India BIS registration is widening to standalone hard disk drives, but not on the date first announced. MeitY moved the start from 5 November 2026 to 1 May 2027 in a notification dated 16 October 2026. A separate change, in force since 15 June 2026, lets large, low-volume equipment apply for a MeitY exemption. If you ship storage, racks or high-power kit into Indian data centres, both shape what clears and when.
The short version. The wider BIS requirement for standalone hard disk drives now takes effect on 1 May 2027, after MeitY moved the original 5 November 2026 date. Separately, large equipment can be exempted from the order, but only if it meets the technical and annual-volume conditions and MeitY issues a specific exemption letter through ICEGATE.
Carra Globe provides importer of record, exporter of record, delivered duty paid and freight forwarding services, so we have a commercial interest in your answer. What follows is written to be usable whether or not you ever speak to us.
What the BIS registration order covers in a data centre
The order lists products, not whole projects. The Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 sets out a schedule of products that must be registered with the Bureau of Indian Standards before they are sold or imported. Entries relevant to data centres include automatic data processing machines, power adaptors for IT equipment, UPS and inverters rated up to 10 kVA, and external storage.
Registration belongs to the manufacturer, not the importer. BIS’s own FAQs say the manufacturer applies, and the registration number is tied to its factory, product and brand. A manufacturer outside India authorises an Indian representative to deal with BIS and MeitY, and the application needs a test report from a BIS-recognised laboratory that is no more than 90 days old. Registration then lasts two years before renewal, so an overseas brand cannot rely on its importer to register for it.
Servers and switches need model-specific scope checks. BIS’s product list includes an “Automatic Data Processing Machine” entry under IS 13252 (Part 1), but that name alone does not settle how every server configuration is classified. Check each model’s function and configuration against the schedule before deciding whether registration is needed, and assess network switches separately. BIS registration is also separate from the DGFT import authorisation that may apply to restricted IT hardware under HSN 8471, covered in our guide to India’s IMS authorisation for servers and laptops.
Standalone hard drives, now from 1 May 2027
The schedule entry changes from USB type external drives to standalone drives. MeitY’s notification S.O. 2204(E) of 5 May 2026 replaced “USB Type External Hard Disk Drives” with “Standalone Hard Disk Drives” at entry 50, tested to IS 13252 (Part 1), from 5 November 2026. Its S.O. 5689(E) of 16 October 2026 then moved that date to 1 May 2027. Check the entry against each drive and configuration rather than assuming internal drives, SSDs or drives built into other equipment are treated the same way.
For imports, the landing date is what counts. BIS’s FAQs say the deadline applies to the date imported goods land in India, so drives arriving on or after 1 May 2027 must comply even if they were ordered earlier. Goods imported only for demonstration, research and development or testing fall outside the order, under a MeitY circular of 26 April 2022.
The safety standard is moving too. MeitY’s S.O. 4997(E) of 29 October 2025 migrates goods from IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023, with both standards allowed to run side by side until 1 November 2028. The hard drive amendment still names IS 13252 (Part 1), so before you rely on an existing test report or plan a new registration, confirm which standard and transition rules apply to your drive.
What about drives inside a server, or SSDs? The notification speaks only of standalone hard disk drives. It does not address drives fitted inside other equipment or enterprise drive interfaces. Solid-state storage is a separate schedule entry, which as published covers USB external solid-state devices, so do not treat SSDs and hard drives as interchangeable. Spare drives shipped loose for a data centre deployment are the obvious case to check first.
The highly specialised equipment exemption
Large, low-volume equipment can apply for a MeitY exemption. MeitY’s notification S.O. 1246(E) of 10 March 2026 restated paragraph 8 of the order, with effect from 15 June 2026. Equipment may qualify if it meets at least one of four technical criteria and is made or imported in fewer than 100 units per regulatory model per year. Qualifying is not automatic, because each import must be covered by a specific MeitY exemption letter.
| Criterion | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Three-phase |
| Single-phase current | Rated above 16 amperes |
| Size | Dimensions exceeding 1.5 m by 0.8 m |
| Weight | More than 80 kg |
| Volume condition, applying to all four criteria | Fewer than 100 units per model per year |
The count runs per regulatory model across India, not per shipment. MeitY’s circular of 12 March 2026 counts each regulatory model number from all locations toward the authorised quantity. Once the exemption quantity reaches 100 in a calendar year, MeitY stops issuing further exemptions for that year and the manufacturer must seek BIS registration for more imports. Different models do not share one combined cap.
How the exemption is claimed
Applications go through the ICEGATE exemption portal. Under MeitY’s procedure, the applicant uploads
- an authorisation letter from the brand owner or its authorised signatory, digitally signed, giving the regulatory model number and quantity
- a proforma invoice or customs packing list
- a technical datasheet or specification showing which test the equipment meets
- a safety test certificate or report, or a declaration on the manufacturer’s letterhead confirming international safety standards where no report exists
Processing time and letter validity. MeitY’s published procedure issues the letter within five working days of filing, which is not a promise of customs clearance in that time. The letter is valid until the end of the calendar year, so shipments arriving in December or January need a fresh look. Customs allows these imports only on a MeitY letter issued through ICEGATE and subject to all other applicable laws, so the exemption does not waive DGFT, telecom or customs requirements.
Shipping storage, racks or high-power equipment into India? Send Carra Globe your model list with power ratings, dimensions, weights and annual quantities, and we will tell you whether BIS registration or the exemption route applies. Request an India import check.
Racks, storage arrays and 1U servers
The tests apply to the equipment model, not to the room. A large storage array or high-current power system may meet the weight, size or power criteria, while a typical 1U server or a single drive is unlikely to meet size or weight on its own. Each model needs its own MeitY letter, so one project can mix registered products, exempt products and items outside the order.
The 100-unit cap catches growing projects. Because the count runs across all locations in a calendar year, a model that starts under the exemption may need BIS registration once a rollout scales. Plan that switch early if you are shipping AI servers and GPU clusters in phases, and see how we handled an AI server import into India.
Other India rules may still apply, depending on the product and the deal. Telecom kit may raise India’s trusted source requirement, and the duty position is covered in our guide to reducing import duty in India.
A five-step India BIS check
- Match each model to the schedule of the Compulsory Registration Order, including any standalone hard drives you ship as spares.
- Check BIS registration status for every listed model, and if a new registration is needed, allow time for lab testing and approval before you fix a delivery date.
- Test large equipment against the four criteria using its datasheet, and record which one it meets.
- Forecast annual quantities per model across all Indian sites against the 100-unit cap.
- Prepare the exemption file with the brand owner’s authorisation letter, invoice, datasheet and safety evidence, and build the timing into your landed cost.
How Carra Globe handles India shipments
We have shipped hardware into India, and we check registration and exemption status before accepting a shipment. Carra Globe acts as importer of record for IT, data centre and network hardware entering India. See our importer of record in India page and our guide to how you import IT equipment into India without a local entity.
When equipment later leaves, Carra Globe can act as exporter of record, with wider coverage on our IOR by country page.
Carra Globe works through importer-side registrations and local importing structures appropriate to the goods and destinations it accepts, its own in some markets and established local structures in others. Approvals falling outside the available structure are flagged before a delivery date is agreed.
For an India quote, send us your draft commercial invoice, datasheets, delivery address and the date the goods need to arrive. Reach us at info@carraglobe.com.
India · BIS · Importer Of Record
Send the model list. We will tell you which India gate each item faces before it ships.
India has two separate gates for data centre hardware, BIS registration for listed products and the DGFT import authorisation for restricted IT hardware, and large equipment may qualify for a MeitY exemption instead. So the useful conversation is which models are registered, which may be exempt, and how your dates fit the 1 May 2027 hard drive change. Where something sits outside the structure available, you hear that before a delivery date is agreed.
- IOR services in India
- India and EU free trade agreement 2026
- Data centre trade compliance
- Export controls on data centre hardware
- HS code for servers
- Importing used and refurbished IT kit
- Lithium battery customs clearance
- Liquid cooling and coolant imports
- IOR for system integrators
- Global IOR for technology OEMs
- When the customer will not be IOR
- What an importer of record costs
- Importer of record in Malaysia
- SASO 3114 in Saudi Arabia
- Cambodia Qualified Agent certificate
Free tools HS Code Finder Volumetric Weight Calculator Pallet Calculator
Shipping storage, racks or servers into India? Send the model numbers with power ratings, dimensions, weights, annual quantities and your arrival date. We will come back on BIS registration, the exemption route and the import authorisation.
Check my India shipmentFrequently asked questions
Do hard drives need BIS registration in India?
USB type external hard disk drives are already covered. The entry widens to standalone hard disk drives from 1 May 2027, after MeitY extended the original 5 November 2026 date.
What is the highly specialised equipment exemption?
A MeitY exemption from 15 June 2026 for models imported in fewer than 100 units a year that are three-phase, above 16 A, larger than 1.5 m by 0.8 m or over 80 kg.
How do I apply for the exemption?
Through the ICEGATE exemption portal, with the brand owner’s authorisation letter, an invoice or packing list, a datasheet and safety evidence. MeitY issues the letter within five working days.
Who applies for BIS registration on imported equipment?
The manufacturer, not the importer. A manufacturer outside India acts through an authorised Indian representative, with a test report from a BIS-recognised laboratory no older than 90 days.
How long is an exemption letter valid?
Until the end of the calendar year in which it is issued. Once a model’s exemption quantity reaches 100 that year, MeitY issues no more and further imports need BIS registration.
Does a server rack need BIS registration?
Not automatically. Check whether the rack itself is a listed product, and assess the servers, switches and drives inside it separately. Meeting a size or weight criterion alone grants no exemption.
Is BIS registration the same as an IMS import authorisation?
No. BIS registration certifies a listed product against its Indian Standard, while the DGFT import authorisation controls whether restricted IT hardware may be imported at all.
Adjacent ground: what an importer of record does, IT hardware import regulations by country and AI server import duties in 2026.
Sources and verification
Checked against the Gazette of India and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology publications on 23 October 2026.
- The exemption. Gazette notification S.O. 1246(E) of 10 March 2026, amending paragraph 8 of the Compulsory Registration Order, 2021 for highly specialised equipment, effective 15 June 2026.
- The procedure. MeitY circular of 12 March 2026 (W-47/21/2022-IPHW), setting out the ICEGATE application, documents, five-working-day issue, calendar-year validity and 100-unit cap.
- Hard drives. Gazette notification S.O. 2204(E) of 5 May 2026, substituting schedule entry 50 as standalone hard disk drives, originally from 5 November 2026.
- The extension. Gazette notification S.O. 5689(E) of 16 October 2026, extending implementation for standalone hard disk drives to 1 May 2027.
- The standard migration. MeitY notification S.O. 4997(E) of 29 October 2025, as published by BIS, moving IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 products to IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 with concurrent running until 1 November 2028.
- The product list. The BIS list of products under compulsory registration, including automatic data processing machines, UPS and inverters up to 10 kVA, standalone hard disk drives and USB external solid-state storage.
- BIS guidance. BIS frequently asked questions on compulsory registration (modified 28 September 2022), covering who applies, the Indian representative for overseas manufacturers, 90-day test reports, two-year validity, landing-date deadlines and the demonstration, R&D and testing exclusion.
- The portal. The ICEGATE exemption portal named in the MeitY procedure.
- Verification note. MeitY may amend the schedule, criteria or procedure, so check the current position before relying on this guide. Nothing here is advice on your shipments.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, customs or certification advice. BIS registration and exemption depend on the specific model, its ratings and quantities, and the parties involved. The position described is as at 23 October 2026. Confirm the current position with MeitY, BIS or your importer of record before shipping.