India: rules and approvals
Telecom approvals involve TEC's MTCTE scheme, WPC Equipment Type Approval for radio equipment, BIS registration for electronics, and trusted-source designation for equipment connected to licensed networks.
India · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Smartphone in India
The IS-04Z1 is designed for people who work inside classified areas at Indian refineries, gas plants, LNG jetties and API blocks: field operators, inspection engineers, shift in-charges, and the HSE and materials teams whose sign-off a device has to survive. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof smartphone for India, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicEx-proof
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereIndia
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for India: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · Ex-proof
Checklist: Ex-proof smartphone for India
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | India: Jamnagar, Gujarat, Dahej and the Gujarat PCPIR, Hazira and Surat | Classified by the site operator |
Product · India
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in India. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · India
Where an Ex phone is used in India
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS India market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- Indian Oil Corporation
- Panipat, Mathura, Gujarat, Paradip, Haldia refineries
- Bharat Petroleum
- Mumbai, Kochi and Bina refineries with petrochemicals
- Hindustan Petroleum
- Visakhapatnam and Mumbai refineries, Barmer project
- ONGC
- Mumbai High platforms, Hazira and Uran plants
- GAIL
- Gas pipelines, Pata petrochemicals, city gas networks
- Reliance Industries
- Jamnagar, the largest single-site refining complex anywhere
Industrial areas and sites
- Jamnagar, Gujarat
- Refining and petrochemicals at a scale nowhere else matches
- Dahej and the Gujarat PCPIR
- LNG import, petrochemicals, a dense chemical cluster
- Hazira and Surat
- Gas processing, LNG regasification, fabrication yards
- Vadodara, Koyali, Ankleshwar
- Refining and the chemical belt running down to Vapi
- Mumbai and the offshore basin
- Mumbai High platforms, Uran, the Mahul refineries
- Panipat and Mathura
- Northern refining serving the Delhi corridor
Field notes · India
More about India that matters for portable equipment
India: industry on the ground
The Jamnagar refinery in Gujarat, commissioned in July 1999, now has installed capacity of 1.24 million barrels a day, the most at any single location in the world.
India: rules and approvals
A July 2025 PESO procedure accepts an IECEx certificate with test report for all manufacturers, and EU-type examination certificates only from EU-based manufacturers.
India: rules and approvals
PESO approval from the Chief Controller of Explosives is required for Ex electrical apparatus at petroleum, gas cylinder and pressure vessel premises, under rules such as the Petroleum Rules 2002.
The term · Ex-proof
What “Ex-proof” means for a smartphone
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In India. An Indian marking check would compare the device's gas group, temperature class and category with the zone plan at the refinery, gas plant or jetty. Hydrocarbon areas and offshore platforms may differ in their needs, set by the operator. The IS-04Z1 marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, and it is not yet granted.
The route · specification
Specifying an Ex-proof smartphone for India
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · India
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof smartphone in India today?
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
What does an Ex-proof smartphone in India cost?
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
What Ex marking will the IS-04Z1 carry?
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
Which sites in India does this cover?
The market guide for India covers Jamnagar, Gujarat, Dahej and the Gujarat PCPIR, Hazira and Surat, Vadodara, Koyali, Ankleshwar, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
What telecom approvals does a smartphone need in India?
Supplier guides list TEC's MTCTE scheme, WPC Equipment Type Approval for radio equipment, BIS registration and trusted-source designation for network equipment, each with its own scope. Which ones apply depends on the device, so check current requirements with the Department of Telecommunications or an agent.
Does PESO accept IECEx certificates?
A July 2025 procedure accepts an IECEx certificate of conformity with its test report from all manufacturers, and EU-type examination certificates from EU-based manufacturers only. Edition lists and document requirements change, so check the current PESO notice or ask a consultant before applying.
Is the device suited to monsoon and coastal conditions?
The IS-04Z1 has IP68 sealing, which helps with water and dust. That is an ingress rating only, and battery behaviour in heat and humidity is worth testing. Ask for the datasheet's operating ranges and trial a unit on a coastal site round.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on India, and on other places in India.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in IndiaSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in IndiaSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Supplier in IndiaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in IndiaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in IndiaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in IndiaSame place, different guide
India market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for IndiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · India
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for India
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · India
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for India?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.