Is the ISI Mark Mandatory on Bottled Water? New FSSAI Rules
You pick up a bottle of packaged water and look for the ISI mark. Not finding it, you put the bottle back. For packaged drinking water, that old rule of thumb is out of date.
Is the ISI mark still mandatory on bottled water? No. FSSAI has said that the mandatory BIS Certification Mark is no longer required for packaged drinking water and mineral water. So a missing ISI mark does not by itself make a bottle fake. What you should check now is the FSSAI licence number, the batch number and the dates. Here is the full checklist.
Is the ISI mark still mandatory on bottled water?
No. The ISI mark is the BIS Standard Mark: a 2021 PIB release on a BIS raid refers to packaged drinking water marked with the BIS Standard Mark as per IS 14543. The same release said fake ISI-marked products were being sold, and asked buyers to check the mark on the BIS website or the BIS CARE app.
The change came in two steps. According to FSSAI's own order, it gazette notified the omission of the mandatory BIS certification provision on 17 October 2024. A later order dated 17 December 2025 brought in a new scheme of testing, which applies from 1 January 2026.
FSSAI did not simply remove the checks. In a May 2025 consultation notice, it says that its order of 29 November 2024 put packaged drinking water and mineral water in the "High Risk Food Categories" and made inspection before a licence or registration mandatory.
What must a packaged water label show?
FSSAI's labelling regulations list what a pre-packaged food label must carry. The table below is based on the FSSAI Labelling and Display Regulations, 2020 (compendium version of 9 September 2025).
One exception to know about: the same regulations exempt packages with a surface area of up to 100 square centimetres from the licence number and batch number on the label. For such very small packs, the details are given on the multi-unit pack instead.
To read the dates on a label, see Best Before vs Use By: What the Date on Your Diwali Mithai Box Really Means.
How can you check the FSSAI licence number?
Use FSSAI's Food Safety Connect app. An FSSAI press release dated 1 August 2025 says the app lets consumers lodge complaints, report misleading claims and access basic information about licensed and registered food businesses. Use it to look up the licensed business and check that the details match the brand on the bottle. A pack with no number, or a smudged one, is a reason to put the bottle back. Our guide on food adulteration tests at home explains the app in more detail.
What is checked on the maker's side now?
FSSAI's order says every maker must follow the new scheme from 1 January 2026. For packaged drinking water (other than natural mineral water), the scheme requires:
- Microbiological tests once a month, for coliform bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella and Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, yeast and mould, and others.
- Testing of the source water for all prescribed parameters before use, from an FSSAI-notified NABL-accredited laboratory.
- If any microbiological test fails, an investigation, and a restart only after satisfactory results for 5 consecutive batches.
- Test records kept for review, and records of failed tests kept for at least 5 years.
This is a rule for makers, and you cannot see these tests on a shelf. It does explain why the licence number matters: it ties a bottle to a business that FSSAI can inspect.
Where can you complain about a bad bottle?
If a bottle has a problem, keep it and your bill, and take clear photos of the label and batch number. Then complain:
- Food Safety Connect app: FSSAI says complaints lodged through it are routed automatically to the concerned jurisdictional authority.
- National Consumer Helpline: call 1915 or 1800 11 4000, or WhatsApp +91 8800001915.
Related reading: for why people reach for packaged water at stations, see E. Coli Found in Mumbai Railway Station Water: What It Means for You. For the water you drink at home, see Is RO Water Safe to Drink? What Low TDS Really Means.
Is the ISI mark compulsory on packaged drinking water?
No. FSSAI says the mandatory BIS Certification Mark is no longer required for packaged drinking water and mineral water. The change was notified on 17 October 2024.
Is a bottle without an ISI mark fake?
Not by that fact alone. Check the FSSAI licence number, batch number and dates instead, and look up the licensed business in the Food Safety Connect app.
What should the label of a water bottle show?
The FSSAI logo and licence number, a batch number, the date of manufacture or packaging, the expiry or use by date, and a bottle disposal line such as "CRUSH THE BOTTLE AFTER USE" for one-time-use plastic bottles.
Where can I complain about bad packaged water?
Use the Food Safety Connect app, or call the National Consumer Helpline on 1915 or 1800 11 4000.
Whichever brand you buy, run it through the same checklist. If you want a packaged option to compare, Amaayu's functional waters are one place to start.
This article is general information. Rules and orders can change, so check the latest on fssai.gov.in.