India makes capacity testing mandatory for lithium-ion batteries

Testing to IEC 61960-3 becomes part of BIS registration. From 1 May 2027, no new licence will be granted without a capacity test. 

Anyone selling lithium-ion cells and batteries for portable applications in India will have to substantiate their rated capacity with a test report. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) published implementation guidelines to this effect on 10 February 2026. They put into practice an order issued by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on 3 February 2026.

Lithium-ion cells and batteries for portable applications are subject to compulsory registration in India. The legal basis is the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021, together with IS 16046 (Part 2):2018, the Indian adoption of IEC 62133-2:2017. The standard requires the rated capacity to be declared on the cell and the battery. Whether the declared value is correct lies outside its test scope: IEC 62133-2 is a safety standard, not a performance standard. 

MeitY justifies the new requirement with complaints and cases in which the declared rated capacity proved incorrect. The stated aim is consumer protection.

Rated capacity is measured using the test method in clause 7.3.1 of IS 16047 (Part 3):2018. This standard corresponds to IEC 61960-3:2017, the performance standard for prismatic and cylindrical rechargeable lithium cells and the batteries built from them for portable equipment. Clause 7.3.1 is titled “Discharge performance at 20 deg C (rated capacity)” and therefore covers the capacity test at 20 °C. Coin cells fall outside the scope of this standard and are covered by IEC 61960-4 instead. Whether and how BIS will regulate capacity testing for coin cells is not apparent from either document. 

The result is reported as part of compliance with IS 16046 (Part 2). The test laboratory enters the measured capacity under clause 4 of the modified Unified Test Report Format. It also references the test report under which the model was tested for safety to IS 16046 (Part 2). Safety and performance evidence are thus linked within one registration. 

The deadline depends on the validity of the existing licence: 

• Licence valid until 30 April 2027: evidence due by 30 April 2027 

• Licence valid beyond 30 April 2027: evidence due by the last day of licence validity 

Test reports from a third party laboratory must be submitted for all lead models within the scope of the licence; in BIS practice, that laboratory has to be BIS-recognised. The manufacturer raises the test request through LIMS, the BIS laboratory portal. The application is filed online through the Standard Revision/Amendment/Essential Requirement Module. For all other models covered by the licence, the licensee submits an undertaking that they comply with clause 7.3.1. 

If these steps are not completed on time, BIS may suspend or cancel the licence or remove models from its scope. According to the MeitY order, existing registrations remain valid until the end of their validity period on one condition: battery samples taken during market surveillance must meet the specified limits for rated capacity. This grandfathering concerns the validity of the registration only. The obligation to provide evidence applies regardless and has to be met within the current licence. What tolerance BIS applies to battery samples taken during market surveillance is not apparent from either document.

• attery samples already submitted to the laboratory, or test report already issued: the application is processed without an additional capacity test. 

• Application in process: it is processed if the applicant undertakes to submit the clause 7.3.1 test report by the last day of licence validity. 

• After 30 April 2027: BIS will not grant a licence under IS 16046 (Part 2) if the test report does not include the capacity test. 

• Renewal of a registration: Alongside new registrations and the inclusion of further models, the MeitY order explicitly names renewal. A registration renewed after 30 April 2027 therefore also requires the evidence. 

Changes in the scope of a licence, such as adding further models, follow the same rules as new applications.

Companies supplying cells, battery packs or devices with a built-in lithium-ion battery to India should review the following: 

• which models are registered under IS 16046 (Part 2) and how long each licence remains valid 

• which models are lead models and need their own test report 

• whether the declared rated capacity is supported by measurements to IEC 61960-3; the assessment criterion is set out in clause 7.3.1 of the standard 

• early planning of laboratory slots and shipment of battery samples, which travel as dangerous goods in the case of lithium-ion batteries 

• for device manufacturers: whether cell and battery suppliers hold the evidence for the models installed, and by when

Both standards involved are covered in more detail in the VRI knowledge base: IEC 61960-3 for performance testing and IEC 62133-2 for safety requirements.

Source: Bureau of Indian Standards, Registration Department: Guidelines for verification of rated capacity for portable sealed secondary Lithium Cells and Batteries, 10 February 2026, with MeitY order No. W-47/14/2024-IPHW of 3 February 2026 attached. The wording of the original documents is authoritative.

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