International Compliance Series: India

International Compliance Series: India

To someone new to battery testing and certification, the number of lithium battery standards, governing organizations, and regulations can be overwhelming. Fundamentally, the battery safety industry, which can appear to be extremely complex, is actually fairly straightforward compared to other industries. To help with compliance and regulations required by different countries, we’ve developed this International Compliance blog series, each post covering a specific country’s mandatory testing requirements, marks required, if any, and additional insights.

INDIA

Mandated by Bureau of India Standards (BIS) under the Compulsory Registration Scheme , Lithium-ion and rechargeable Nickel cells and batteries became mandatory in June of 2016 under an expansion of compulsory items​. To import batteries into India, registration is required and each battery must maintain the R-number issued upon registration. Successful BIS Registration concludes with a Grant letter issued by BIS and a listing in the BIS online database to support the R-number that must be on the product. All requirements below apply to Lithium-ion and NiMH/NiCD cells and batteries​.

Mandatory:

  • In country testing
  • Standard Applied: IS 16046 part 1:2018 and IS 16046 part 2: 2018 (based on IEC 62133-1:2017 and IEC 6213-2:2017)​
  • Component cell compliance method​: Separate Registration required prior to battery testing​
  • In country representative required​ for registration process
  • Samples and timeline
    • 25 batteries 
    • 45 cells (if cells aren’t currently registered)
    • 2-3 months
  • No factory inspection

Mark required​:

Label requirements:

Direct from IEC standards. No local language required.

Items must be on the product label unless size will not allow, in which they may be in the manual with approval.

The following items must be on Li-Ion cells or batteries:

  • Secondary (rechargeable) Li or Li-ion
  • Cell or Battery Designation as per Cl.5.1 of IS 16047(Part-3):2018
  • Polarity 
  • Date of manufacture (which may be in code)
  • Name or identification of manufacturer or supplier
  • Rated capacity 
  • Nominal voltage

Process for registration:

Things to be aware of:​

  • Any change to the factory/manufacturer or brand name is a new submittal – considered a new product (manufacturer=factory=applicant)​
  • Factory information is required​ even though there is no factory inspection
  • Branding matters 
    • Registered brands must include cells and batteries in their trademark registration 
    • Factories must have a brand authorization form to use the brand if they are not the brand holder
    • A change in branding is a new product
  • Limits on allowed models by similarity without additional testing ​
  • AIR – Authorized India Rep – Factory Rep or Brand Holder Rep in India is required to sign documents and will manage/own the online login ​
  • Safety-critical components may require a CB report or a UL Listing/Recognition ​
  • Limited test labs in country – limited battery knowledge​
  • Shipping batteries for testing is difficult/costly​
  • Surveillance can be challenging and result in loss of registration – basically requires a full retest and re-evaluation of the battery and is random.

Li-Ion battery requirements for different countries can be quite confusing. Every country has specific requirements that make them unique and these differences can lead to delays and potential changes in design if not fully understood. Join us on March 31, 2021, for a free live webinar that will discuss the mandatory, as well as voluntary or customer-driven, requirements for different countries. We’ll also review upcoming changes to standards and requirements globally.

To save your spot and receive a PDF copy of the webinar afterward, simply register here.

At Energy Assurance, we take pride in the level of expertise we have in this field and are happy to share news of our ever-changing environment. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please reach out to us for a consultation.

By | March 24th, 2021
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