Not every radio transmitter looks like a radio. A Qi wireless charging pad, an induction-based toothbrush charger, an EV charging system, a wireless power bank, an inductive proximity sensor, a metal detector, an anti-theft EAS gate at a shop exit — all of these devices generate radio-frequency magnetic fields in the kilohertz range, and in Indian law they are wireless equipment regulated by the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunications, exactly like a Wi-Fi router. The regulatory framework for these inductive applications is built on a family of gazette notifications de-licensing bands from 9 kHz up to 30 MHz, with limits expressed not in transmit watts but in magnetic field strength — dBµA/m measured at 10 metres. The modern cornerstone is GSR 870 (E) dated 21.12.2021, which consolidated field-strength limits across the low-frequency spectrum, alongside the earlier GSR 697 (E) and GSR 996 (E) inductive notifications and the RFID-oriented GSR 83 (E) and GSR 90 (E). Every wireless charger and inductive device model imported into or sold in India requires WPC Equipment Type Approval (ETA) — available through self-declaration because these bands are de-licensed. This guide explains the notifications, the field-strength logic, the ETA process, and the pitfalls specific to inductive products.

Why Wireless Chargers Are “Wireless” in Law

Inductive power transfer works by driving an alternating current through a coil, creating an oscillating magnetic field that induces current in a receiving coil. Qi chargers typically operate around 100–300 kHz; EV charging systems sit in defined kHz ranges; NFC-adjacent charging arrives at 13.56 MHz. Although the intent is power transfer rather than communication, the oscillating field is a radio-frequency emission capable of interfering with services sharing or neighbouring the spectrum — navigation beacons, time-signal broadcasts, AM radio. Regulators therefore treat inductive equipment as intentional radiators, subject to emission limits and type approval.

The Inductive De-Licensing Notifications

GSR 870 (E) dated 21.12.2021 — The Consolidated Field-Strength Framework

GSR 870 (E) is the key modern notification for very low power radio frequency devices or equipment for inductive applications. It specifies magnetic field-strength limits, measured at 10 metres, across a ladder of sub-bands:

Two technical notes recur in the notification: where external antennas are used, only loop-coil antennas are permitted, and for systems operating with bandwidths larger than 10 kHz, the total field strength may reach −5 dBµA/m at 10 m provided the density limit per 10 kHz is maintained. The reference measurement standard family is EN 300 330. The practical consequence for Qi chargers is that the 100–300 kHz operating region spans several sub-bands with different limits — a charger fundamental at 127.7 kHz sits in the 119–135 kHz / 66 dBµA/m segment, while its harmonics and spurious emissions fall into stricter neighbouring segments. Compliance is a matter of measured field strength across the whole emission profile, not just the fundamental.

GSR 697 (E) dated 16.09.2015 — 302–351 kHz

De-licensed 302–351 kHz for very low power devices for inductive applications — a band relevant to certain EV charging and industrial power-transfer designs.

GSR 996 (E) dated 05.10.2018 — 302–435 kHz, 855–1050 kHz, 1.89–2.30 MHz

Extended inductive de-licensing to three further ranges, giving designers additional room for power-transfer fundamentals and inductive signalling. The 302–435 kHz range in particular aligns with several wireless power standards’ upper operating region.

GSR 83 (E) and GSR 90 (E) — 9–50 kHz and 50–200 kHz RFID

The earlier notifications covering very low power devices including RFID in 9–50 kHz (GSR 83 (E) dated 11.02.2014) and 50–200 kHz (GSR 90 (E) dated 10.02.2009) remain the reference for LF RFID and legacy inductive systems, and overlap the Qi operating region in the 100–200 kHz segment.

13.553–13.567 MHz — GSR 884 (E)

NFC-based charging and 13.56 MHz inductive systems rely on GSR 884 (E) dated 04.11.2010, which de-licensed the band for very low power indoor devices.

Products That Need ETA Under the Inductive Framework

• Qi wireless charging pads, stands, multi-device chargers, and charging-capable power banks
• Wireless charging modules embedded in furniture, vehicles, and appliances
• Magnetic-attach charging accessories for phones, earbuds, and wearables
• Electric toothbrush, shaver, and small-appliance inductive chargers
• EV wireless charging systems and inductive charging infrastructure
• Inductive proximity sensors and industrial position sensors
• Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) gates and deactivators
• Metal detectors (walk-through, handheld, industrial)
• LF RFID readers, animal identification readers, and immobiliser systems
• Induction-based data couplers and near-field communication chargers

A phone that receives wireless charge is generally assessed through its overall device approvals; the transmitting pad is the article squarely inside the inductive ETA framework.

Understanding dBµA/m: A Practical Primer for Product Teams

Because inductive limits are unfamiliar to teams used to conventional RF, a short translation is worth the space. dBµA/m expresses magnetic field strength (H-field) in decibels relative to one microampere per metre, measured at a defined distance — 10 metres in the Indian notifications. Unlike e.i.r.p limits, which describe radiated power, H-field limits describe the near-field magnetic environment the device creates, which is the correct physics for coils operating far below their radiating frequency. Three practical consequences follow. First, coil geometry, drive current, ferrite shielding, and enclosure design all move the measured number — two chargers with identical electrical power ratings can differ by tens of dB in field strength. Second, measurement at 10 metres of a source designed to work at 5 millimetres involves significant measurement technique; laboratories experienced in EN 300 330 methodology extrapolate correctly where near-field measurements are taken at closer distances. Third, the bandwidth-dependent limits in the wideband segments (−15 dBµA/m and −20 dBµA/m per 10 kHz, with the −5 dBµA/m total allowance for wider-band systems) mean the shape of the emission matters, not only its peak — switching converters with spread-spectrum drive behave differently from fixed-frequency designs under these limits. For procurement teams, the takeaway is simpler: ask charger vendors for EN 300 330-basis test data early. A vendor who can produce an H-field report has engineered for these limits; a vendor who offers only an output-wattage datasheet has not answered the compliance question at all.

Step-by-Step: WPC ETA Self-Declaration for Inductive Devices

1. Characterise the emission. Identify the operating fundamental (e.g., 110–205 kHz for a Qi pad), harmonics, and spurious emissions, and map them to the GSR 870 (E) sub-band limits.
2. Accredited testing. Commission magnetic field-strength measurements (dBµA/m at 10 m, per EN 300 330 methodology) at an accredited laboratory. Ensure the report presents results against each applicable sub-band limit.
3. Register on Saral Sanchar (saralsanchar.gov.in) — the Indian importer or the foreign manufacturer’s Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) acts as applicant.
4. File the ETA-SD application with model details, operating frequency range, field-strength data, test reports, and datasheets.
5. Pay the ₹10,000 fee per application/model online.
6. Download the ETA certificate.
7. Import with undertaking — present the ETA and a customs undertaking confirming licence-exempt-band operation.

Documents Required

• Saral Sanchar ETA-SD application
• Accredited laboratory test report with field-strength measurements against GSR 870 (E) limits
• Technical datasheet: operating frequency, coil configuration, power transfer rating
• Details of any additional radios (BLE pairing, NFC detection) with their own test evidence
• Applicant company documents and IEC
• AIR authorisation letter for foreign manufacturers
• Customs undertaking at import

Common Compliance Failures for Wireless Charging Products

• Testing power, not field. Reports quoting output watts (e.g., “15 W fast charger”) without dBµA/m field-strength measurements do not evidence compliance — the notified limits are field-strength limits.
• Harmonics in strict sub-bands. A compliant fundamental with harmonics breaching the −15 dBµA/m density limit in the 148.5–5000 kHz segment is a failed device.
• Forgotten secondary radios. Modern chargers often include BLE (for firmware/authentication) or NFC (foreign-object detection). Every transmitter needs declaration and evidence.
• Non-loop external antennas. Where external antennas are involved, the loop-coil-only condition applies.
• Multi-coil products assessed as single-coil. Multi-device pads must be tested in their worst-case simultaneous-operation configuration.
• Marketplace enforcement. E-commerce platforms increasingly demand ETA for wireless chargers; listings without it face takedown even if goods cleared customs.

Timeline, Cost, and Market Enforcement

Wireless charging accessories move through the ETA-SD route quickly once field-strength evidence exists: about a week of documentation and emission-profile mapping, one to two weeks of accredited laboratory measurement, then days from Saral Sanchar filing (₹10,000 government fee per model) to certificate download. Multi-coil and multi-device chargers need worst-case configuration testing, which adds laboratory time; single-coil pads are the fastest category. Enforcement pressure in this category has grown with the category itself. Wireless chargers are now standard checks in marketplace compliance sweeps, and customs scrutiny of charging accessories has tightened as volumes have risen. Because the accessory market is intensely price-competitive, compliant importers benefit directly from enforcement: ETA evidence is a differentiator that keeps listings live while non-compliant competitors are delisted. Brands should also remember variant discipline — a colour change is one model, but a coil, power-class, or adapter change is a new compliance question. For product lines, the compounding economics favour early investment: the first charger through the process establishes the test approach, the documentation templates, and the portal workflow; each subsequent SKU is faster and cheaper. PCN India Global maintains exactly this kind of programme continuity for accessory brands shipping multiple charging SKUs per year.

Related Approvals for Charging Products

Wireless chargers commonly also require BIS CRS registration (adapters and certain electronics categories are in the CRS schedules), EPR e-waste registration, Legal Metrology (LMPC) packaged-commodity compliance, and for battery-containing products, EPR for battery waste. The supplied AC adapter frequently carries its own BIS obligations distinct from the charging pad.

Pre-Shipment Compliance Checklist for Charging Accessory Brands

Accessory brands live on velocity — many SKUs, short cycles, thin margins — so the compliance process has to be systematised. Before committing to a factory purchase order, obtain three things from the manufacturer: the operating frequency range of the charging fundamental, an EN 300 330-basis H-field test report (or a written commitment to support testing), and a declaration of every secondary radio in the design, including BLE authentication chips and NFC foreign-object-detection features that rarely appear on sales datasheets. A supplier who cannot produce these within days is telling you something about the compliance risk embedded in the price. Before filing, standardise the model architecture: one charging platform sold as three colourways is one compliance model, but a 15 W and a 25 W version are two. Align the model designation across the mould marking, carton, test report, and ETA application. File the ETA-SD per model (₹10,000 government fee each), and archive certificate, report, and product photos as a listing-verification pack — marketplaces request exactly this bundle, usually with a deadline measured in days. Before shipping, verify the adapter question separately: the AC adapter in the box typically carries its own BIS obligations distinct from the pad’s WPC approval, and a compliant pad with a non-compliant adapter still fails at the port. Finally, put the ETA number on the product listing and packaging insert where distributors can find it; in a category crowded with grey imports, visible compliance is a sales asset as much as a legal requirement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do wireless charging pads really need WPC approval?

Yes. Inductive chargers are intentional RF emitters in de-licensed kHz bands; each model requires ETA, obtainable via self-declaration.

What limit applies to a Qi charger?

Depends on the fundamental: the Qi operating region spans multiple GSR 870 (E) sub-bands (e.g., 66 dBµA/m at 10 m in 119–135 kHz; 42 dBµA/m in 90–119 kHz), and the emission profile must meet each segment it touches.

Our charger has Bluetooth for app control. One ETA or two?

One ETA application for the model, covering both the inductive emission and the 2.4 GHz radio, each with supporting test evidence.

Is the receiver side (phone, earbuds) covered?

The receiving device is assessed within its own device approvals; the transmitting charger is the unit requiring inductive-band ETA.

How long does approval take?

Days from complete filing; two to four weeks end to end including field-strength testing is a realistic plan.

What about EV wireless charging?

EV inductive systems use the same de-licensed framework where their frequencies fall within the notified bands, with additional attention to power-system approvals — a case-specific assessment is advisable.

Are power banks with built-in wireless charging treated differently?

No — the transmitting coil brings the unit into the inductive ETA framework like any charging pad, and the battery inside additionally engages battery-related compliance obligations. Both aspects should be closed before import, ideally within a single coordinated compliance plan covering the whole accessory range.

Does a car’s built-in wireless charging tray need approval?

Yes. Whether the tray is fitted at the factory or sold as an accessory, the transmitting module is an inductive emitter requiring ETA coverage — vehicle OEMs typically handle it within the vehicle-level RF compliance map, while accessory trays file as standalone models.

Why Choose PCN India Global

• Emission-profile mapping — fundamentals, harmonics, and spurious emissions mapped to every applicable GSR 870 (E) sub-band before testing
• Lab coordination — EN 300 330-methodology field-strength testing scoped to Indian limits at accredited laboratories
• Complete ETA-SD management — Saral Sanchar registration, filing, fee handling, certificate download
• AIR services — Authorised Indian Representative support for global charging-accessory brands
• Customs and marketplace support — undertakings, clearance queries, and listing-verification packs
• Full compliance stack — ETA sequenced with BIS CRS, EPR, and LMPC for accessory product lines

The broader trajectory is also worth noting. Wireless charging is spreading from phones into laptops, furniture, vehicles, kitchens, and public infrastructure, and each new surface that charges a device is a new inductive emitter inside the Indian regulatory framework. Standards bodies are simultaneously pushing power levels upward, which places emission profiles under closer scrutiny with every product generation. For brands and importers, this means the inductive compliance capability built today — the test relationships, the documentation templates, the portal workflow — will be reused far more often tomorrow. Treating the first wireless charging ETA as an investment in a repeatable process, rather than a one-off administrative hurdle, is the difference between a product line that scales across the Indian market and one that stalls at each new SKU while the paperwork catches up.

PCN India Global manages end-to-end WPC ETA approval for wireless chargers and inductive devices — from field-strength test planning to certificate grant and import clearance. Contact us: WhatsApp +91 92895 87478 or email bdm@pcnindiaglobal.com.