BIS Exempts Raw Materials and Intermediate Goods from Mandatory Certification

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has recently introduced important reforms that offer major relief to industries working with raw materials, intermediate products, components, and capital goods—the essential elements used to create finished products. Instead of controlling every input at every stage of production, BIS now aims to reduce unnecessary compliance pressure, simplify processes, support MSMEs and exporters, and bring Indian regulations closer to global practices.

By withdrawing multiple QCOs or delaying their enforcement, BIS is shifting its focus toward finished products that directly affect consumers. This makes compliance smarter, more practical, and easier for the entire industry. Let us explore the key benefits and highlights of these changes.

Major Updates for Manufacturers and Importers

let's go through the main aim behind the recent update for intermediate products: 

• Reduce the compliance burden and paperwork. 
• Reduce time and money involved by MSMEs and exporters. 
• Encourage innovation through flexible sourcing of materials to build products. 
• Bring Indian Quality control in line with best practices internationally. 

List of Product Categories Exempted from BIS QCOs

The goods that will  be specifically impacted by these changes include: 

• Synthetic Fibres & Yarns: QCOs have been removed as there was no direct consumer safety impact.
• Plastics & Polymers: Certification is no longer required for unprocessed and primary forms.
• Base Metals: QCOs for copper, aluminium, and nickel have been eliminated.
• Steel: QCOs have been suspended, with certain exceptions for construction-grade and pressure-vessel steel; we have now removed NOC (No Objection Certificate) and monitoring requirements for the import of Non-QCO steel grades, as this removed another cumbersome process.
• Footwear & Electronics: QCOs have been removed for intermediate components, allowing for enhanced design flexibility. 
• Chemicals: Mandatory certification for approximately 14 chemical and polymer products has been removed.

What Are QCOs and How Did They Affect Industry?

QCOs (Quality Control Orders) are essentially seen as regulations to verify whether products comply with safety and quality standards being introduced into the Indian market.  While the aim was valid – to guarantee quality - applying QCOs to these products becomes a serious challenge to businesses:

• Manufacturers interpreted that they had to get approvals and testing on outputs derived from materials that could not have any impact on consumer safety.
• Testing raw materials and intermediate goods consumes time and money, which results in lost production.
• For smaller manufacturers and those primarily based on exporting, the burden they faced was significantly higher and made a level of competitiveness in the Indian market that they could pursue.

How These Changes Can Help Manufacturers and Importers

Let’s go through the points of the benefits of the recent update from BIS: 

• Lower Compliance Burden: A reduction in the number of mandatory certifications for raw materials and components results in less paperwork and lower regulatory pressure.
• Faster Production Cycles: Manufacturing timelines are totally smooth and quick without the delays caused by several QCO requirements.
• Reduced Costs: The company can save large amounts due to less testing, fewer audits, and lower certification expenses.
• Simpler Import Process: The importers get restrictions relaxed, extending to the limits of raw materials and intermediate goods they can bring in.
• Better Focus on Quality: Instead of worrying about compliance for every input, companies can focus on enhancing the quality of finished products.

Conclusion

The new update can help many manufacturers and importers, so BIS decided to focus its regulation where it really matters and reduce unnecessary hurdles for manufacturers and exporters. This was done after thoroughly analysing these criteria in order to align India’s quality framework with International practices, minimise impact on manufacturing competitiveness, strengthen the national quality ecosystem, and support innovation as well as ease of doing business in the Indian economy.