India Standalone HDD BIS Registration Moved to May 2027
India Standalone HDD BIS Registration: MeitY S.O. 5689(E) Extends the CRS Deadline to 1 May 2027
India standalone HDD BIS registration won't start on 5 November 2026 after all. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued notification S.O. 5689(E) on 16 October 2026, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, on 17 October. It moves the implementation date for standalone hard disk drives under the Compulsory Registration Order to 1 May 2027.
Background: standalone hard disk drives in the CRO
MeitY's S.O. 2204(E) of 5 May 2026 changed entry 50 of the schedule to the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. The entry used to read "USB Type External Hard Disk Drives" and now reads "Standalone Hard Disk Drives", with compliance to IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010, the Indian safety standard for IT equipment. USB-type external drives stay under the existing provisions. For all other standalone drives, the order was due to apply from 5 November 2026.
We covered that change in May and June. The notification now gives the industry more time, a week before the original date.
Key Changes in the India Standalone HDD BIS Registration Timeline
S.O. 5689(E) is short. After recalling S.O. 2204(E), it states that the implementation date of that order "stands extended to 1st May, 2027".
Implementation date: 1 May 2027 instead of 5 November 2026.
Products: unchanged. The extension covers the standalone hard disk drives at entry 50.
Standard: unchanged, IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010.
Legal basis: sections 16(1) and 16(2) read with section 25(3) of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, as in the original order.
The notification doesn't add conditions, phase the date by product type or change the scope.
What This Means for Manufacturers
Until 1 May 2027, standalone hard disk drives can be imported and sold in India without a BIS registration under entry 50. From that date, they'll need one.
Projects already in testing don't need to stop. The extra months are a buffer, not a reason to restart.
Manufacturers that hadn't started now have a realistic window for testing and registration.
As our June post explained, testing takes place at a BIS-recognised laboratory in India, and foreign manufacturers register through an Authorised Indian Representative.
Supply plans, customs paperwork and distributor contracts that assumed 5 November 2026 should be updated.
USB-type external hard disk drives aren't affected by the extension.
Certification Impact Summary
Area | Before | After | Impact level |
Implementation date | 5 November 2026 | 1 May 2027 | High |
Products in scope | Standalone hard disk drives (entry 50) | Unchanged | Low |
Standard | IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 | Unchanged | Low |
USB-type external drives | Existing CRO provisions | Unchanged | Low |
Imports before the new date | Registration needed from 5 November 2026 | No registration needed under entry 50 until 1 May 2027 | Medium |
Timeline and Required Actions
Key Dates
Date | Milestone |
5 May 2026 | S.O. 2204(E) adds standalone hard disk drives to entry 50 |
16 October 2026 | S.O. 5689(E) issued |
17 October 2026 | Published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, No. 5472 |
5 November 2026 | Original implementation date, no longer applies |
1 May 2027 | Registration required for standalone hard disk drives |
Required Actions for Manufacturers
Update internal plans and customer communications from 5 November 2026 to 1 May 2027.
Keep testing and registration projects on track so registrations are granted well before May.
Confirm which of your drives are standalone and which are USB-type external.
Appoint or confirm your Authorised Indian Representative if you manufacture outside India.
Watch for any further MeitY or BIS notice on this entry.
Conclusion
S.O. 5689(E) buys six months, but it doesn't change what standalone hard disk drives need for India. Use the time to finish testing and registration without a rush. Contact our team for support with BIS registration for IT products.
