Here we explored the possibility of using CuInS₂-based nanocrystals as colour converting materials for light-emitting applications. Using a mixture of red and green emissive CuInS₂-based nanocrystals, we successfully fabricated high colour rendering white light-emitting diodes with surface mounted devices and high-power types. The devices exhibit improved luminous efficiency, high colour rendering index and tunable colour temperature. In particular, the low-power surface mounted devices have a luminous efficiency of ∼70 lm W⁻¹, CRI of ∼95 and tunable colour temperature of 4600–5600 K, which makes the CuInS₂-based nanocrystals promising candidates for commercial applications.