Across India, BIS certification for packaged drinking water has been voluntary since the FSSAI amendment notified on 17 October 2024. Uttar Pradesh is now an exception: its Food Safety and Drug Administration order of 14 October 2026 makes BIS certification compulsory for packaged drinking water and mineral water units in the state. New units need BIS before an FSSAI licence, and existing units must get it by 31 March 2027.
Some buyers and tenders also still ask for the ISI mark. This guide explains what the licence involves, using BIS's own documents.
Which standard applies
Packaged drinking water is certified against IS 14543:2024. It replaced IS 14543:2016; a BIS circular dated 12 July 2024 set 15 September 2024 as the last date for implementing the revised standard. BIS said the changes were mainly to test methods and packing references. Packaged natural mineral water has a separate standard, IS 13428.
The detailed rules for the licence sit in BIS's Product Manual for IS 14543 (revised July 2025).
The application route
BIS accepts product certification applications and payments only online, through its MANAK portal. In broad terms the steps are:
- Prepare the plant against IS 14543 and the product manual: process controls, quality records and an in-house laboratory.
- Apply on MANAK with plant details, container types and sizes, and pay the fees.
- A BIS officer assesses the factory, checks the lab and witnesses testing, and samples are drawn for testing.
- If the plant and samples conform, BIS grants the licence and the plant may use the Standard Mark with its licence number.
For grant samples, the manual says about 18 litres in two parts is enough for containers of 1 litre or less (for example, 18 one-litre bottles or 2 jars of 20 litres).
The in-house laboratory and staff
The manual requires the licensee to keep a laboratory staffed by competent testing persons. They must be science or engineering graduates in areas such as chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry or food technology. One person may handle both chemical and microbiological testing if competent for both.
Microbiology basics in the manual include a hot air oven, an autoclave, a laminar flow chamber or Class II biosafety cabinet, a balance with 0.01 g least count and a pH meter. The analytical balance, temperature indicators and autoclave pressure gauge must be calibrated at least once a year, traceable through NABL or NPL.
How often BIS expects you to test
Under the manual's scheme of testing, a "control unit" is one processing line's output for a day. A summary:
| Frequency | Main parameters (summary) |
|---|---|
| Every control unit (daily, per line) | E. coli, coliform, sulphite-reducing anaerobes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, aerobic count, yeast and mould; colour, odour, taste, turbidity, TDS; chloride, sulphate, alkalinity, residual free chlorine |
| Weekly | Nitrate, nitrite, aluminium, calcium, magnesium, sulphide |
| Monthly | Faecal streptococci / S. aureus, Salmonella / Shigella, Vibrio; zinc, mineral oil, phenolics, antimony, borates and others |
| Six-monthly | Toxic metals, sodium, bromates; shelf-life check for each container type |
| Yearly | Pesticide residues |
| Every five years | Radioactive residues |
| Source water | Full test at the start, then in-house checks at least every three months |
The manual also calls for pH readings every four hours. This BIS schedule runs alongside FSSAI's Scheme of Testing, compulsory since 1 January 2026, which requires monthly microbiological testing and source-water testing at FSSAI-notified NABL labs. The two do not replace each other.
Marking and labels
The ISI mark must be legible and indelible on every container or label. Minimum heights in the manual are 5 mm for pouches, cups and bottles up to 250 ml; 7.5 mm above 250 ml up to 500 ml; 10 mm above 500 ml; and 15 mm on reusable jars. Declared shelf life must be at least 30 days. FSSAI and Legal Metrology label rules apply on top of this.
Fees
BIS's published fee list shows a non-refundable application fee of Rs 1,000, an annual licence fee of Rs 1,000 and visit charges of Rs 7,000 per man-day, plus testing charges and a product-specific marking fee shown on MANAK. A BIS notification of 7 March 2024 gave concessions on the annual minimum marking fee: 80% for micro enterprises and start-ups, 50% for small enterprises, and a further 10% for women entrepreneurs. Check the current rates and validity on MANAK before budgeting.
What this means for water plant owners
- UP units: 31 March 2027 is about five months away. Lab set-up, hiring and trial testing should start now, not after the application.
- Units elsewhere: BIS stays voluntary nationally (see our explainer), but the high-risk FSSAI regime still requires inspections, audits and regular testing.
- Keep other approvals current: BIS officers and FSSAI inspectors both see your FSSAI licence, CGWA NOC and CTE/CTO.
How ClearPath Compliance India can help
We help packaged drinking water plants prepare for BIS under IS 14543. That covers a gap check against the product manual, lab equipment and staffing lists, the MANAK application, test records and the factory visit, alongside FSSAI, CGWA and pollution board approvals. See our water plant approval checklist or contact us from Kota for a plant-specific plan.
General information only, not legal advice. Rules and fees are as reported in the BIS and state documents on the dates stated; check the latest versions on the BIS website and MANAK portal before acting. Brand names, where mentioned, are trademarks of their owners and are used for identification only. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by any brand.
Sources: BIS Product Manual for IS 14543 (July 2025); BIS circular on IS 14543:2024, 12 July 2024; BIS: Apply for a licence; BIS fee list; BIS Scheme-I marking fee notification, 7 March 2024.