The star rating you see on Indian pumpsets is issued under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) standards and labelling programme. It is often called a BIS star rating, but BIS is a different body: it sets the product standards and runs the ISI mark. BEE rates efficiency on a scale of one to five stars.
For an importer, the star label is useful evidence of efficiency, but it is an Indian label. It does not replace the efficiency rules in your own market.
BEE and BIS: two different things
- BIS, the Bureau of Indian Standards, publishes product standards such as IS 8034 for submersible pumpsets, IS 9079 for monoset pumps and IS 14220 for openwell submersible pumpsets.
- BIS also licenses the ISI mark, which shows a product is certified to an Indian Standard.
- BEE, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, runs the star labelling programme, which grades energy performance using test methods based on those standards.
What the pump star label covers
BEE's labelling programme for pumps has covered electric monoset pumps, submersible pumpsets and openwell submersible pumpsets in set rating bands. Stars are awarded from the measured performance of the pumpset against band thresholds. More stars mean better efficiency.
BEE's pumpset label has been a voluntary scheme rather than a mandatory one, and BEE revises its star bands from time to time. We could not confirm the current schedule and its validity dates in October 2026. Check the latest pumpset schedule on the BEE website before you rely on a rating.
How to use it as a buyer
Treat the label as one signal among several. A maker that has registered models with BEE has at least invested in testing and paperwork, which tells you something about how it runs its business.
A valid star label tells you that a model was tested and registered with BEE. It does not prove that every pump in your batch matches the tested model. Ask for the registration details, check that the model number matches your order and ask for batch test reports.
Remember that star bands are built around Indian supply conditions at 50 Hz. A 60 Hz or different-voltage version is a separate design, and the Indian star rating does not transfer to it. If your market has its own rules, such as EU ecodesign, you need evidence against those rules instead. Our articles on IE motor efficiency classes and pump performance test reports cover what to ask for.
Questions to ask the maker
- Which of your models are registered with BEE, and under which schedule and validity period?
- Does the model I am buying carry the ISI mark, and under which Indian Standard?
- Can you show the test report used for the BEE registration, and the latest batch test for my order?
- Are the export versions built with the same hydraulics, winding and materials as the registered model?
Next step
We check registrations, model numbers and batch test reports so the efficiency claims on your pumps hold up. Book a free sourcing review.