New Delhi: The government has granted a conditional exemption from mandatory Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) compliance for select imported goods shipped before the implementation of various quality control orders (QCOs), offering relief to consignments at risk of being held up at Indian ports.
The move is expected to help downstream industries ramp up production and could also benefit manufacturers in China, which remains a key supplier in several affected categories.
According to a department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) order reviewed by Mint, imports covered under specified QCOs can be cleared without BIS certification if they were shipped before the respective implementation dates and the bill of entry is filed within 180 days.
The relaxation applies to QCOs implemented between July 2024 and October 2025. These products include aluminium and aluminium alloy items, commercial vending appliances, flashlights, hinges, electric fence energizers, air coolers, washing machines, domestic water heaters, plywood, flush doors, wood-based boards, laminates, copper products, V-belts (rubber belts used in machines and engines), water meters, fans, footwear, electrical accessories, laboratory glassware and bottled water dispensers.
Importers must furnish copies of the ‘bill of lading’ and supporting documents to BIS within seven days of clearance, the order said.
Government officials stressed that the relaxation is strictly transitional and does not dilute quality standards going forward. “Future imports will continue to require BIS certification under the respective QCOs,” a government official requesting anonymity said.
Industry executives said several consignments shipped before the QCO deadlines had been facing uncertainty over compliance, raising concerns about demurrage costs and working capital blockages.
Queries sent to the ministries of commerce and consumer affairs remained unanswered till press time.
“The exemption provides a transitional window to clear such cargo without disruption, particularly benefiting importers reliant on Chinese supply chains,” said an executive at a major consumer goods manufacturing company, on the condition of anonymity.
The government’s decision is a pragmatic step that balances quality enforcement with trade facilitation, said Vinod Kumar, president, SME Forum. “For many MSMEs, especially those dependent on imported components and intermediate goods, this will ease immediate working capital pressures and prevent supply chain disruptions. At the same time, maintaining clear timelines for future compliance ensures that long-term quality standards and fair competition are not compromised,” said Kumar.
Temporary waiver
China remains a major supplier across several affected categories, including aluminium and aluminium alloy products, electrical appliances, flashlights, footwear and other industrial and consumer goods.
India's imports from China increased from $101.74 billion in FY24 to $113.45 billion in FY25. In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year (FY26), total imports from China stood at $108.18 billion, according to commerce ministry data.
Across various categories of aluminium imports, the UAE emerged as the largest supplier at $648 million, followed by Malaysia at $515 million. Other key sources included South Korea ($222.73 million), Bahrain ($174.23 million), Qatar ($148.04 million) and Oman ($91.76 million).
While China stands out as the principal source country in many of these categories, other key sourcing countries include Vietnam and Thailand for electrical appliances and consumer durables; Malaysia and Indonesia for plywood, laminates and wood-based boards; Italy and Germany for specialized machinery components, vending equipment and industrial-grade products; and Japan and South Korea for higher-end electrical and engineering goods.
In categories like V-belts, water meters and electric fence energizers, imports are spread across China, the European Union and select Southeast Asian economies. Bottled water dispensers and domestic appliances also see inflows from Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe, though China remains the principal supplier.
Manraj Singh, proprietor of Woodbay India in Yamuna Nagar, Haryana, said that the relaxation for plywood, flush doors, wood-based boards and laminates will provide short-term relief to importers and traders whose consignments were already in transit, but it should not weaken the broader push for quality enforcement.
“Yamuna Nagar is one of the largest wood-processing clusters in the country, and domestic manufacturers have invested heavily to comply with BIS standards. Any relaxation must remain strictly transitional. While clearing pre-shipment consignments is understandable to avoid losses, long-term enforcement of QCOs is essential to ensure a level playing field and protect consumers from substandard imports,” Singh said.
In future, compliance with the QCOs will call for recalibrated effort from the industry. “As QCOs become more targeted, domestic stainless steel manufacturers will need to align more closely with BIS-certified inputs, particularly for specialized grades where certification and local availability are still scaling up. For producers with export commitments, this will require careful recalibration of sourcing strategies and vendor networks," said Chandragupt Prakash Mangal, managing director of Mangalam Worldwide, a specialty stainless steel manufacturer.
"A stable import policy and faster, firm implementation of QCOs will be critical to ensure that Indian producers already aligned with BIS standards can fully realize the intended benefits. This balanced approach can help maintain production continuity while strengthening a standards-led and globally competitive stainless steel industry,” Mangal added.