How to import LED lights from China to India? The first thing we need to do is to see if the LED lights have BIS certification. It is mandatory to get the LED lights BIS approved before importing to India since early 2018. Before importing the LED from China, let’s have a quick look on what is BIS certification, and some tips to have successful clearance after buying luminaires to India.
Mandatory BIS Certification for LED Lights
In Sep 2017, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notice to add 13 types of electronic products to the BIS mandatory certification system. LED lighting product is one of the newly added items. All LED luminaires must have BIS approval or certification 6 months after the issue date (Feb 2018); otherwise, the goods cannot be imported to India.
It should be noticed that the BIS certification is model number and origin dependent. It means the model number and the manufacturing factory must match the certification. In other words, if there is another factory manufacturing the same model, this model will need to apply for the new approval if the factory is not BIS certificated.
The type of LED includes-
a. Flood lights,
b. Road & street lights,
c. Lighting chains,
d. Recessed lights, etc.
Is it possible to import LED lighting without BIS Certification (Exemption)?
As an Indian importer, sometimes we may ask if there is BIS exemption on LED lighting. In fact, there is no compulsory certification before 2014. The manufacturer can have the voluntary certification for their products. However, this is not the case in 2019. So, there is no way to clear customs without BIS certification, no matter you are importing LED lights from China, US, UK or other countries, unless you smuggle them.
In fact, the ultimate purpose of the BIS certification scheme is to protect the end users in India. The mandatory certification help prevent the shoddy LED lights from entering India. It is reasonable to include LED in this scheme as lighting has become the indispensable part in daily lives. Poor quality products will last very short or even catch fire.
Advantages of importing LED from China to India
As an Indian buyer or electrical contractor, there are so many benefits for importing the LED lights from us.
1. Cheaper LED lights
First, the labor cost and factory rent are much lower in China because of the lower commodity price. Therefore, we can import the LED at a relatively low price. If you import from US or European countries, the cost can increase by 150% to 300%.
2. Shorter lead time
We can usually receive the LED faster if you import from China to India because the lighting factory in China is usually more spacious than that of other countries. Thus, the LED manufacturing facilities are able to accommodate more workers at the same time.
Besides, majority of the LED components such as chip, aluminum alloy, driver and heat sink are also supplied from China, we have no need to import these constituents from other countries. Instead, we can get them from China, and save the manufacturing time.
3. Higher quality LED lights
Since the LED lights imported from China are cheaper, so if you have the same budget, you can always get the higher quality lights from China. It is because US, you will pay for a considerable proportion of money on labor cost and factory rent, instead of the LED lamps themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions for Indian Importer
1. What is the cost of applying BIS certification for LED lighting fixtures?
The cost of applying LED lights’ BIS certification is approx. ₹50000 to ₹60000 (Indian rupee). The BIS registration fee is composed of the charge imposed by government, and the provider charge. However, the overall cost for certificating BIS might varies if you employ different consultation companies.
2. How to apply LED lights’ BIS Certification?
The application of BIS certification involves a few simple steps.
First, we need to register an account in the BIS portal, so we can provide the basic information about the LED light factory. The next step is to send the sample products to the BIS approved laboratory for testing the LED lights, to see if it meets the Indian BIS standard. Finally, if it passes all tests, then we can submit the test report to the BIS and waiting for the approval.
If you have any enquiries on how to import LED lights from China to India, or any issued regarding the BIS certification application, please feel free to contact us. Our email is beatus@ledsmaster.com