Exemption from Mandatory BIS Certification of input adherence of Stainless Steel flat products

The Government of India, Ministry of Steel (Technical Division), on 31st March 2025, issued a rule to provide temporary relief to importers. According to this rule, importers dealing in stainless steel flat products are exempt from mandatory input adherence; i.e., they do not need to comply with the input adherence requirements for three input standards (IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997) at present.

Earlier, the Ministry of Steel issued an order on 20th November 2025. Subsequently, the government received repeated requests from stainless steel importers seeking some relaxation, due to which the new order was issued for their benefit. The exemption is valid only for imported goods bill of lading exemption for stainless steel shows that the shipment was loaded on or before 30th November 2025, and applies only to stainless steel flat products approved by the competent authority.

Key Highlights of Stainless Steel Input Adherence Exemption Order 2025

As per the new order released by the Ministry of Steel Order, March 2025, there are certain exemptions to be made by the importers of stainless steel products, as mentioned below:-

• The Government of India has provided a short-term relief to the importers dealing in stainless steel flat products.
• This rule gives exemptions to importers, exempting them from compliance with the input material requirements.
• The rule came into effect temporarily after multiple industry requests from stainless steel importers asking for an exemption.
• The rule benefits only when the shipment is loaded before 30th November 2025, as per the bill of lading. This rule gives relaxation from the earlier passed rule issued on 20th November 2025.
• The competent authority approved this decision.

Indian Standards (IS 6911, IS 5522 & IS 15997) Covered Under Exemption 

The Ministry of Steel has decided to give an exemption from the mandatory stainless steel QCO exemption 2025 for 3 Indian Standards, which are mentioned below:-

• IS 6911: This standard covers the mandatory mechanical, quality, and chemical properties of stainless steels.
• IS 5522: This standard is mainly used during the manufacturing of high-quality household utensils.
• IS 15997: This standard sets mandatory requirements for chemical compositions for low-nickel and other steel utensils.

Validity Period for Stainless Steel Flat Products Import Exemption

The exemption is only valid for imported goods that show the shipment was loaded before 30th November 2025, meaning only products shipped by 30th November qualify for this benefit. After the expiry of the exemption, the importers can return to the previous standard compliance rule approved by the competent authority. After the exemption period ends, non-compliant importers face strict regulatory consequences for failing to comply, which can lead to penalties, shipment rejection, and business loss.

Conclusion

India’s Ministry of Steel has provided significant relief for the importers dealing in stainless steel flat products, as the government of India, Ministry of steel through the March 2025 order, has granted a temporary exemption from the mandatory input adherence for the steel products, which implies that the importers do not have to comply with input material requirements mentioned in the previous release orders. The exemption covers IS 6911, IS 5522, and IS 15997 BIS standards.

The valid shipment period is before 30th November 2025, and applies only to the approved BIS certification for stainless steel flat products. This order has been passed to ease the compliance burdens and support the importers.