How to spot a fake phone charger in India

Who this is for

Anyone buying a phone charger, cable adapter or power bank online or from a local shop, or wondering about the one already in the drawer.

Why a fake charger is a real risk

A charger moves mains power into a battery. A badly made one can skip the protections that stop overheating and short circuits.

Samsung’s support page on overheating lists using uncertified third-party chargers or accessories as something to avoid. Google tells Pixel owners to use only cases and accessories made for the phone, and to move a hot phone away from power. IATA warns that counterfeit and non-conforming power banks, including wireless ones, have been reported entering thermal runaway, which means a fast, uncontrolled rise in heat.

None of this means every low-priced charger is dangerous. It means the BIS check takes two minutes and is worth doing.

What BIS requires in India

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) runs the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) for many electronic goods. Under the orders it describes, no person shall make, store for sale, import, sell or distribute covered goods that do not conform to the Indian standard and do not carry the Standard Mark with a unique registration number from BIS. That number is called the R-number.

The CRS list includes power banks for use in portable applications, mobile phones, and power adaptors for IT equipment. All three show IS 13252 (Part 1):2010 as the standard. Power adaptors for audio and video apparatus are listed under IS 616:2010.

BIS also says the mark must be legible, indelible and non-removable, with the registration number shown near it. The marking should include a reference to www.bis.gov.in on the product, the package or both, so that you can verify it.

The 5-step BIS check

• Step 1. Look for the Standard Mark. Check the charger body and the box. A charger with nothing printed on it is a bad sign.
• Step 2. Find the R-number. It is the unique registration number, written as R- followed by digits, placed with the mark. Note it down exactly.
• Step 3. Open the BIS Care app. Tap Verify R-Number under CRS. BIS describes this feature as the way to check the authenticity of electronic products with an R-number.
• Step 4. Match the details. Compare what the app shows with your charger: the product type, the brand and the model. A real number copied onto a different product is still a fake.
• Step 5. Do not trust the logo alone. BIS publishes examples of spurious marks, which are colourable imitations of its marks. Its own note says to use the BIS Care app to verify the registration number.

Build and weight signs

The BIS check is the proof. These signs are only hints that make you check harder. Real chargers can vary, so never decide on weight alone.

Buying a charger safely online

Fakes are easiest to avoid before you pay. Open the listing and zoom into the photos. A genuine product page should show the maker’s name, the model number and the BIS mark with its R-number. If the photos show a plain unbranded plug, move on.

Buy from the brand’s own store or an authorised seller where you can. Keep the invoice, because you will need it for a return or a warranty claim. When the parcel arrives, do the BIS Care check before the first use.

The same check works for power banks. BIS lists them on the same registration list, so a power bank with no mark or an R-number the app cannot find should not go in your bag or on a flight.

If you find a fake

• Stop using it. Unplug it and do not charge anything overnight with it.
• Ask the seller for a return and keep the invoice and photos of the printing.
• BIS says the app can also be used to register complaints about the misuse of its standard marks, under Complaints.
• Replace it with a charger whose R-number verifies in the app.

Related guides

• Power bank rules on Indian flights
• Phone overheating in India: 9 fixes
• Can you charge your phone overnight?