insulated cables and 5 more | 93 |
| BS EN 50525 | Flexible Cables with Thermoplastic PVC Insulation; Low Voltage Energy Cables - Part 1 General Requirements; Low Voltage Energy Cables : General Requirements and 6 more | 93 |
| IEC 60227 | Polyvinyl chloride insulated cables of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V Part 5: Flexible cables (cords); Polyvinyl chloride insulated cable of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 v Part 4: sheathed cables for fixed wiring; Polyvinyl chloride insulated cable of rated voltages up to and including 450/750 V Part 1: General requirement and 9 more | 68 |
| BS 7846 | Electric cables -Thermosetting insulated, armoured, fire - resistant cables of rated voltage 600/1000 V for fixed installations, having low emission of smoke and corrosive gases when affected by fire | 43 |
| BS 7655 | Electric cables- Thermosetting insulated, armoured cables of rated voltages of 600/1000 V and 1900/3300 V for fixed installation- Specification; Insulating and sheathing materials for cables Part 6:Thermoplastic sheathing compounds having low emission of corrosive gases, and suitable for use in cables having low emission of smoke when affected by fire Section 6.1 General application thermoplastic types; Insulating and sheathing materials for cables Part 4: PVC sheathing compounds Section 4.1 Harmonized types and 1 more | 34 |
| BS 7629 | Electric cables -Specification for 300/500V fire resistant screened, fixed installation cables having low emission of smoke and corrosive gases when affected by fire | 33 |
| BS 6004 | Electric cables- PVC insulated and PVC sheathed cables for voltages up to and including 300/500 V, for electric power and lighting | 32 |
| BS EN 50618 | Electrical Cables for photovoltaic system; Electrical Cables for photovoltaic systems | 31 |
| IEC 62930 | Electrical Cables for photovoltaic system; Electrical Cables for photovoltaic systems | 31 |
| BS EN 50288 | Multi Element Metallic Cables Used in Analogue A36nd Digital Communication and Control; Multi Element Metallic Cables Used in Analogue And Digital Communication and Control | 27 |
| BS EN 50363 | Insulating, sheathing and covering materials for low voltage energy cables Part 2-1: Cross- linked elastomeric sheathing compounds; Insulating, sheathing and covering materials for low voltage energy cables Part 4-1: PVC sheathing compounds; Insulating, sheathing and covering materials for low voltage energy cables and 1 more | 26 |
| PAS 5308 | Control and instrumentation cables; Control and instrumentation cables Part 1: Specification for polyethylene insulated cables | 24 |
| BS 7889 | Electric cables-Thermosetting insulated, non- armoured cables with a voltage of 600/1000 V, for fixed installation | 22 |
| ISO 6722 | Road vehicles-60V and 600V single core cables- Dimensions, test methods and requirements | 22 |
| HD 626 | Aerial Bunched Cables; Bundle assembled cores for overhead distribution and service | 19 |
| BS 6195 | Specification for Insulated flexible cables and cords for coil leads | 19 |
| BS 5467 | Electric cables- Thermosetting insulated, armoured cables of rated voltages of 600/1000 V and 1900/3300 V for fixed installation- Specification | 18 |
| BS 6231 | Electric cables-Single core PVC insulated flexible cables of rated voltage 600/1000 V, for switchgear and controlgear wiring | 18 |
| BS EN 50396 | Electric cables- PVC insulated and PVC sheathed cables for voltages up to and including 300/500 V, for electric power and lighting; Non electrical test methods for low voltage energy cables | 14 |
| IEC 60811 | Electric and optical fibre cables - Test methods for non-metallic materials; Test Electric and Optical Fiber Cables – Test Method for Non-Metallic Material | 6 |
| IEC 60332 | Cross Linked Polyethylene Insulated, Thermoplastic sheathed cables Working voltage up to and including 1100 Volts; Test on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions-; Tests on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions | 4 |
| IEC 60754 | Cross Linked Polyethylene Insulated, Thermoplastic sheathed cables Working voltage up to and including 1100 Volts; Determination of degree of acidity (corrosivity) of gases by measuring pH and conductivity; Test on gases evolved during combustion of materials from cables - Part 1: Determination of the halogen acid gas content | 4 |
| EN 50289 | Communication cables / Abrasion resistance of cable sheath markings; Communication cables / Impact resistance of the cable | 2 |
| ASTM D2863 | Cross Linked Polyethylene Insulated, Thermoplastic sheathed cables Working voltage up to and including 1100 Volts | 2 |
| IEC 60794 | Generic specification- Basic optical cable test procedures | 2 |
| ASTM D2240 | Standard Test Method for Rubber Property- Durometer Hardness | 2 |
| IEC 60331 | Test for electric cables under fire conditions- Circuit integrity | 2 |
| ASTM D3137 | Test Method for rubber Property | 2 |
| ASTM D746 | 48F Metal Free Optical Fiber Cable with Double HDPE Sheath for Underground Duct Application (Type-I) (Optical Fiber Cable) | 1 |
| TEC 85240 | 48F Metal Free Optical Fiber Cable with Double HDPE Sheath for Underground Duct Application (Type-I) (Optical Fiber Cable) | 1 |
| IEC 60068 | 48F Metal Free Optical Fiber Cable with Double HDPE Sheath for Underground Duct Application (Type-I) (Optical Fiber Cable) | 1 |
| IEC 61034 | Measuring smoke emission when electric or optical fibre cables are burnt under defined conditions | 1 |
| TEC 8510 | Optical fibre cable (OFC) Fibre distribution management systems (FDMS) Fibre termination & Distribution Box Spice closure And other insulating materials | 1 |
| ISO 4589 | Plastics — Determination of burning behaviour by oxygen index | 1 |
| NEMA WC 70 | Power cable for the distribution of Electrical energy Standard for central Thermo Couple Extension and Instrumentation Cables | 1 |
| NEMA WC 5 | Power Cables for the distribution of electrical energy Standard for control Thermocouple Extension and Instrumentation Cables | 1 |
| BS 6387 | Test method for resistance to fire of cables required to maintain circuit integrity under fire conditions | 1 |
Who it's for
- Cable manufacturers applying for or renewing an ISI licence
- Suppliers to state utilities, railways, metro and PSU projects
- EPC contractors and consultants checking supplied lots
- Exporters needing IEC or BS test reports
How it works
- Share the product and the purpose: BIS certification, a tender, a customer or export.
- Get the test plan. We list the standard, clauses, number of samples, cost and timeline.
- Send samples with the test request and technical documents.
- Receive the NABL accredited report, reviewed by us before you submit it.
Frequently asked questions
Which cable tests are NABL accredited?
The tests listed on this page and on each standard page are within NABL accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025). Each line shows the clause of the standard the test is performed against.
Can you test cables to IEC and BS standards as well as IS?
Yes. Besides IS 694, IS 1554, IS 7098, IS 9968, IS 17048, IS 17505 and other Indian Standards, accredited tests cover IEC 60502, IEC 60227, IEC 60245, BS EN 50525, BS 6004, BS 7846, BS EN 50618 and more.
How much cable is needed as a sample?
It depends on the standard, the size and the tests. A full type test usually needs several metres, and fire tests need more. We confirm the exact length once we know the cable construction and the tests required.
Are the test reports accepted for BIS certification?
For several cable standards, testing is available at a BIS-recognised laboratory, so the report can be submitted with a BIS application. Each standard page says whether this applies.
Other NABL testing categories
- Conductor & Insulating Mat Testing 134 accredited tests
- Battery & Cell Testing 583 accredited tests
- Household Appliance Testing 384 accredited tests
- LED Lamp & Luminaire Testing 144 accredited tests
- IT & Electronics Safety Testing 181 accredited tests
- UPS Safety Testing 46 accredited tests
- Environmental & Reliability Testing 225 accredited tests
See the NABL testing service for how we work. Tests listed are within NABL accreditation (ISO/IEC 17025).
Not sure which certification your product needs?
Talk to a team led by former BIS Directors. We'll map every approval your product needs before you spend on testing.