MANAK Online Portal for FMCS: New BIS Process for Foreign Manufacturers

If you've been exporting products to India under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme and managing your compliance through hard-copy submissions and New Delhi office correspondence, something has changed. The Bureau of Indian Standards has introduced a dedicated digital portal for the FMCS process, and it represents the first serious attempt to bring the entire FMCS workflow online. For foreign manufacturers navigating one of the world's most procedurally intensive certification processes, this is worth paying close attention to.

The portal is currently in a trial phase. That matters both as a caveat and as an opportunity; early familiarity with the system positions you ahead of the compliance curve when full implementation follows.

What FMCS Is and Why It Controls Your Access to India's Market

The Bureau of Indian Standards has been operating the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme since 2000 under the BIS Act, 2016, and the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Under FMCS, a BIS license is granted to a foreign manufacturer, authorizing use of the standard mark, the ISI mark, on products that conform to the applicable Indian standard. 

The scheme covers all products under mandatory Quality Control Orders (QCOs) except electronics and IT goods notified by MeitY, which fall under the separate Compulsory Registration Scheme. 

The Problem with the Old Process

Understanding why the MANAK portal matters requires understanding what it's replacing. The FMCS application process under the Indian Standard Bureau framework has historically been entirely paper-based, not just paperwork-heavy but physically paper-dependent in ways that created friction at every stage.

Foreign manufacturers were required to prepare two complete sets of hard-copy documents, signed and stamped by authorized company personnel, and physically dispatch them to India. The Authorized Indian Representative (AIR), a mandatory appointment for every foreign manufacturer under FMCS, received those hard copies and submitted them in person to the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD) at BIS Headquarters.

The MANAK portal's trial phase is the first time Bureau of Indian Standards registration for foreign manufacturers has moved toward a fully digital submission model.

What the MANAK Online Portal Changes

The portal at https://www.manakonline.in/MANAK/login is administered by the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Department (FMCD) and operates under the BIS Bureau of Indian Standards digital infrastructure. During the current trial phase, it is being tested for the following capabilities:

• Online application submission — Form VI, the prescribed FMCS application form, can now be filled and submitted digitally rather than requiring physical hard copies to travel from the manufacturer's country to New Delhi.

• Digital document upload — Company registration certificates, product specifications, technical datasheets, quality assurance documentation, and AIR appointment letters can be uploaded directly to the portal rather than dispatched as physical originals.

• Real-time application tracking—Manufacturers and their AIRs can monitor application status through the portal dashboard rather than relying on email correspondence from FMCD

Old vs New FMCS Process.

What Foreign Manufacturers Need to Do Now?

The trial phase is active, and early engagement has practical advantages. Teams that understand the portal's interface, document requirements, and submission logic before the system is fully operational are better positioned when mandatory digital submission comes into effect.

Appoint a qualified AIR if you haven't already. The authorized Indian representative remains a mandatory element of every FMCS application regardless of the portal's evolution. The AIR is the legal point of contact between the foreign manufacturer and BIS, takes regulatory accountability within India, and manages all portal interactions on the manufacturer's behalf. 

Identify your applicable Indian Standard. Every FMCS application is product-specific and tied to a designated IS number. The Indian standards applicable to your product category determine both the technical requirements your manufacturing unit must meet and the test protocols your samples will undergo. Confirm the current applicable standard on bis.gov.in before initiating any portal registration.

Prepare your documentation to digital submission standards. The portal doesn't change what documents BIS requires; it changes how they're submitted. Documents need to be in clean, legible, accurately named digital formats.

Register on the portal and explore the interface. The trial phase exists precisely to allow familiarization before the system is fully operational. Access https://www.manakonline.in/MANAK/login, register your entity, and walk through the available modules. 

Conclusion

The Bureau of Indian Standards registration process for foreign manufacturers has been paper-dependent for over two decades. The MANAK portal's trial launch for FMCS is the first structural change to that reality.

If you're a foreign manufacturer working through your FMCS application, appointing an AIR, or navigating the BIS standards compliance framework for the Indian market, Agile Regulatory provides end-to-end BIS consultant support. Get in touch with us today!