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Materials · Knowledge Centre

Is BIS Certification Mandatory for Furniture in India?

By Rohan Shah, SOISU Furniture · 31 August 2026

Direct Answer

Yes, but only for specific categories. India's Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 — notified 14 February 2025 — became mandatory on 14 February 2026 for medium and large enterprises, and 14 August 2026 for micro and small enterprises. It covers six categories, each with its own Indian Standard: work chairs (IS 17631:2022), general-purpose chairs and stools (IS 17632:2022), tables and desks (IS 17633:2022), storage units (IS 17634:2022), beds (IS 17635:2022) and bunk beds (IS 17636:2022). Products in these categories must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a valid licence. Static sofas and manual recliners are not in that list. Furniture with electrically motorised parts — power recliners and motorised sofas — is instead covered by the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, notified 6 April 2026, which requires certification to IS 302 (Part 1):2024 from 1 October 2026. For a buyer, this is the single most useful question to ask a seller, because it separates documented supply chains from grey-market imports.

What the Furniture QCO 2025 actually covers

The Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 lists six product categories and ties each to an Indian Standard: work chairs (IS 17631:2022), general-purpose chairs and stools (IS 17632:2022), tables and desks (IS 17633:2022), storage units (IS 17634:2022), beds (IS 17635:2022) and bunk beds (IS 17636:2022). Goods in these categories must conform to the relevant standard and display the BIS Standard Mark under licence, per Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The order applied to medium and large enterprises from 14 February 2026 and to micro and small enterprises from 14 August 2026. Stock manufactured or imported before the implementation date may be sold for a limited transition window subject to a self-declaration to BIS. Amendment orders have been issued during 2026, so anyone relying on this commercially should check the current notification rather than a summary.

Sofas and recliners — the exception most buyers get wrong

Static sofas and manual recliners are not among the six categories, so they do not require BIS certification under the Furniture QCO 2025. This surprises people, and some sellers exploit the confusion in both directions — claiming a BIS mark their sofa does not need, or implying no furniture rules apply to them at all. The genuine obligation sits elsewhere: furniture with electrically motorised parts, which includes power recliners and motorised sofas, falls under the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, notified by DPIIT on 6 April 2026. That order requires conformity to IS 302 (Part 1):2024 — the general safety standard for household electrical appliances — with the Standard Mark under BIS licence. It becomes mandatory on 1 October 2026 for general enterprises, 1 January 2027 for small enterprises and 1 April 2027 for micro enterprises. If you are buying an electric recliner, that is the date and the standard that matter.

What to ask any seller before you buy

Four questions settle it. First: which QCO applies to this specific product — the Furniture QCO 2025, the electrical appliances QCO 2026, or neither? A seller who cannot answer precisely is guessing. Second: if it is covered, can you see the BIS licence number and the Indian Standard it is issued against? A licence is product- and factory-specific, so a company-level claim of being 'BIS approved' means little on its own. Third, for imported goods: how was the consignment cleared, and can that documentation be produced? Fourth, for anything motorised: what is the plan for 1 October 2026? A seller carrying stock that will not clear IS 302 has an incentive not to raise it. Note also that BIS does not publish a simple public list of certified brands — certification attaches to products and factories, not to logos — so verification always comes back to licence documentation.

Where SOISU sits

SOISU's range spans categories on both sides of this line. Our beds, dining tables and dining chairs fall within the Furniture QCO 2025 categories. Our static sofas and manual pieces do not. Our electric recliners — including the Klara, Dahlia and Marcel — fall under the motorised furniture route via IS 302 (Part 1):2024. We assemble in India, which keeps documentation and quality control inside our own supply chain rather than spread across import agents. For certification documentation on a specific piece you are considering, ask the SOISU team directly on WhatsApp and we will share what applies to that product.

Key Facts

Furniture QCO 2025 — in force14 Feb 2026 (medium & large) · 14 Aug 2026 (micro & small)
Categories coveredWork chairs · chairs & stools · tables & desks · storage units · beds · bunk beds
StandardsIS 17631 · 17632 · 17633 · 17634 · 17635 · 17636 (all 2022)
Sofas & manual reclinersNot covered by the Furniture QCO 2025
Motorised recliners & sofasIS 302 (Part 1):2024 — mandatory 1 Oct 2026 (general enterprises)
VerificationBIS publishes no public brand list — ask for the product-specific licence number
BIS certification furniturefurniture QCO 2025IS 302imported furniture Indiafurniture standards India

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