CRS for AR and VR Glasses: BIS Clarifies How to Register Wearable Glasses in India

BIS Publishes New Guidance on CRS for AR and VR Glasses

Smart eyewear is no longer a niche gadget. One frame can now play music, take photos and project information onto the lens. On 13 August 2026, the BIS Registration Department published new guidance Reg/2026/G-01 under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021. It sets out CRS for AR and VR glasses and other wearable eyewear, naming the exact category, sub-category and product name to use. Applicants must now file each product according to its features, and each product name will receive its own licence.

One Licence per Product Name in CRS for AR and VR Glasses

BIS will grant a separate licence for each product name listed in the guidance. A brand selling audio glasses, a video-capable smart glasses model and a VR headset will need three licences. Each one has its own application and renewal.

Wearable Glasses Categories Under CRS for AR and VR Glasses

BIS sorts glasses by two questions. What can the camera capture, and can the lens display anything?

• Audio Glasses have no camera and no display. Glasses with wireless connectivity, a microphone and a speaker for calls, music and an AI voice assistant go under Wireless Earphones and Headphones.
• Camera type decides where Smart Glasses go. A camera that takes photos only places the product under Digital Camera. A camera that records both photos and videos places it under Video Camera. The product name stays Smart Glasses in both cases.
• A lens display makes it an AR or MR product. Glasses with an overlay display visible through the lenses move to Extended Reality Products, registered as AR Glasses or MR Glasses.

Five Product Names Under Extended Reality Products

The Extended Reality Products category now has five product names: AR Glasses, Other AR Devices, VR Headset, MR Glasses and Other MR Devices. VR devices are filed as VR Headset. AR and MR devices that are not glasses go under Other AR Devices or Other MR Devices.

Key Takeaways

• Classify by features, not by marketing name. Camera type and lens display decide the category. Smart glasses that record video go under Video Camera, not Digital Camera.
• VR products have one fixed name. Under CRS for AR and VR glasses, VR devices are registered as VR Headset.
• Plan one licence per product name. Brands with several eyewear models should budget time and cost for each licence separately, and lock features before applying.

Source: https://www.crsbis.in/BIS/app_srv/tdc/gl/docs/Guidance_on_product_categories_under_Compulsory_Registration_Scheme_(CRS).pdf