Hot humid coast
The Coromandel coast is generally hot and humid with salt-laden air, which favours sealed, corrosion-resistant devices.
Chennai sits on the flat Eastern Coastal Plains on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and its location on the thermal equator means little seasonal temperature variation. Refining, lube and wax production and LNG handling create Zone 1 areas. Distribution partners for Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area) are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area) has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area): Crude and product storage, Marine liquid terminal, LNG regasification | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Chennai India. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
The Coromandel coast is generally hot and humid with salt-laden air, which favours sealed, corrosion-resistant devices.
CPCL's Manali refinery is rated at 10.5 million tonnes a year and includes crude distillation, hydrocracker, FCC, delayed coker and reforming units, plus lube and wax production.
Chennai Petroleum acts as a mother industry for Manali, supplying feedstocks to neighbouring plants, and its products are marketed through Indian Oil, which is now its majority shareholder.
Most rain comes from the northeast monsoon between October and December, when cyclones are common and flooding of low-lying areas can occur, with about 120 centimetres a year.
A propylene plant of 17,000 tonnes a year, commissioned in 1988, and a 30,000 tonne a year paraffin wax plant add petrochemical and wax operations to the fuel refinery.
The Manali refinery of Chennai Petroleum Corporation has a capacity of 10.5 million tonnes a year and is one of India's most complex refineries, with fuel, lube, wax and petrochemical feedstock units.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area). Chennai's hazardous areas span refinery process units, lube and wax plants, crude and product storage, a marine liquid terminal and LNG regasification. The operators, including CPCL, Indian Oil and Kamarajar Port, classify their own areas. PESO is the national regulator in this field, and SAMS does not classify any site.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area). Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, lube base stock and wax plants, crude and product storage, marine liquid terminal. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Chennai (Manali and Ennore industrial area).
The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation administers the Petroleum Rules, 2002 and the Explosives Rules, 2008. Operators use licensed storage and their own safety teams, so ask for site-specific equipment requirements.
April to June is the hottest period at 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, with high humidity all year. Check the device's operating temperature and humidity ratings and its battery behaviour in heat on the datasheet.
Possibly, but only where its marking suits the classification of that specific area. Marine terminals and refinery units can differ in gas group and temperature class, and port authorities add their own permits. Confirm the area classification and permit rules with the terminal operator before any approval.
Related guides for Chennai India and 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.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.