India: PESO Approval for Ex Equipment in Hazardous Areas

In India, electrical equipment for hazardous areas at petroleum, gas-cylinder and pressure-vessel premises must be approved by the Chief Controller of Explosives, who heads the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). Under PESO's current SOP (July 2025), imported equipment is approved on the basis of an IECEx Certificate of Conformity with its test report, or, for manufacturers in the EU, an EU-type examination certificate with its quality notification. The application is made through an Indian service provider or distributor. Indian manufacturers may instead use a test certificate from a PESO-recognized Indian laboratory such as CSIR-CIMFR.

Legal basis: Petroleum Rules 2002 and related rules

Chapter IV of the Petroleum Rules, 2002 (made under the Petroleum Act, 1934) controls electrical installations where petroleum is refined, blended, stored, loaded or unloaded:

• Rule 102 restricts electrical wiring and apparatus at refineries, installations, storage sheds and service stations to what the chapter permits.
• Rules 103 to 105 define hazardous areas and zones 0, 1 and 2. The extent of hazardous areas is set in the Fourth Schedule, and the Chief Controller decides disputes about zone classification.
• Rule 106 sets which apparatus may be used in each zone and requires types approved in writing by the Chief Controller. In zone 0 only approved intrinsically safe apparatus is allowed, and only where its use cannot be avoided.

PESO's guidance applies the same approval requirement to Ex apparatus at premises under the Gas Cylinders Rules, 2016 (rule 22) and the Static and Mobile Pressure Vessels (Unfired) Rules, 2016 (rule 31), and to CNG, LPG and LNG dispensers. PESO only considers applications for equipment used at premises covered by these three sets of rules. Equipment for mines is approved separately by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and is not covered here.

PESO's FAQ describes current practice: flameproof, intrinsically safe and encapsulated equipment is permitted in zone 1, and non-sparking and increased-safety equipment in zone 2. PESO's 2023 guidance also notes that hydrocarbons at these premises normally call for IIA or IIB equipment, and IIC where hydrogen may be present, for example in refineries (see gas groups).

Approval routes (PESO SOP, July 2025)

For assemblies of Ex components (including dispensers other than liquid-fuel dispensers), the SOP accepts a test report from a PESO-recognized laboratory, an IECEx CoC, or a report to IS/IEC TS 60079-46 or IEC TS 60079-46 covering all electrical components. Gas dispensers (CNG, CBG, LCNG, LNG, hydrogen) also need a third-party audit report against the relevant ISO or EN dispenser standard. Liquid-fuel dispensers are approved on an EU-type examination certificate to EN 13617-1.

Accepted standards

The SOP lists the Indian, IEC and (for EU manufacturers) EN editions currently accepted. Indian standards are identical adoptions of IEC standards published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as IS/IEC 60079 parts. Examples:

The list also covers "p", "q", "o", "n", "m", EPL Ga equipment, optical radiation, gas detectors and trace heating. If your certificate is to a different edition, check with PESO before applying.

Indian test laboratories and IECEx bodies

PESO's list of recognized testing laboratories for Ex electrical apparatus (published January 2023) names CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR, Dhanbad), Electronics Regional Test Laboratory (East), Central Power Research Institute, Electrical Research and Development Association, ELCA Laboratories, Intertek India and Karandikar Laboratories, each for specific protection types. Under the SOP, recognition of a laboratory is valid for ten years.

India's IECEx member body is BIS, and the IECEx website lists an Indian certification body (ExCB). The SOP does not restrict which IECEx certification body issued the CoC, so certificates from ExCBs outside India are used in the same way.

BIS certification: is it required?

BIS runs a product certification (Standard Mark) scheme for flameproof enclosures to IS/IEC 60079-1:2014, described in its product manual. In BIS's list of products under compulsory certification (checked September 2026), no IS/IEC 60079 product appears, so BIS certification is not a general legal requirement for Ex equipment. Its role has been through PESO's documentation rules, which asked for a BIS licence for Indian-tested flameproof equipment until the July 2025 SOP made it optional. A customer specification may still ask for it.

Marking

The PESO SOP does not prescribe a separate PESO mark on the product. The equipment carries its normal Ex marking to IEC/IS/IEC 60079-0 (for example Ex db IIB T4 Gb) plus the certificate references of the scheme it was certified under (IECEx, or CE and ATEX marking for the EU route). The PESO approval is a separate document issued by the Chief Controller, not a product mark. Equipment made under a BIS licence also carries the BIS Standard Mark. See Ex markings explained.

Checklist for exporters

1. Confirm the end use is at premises under the Petroleum Rules, Gas Cylinders Rules or SMPV(U) Rules (otherwise PESO approval may not apply, but other rules or customer specifications might).
2. Hold an IECEx CoC and ExTR to editions on PESO's accepted list (or, if you manufacture in the EU, an EU-type examination certificate and quality notification).
3. Appoint an Indian service provider or distributor with its own after-sales set-up, and sign the authorization letter and service agreement.
4. Apply online through PESO. Plan for a new approval when the product standard edition or the design changes.

Requirements are taken from PESO documents published up to July 2025 and checked in September 2026; confirm the current SOP with PESO before applying. For other countries see Ex certification schemes by country.

Frequently asked questions

Does PESO accept IECEx certificates?

Yes. Under PESO's July 2025 SOP, an IECEx Certificate of Conformity with the IECEx test report and drawings is accepted as technical evidence for both Indian-made and imported Ex electrical apparatus. PESO approval is still required; the IECEx certificate is the basis for it.

Does PESO accept ATEX certificates?

Only for manufacturers based in the EU. They can apply with an EU-type examination certificate, test report, drawings, a valid production quality assurance notification and the EU declaration of conformity. Manufacturers outside the EU need the IECEx route.

Who applies for PESO approval of imported Ex equipment?

An Indian service provider or distributor authorized by the original manufacturer in a letter to the Chief Controller of Explosives, with a service agreement covering spares, repair, commissioning and after-sales support.

Is BIS certification mandatory for flameproof equipment in India?

IS/IEC 60079 products are not on BIS's list of products under compulsory certification. PESO's earlier guidelines asked for a BIS licence for Indian-tested flameproof equipment, but the July 2025 SOP says quality surveillance documents such as a BIS licence are not mandatory with the application.

How long is a PESO Ex approval valid?

According to the SOP, the approval stays valid until the product standard is revised (other than IEC 60079-0) or the design changes, after which a new approval is needed.

Sources

1. PESO: SOP for approval of Ex-electrical apparatus installed in hazardous areas (July 2025, PDF)
2. PESO: Approval of Ex (Electrical) Apparatus, guidelines with effect from 21 March 2024 (PDF)
3. PESO: Approval of Ex (Electrical) Equipment, guidelines of 26 September 2023 (PDF)
4. PESO: The Petroleum Rules, 2002 (PDF)
5. PESO: Recognised testing laboratories for Ex electrical apparatus (PDF)
6. PESO: FAQs under various heads
7. Bureau of Indian Standards: Product manual for flameproof enclosures to IS/IEC 60079-1:2014 (PDF)
8. Bureau of Indian Standards: Products under compulsory certification, Scheme I