Ministry of Steel Launches ‘SARAL SIMS’ to Simplify Registration for Small Importers and Exporters

The Ministry of Steel has made a major change in its import regulations by requiring registration of steel imports through a Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS). As of November 21, 2025, all importers must obtain SIMS registration before the importation of steel products that have an HS Code assigned to them within Chapters 72, 73, or 86 of India's ITC (HS).

In addition to the mandatory requirement of SIMS registration, India has created a new process called SARAL SIMS. This process is designed to assist small import/export companies in completing their SIMS registrations smoothly with a simple annual single-number registration for all steel imports under Chapters 72, 73, and 86. All imports under the mentioned chapters have been reclassified from "free" to "free subject to mandatory registration" after the addition of the SARAL SIMS program.

In summary, SIMS registration is now a requirement for all steel-related imports from the above chapters, and the updated requirement became effective when the current rule was implemented.

Overview of SARAL SIMS Registration System

To support small importers and exporters, the Ministry of Steel has introduced SARAL SIMS, an easier and faster registration option.

• Importers may register online via www.sims.steel.gov.in/SARAL to obtain approval to import product(s). 
• There is no requirement to specify how much of any product(s) will be imported during the financial year. 
• Only the total amount intended for the entire financial year is necessary.
• Once registered, an importer will receive one unique SARAL SIMS number that may be used for multiple shipments throughout the financial year. 
• Thus, there is no need to generate SIMS numbers for each shipment.

Key Pointers of Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS)

To make it easier for small-scale importers, junior traders, small businesses, and microbusinesses to participate in the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) of the government, certain improvements and changes have been made to the SIMS process. The key improvements made to make the process of tracking your imports simple and convenient for small importers are as follows:

1. Launch of SARAL SIMS Portal: The SARAL SIMS website can be found on official website. Through this website, you can generate a SARAL SIMS registration that covers all of the Small Imports through the end of the fiscal year. You may register for multiple Small Import shipments in one SARAL SIMS Registration.

2. Who is Eligible to Use the SARAL SIMS: For Small Consignments (≤10 MT) it's under the category “SARAL SIMS for Small Import and annual limit is up to 1000 MT total imports per year. For Imports for Export purposes it is under the Advance Authorisation, SEZ, or EOU routes, Category: “SARAL SIMS for Export Purposes” and No quantity limit, as long as imports are meant for export.

3. Simple Registration Process: To complete the SARAL SIMS Registration process, you only need to provide the total quantity of Small Imports you plan to import in a fiscal year You do not need to provide registration or tracking numbers for each Small Shipment, etc.

4. Annual Reporting Obligation for Importers Using SARAL SIMS: All importers who utilize the SARAL SIMS system are required to file an actual import report for each fiscal year. In the case where there were no imports, a Nil report is required to be filed. The last day to submit your annual report will be on April 30th of the following fiscal year.

5. SARAL SIMS Registration Validity: All SARAL SIMS registrations that were generated in any fiscal year may be utilized for imports until April 30th of the following fiscal year.

6. Registration for a New Fiscal Year will be Allowed After the Prior Fiscal Year's Report Has Been Submitted: Importers will only be able to generate a new SARAL SIMS registration for a subsequent fiscal year after the submission of an annual report from the previous fiscal year.

7. SARAL SIMS – Small Imports: Importers who exceed 1,000 MT imported in a year will have to register for REGULAR SIMS for the balance of that year. If an importer ever registers with REGULAR SIMS during the year, they will not be able to register again with SARAL SIMS for the balance of that year. For FY 2025–26, small importers will be able to register under SARAL SIMS for 500 MT (from November 2025 to April 2026).

8. SARAL SIMS – Exports: SARAL SIMS will be available for all quantities of imports under Advance Authorisation, SEZs, and EOUs, and can be used only for the purpose of exporting. If you wish to import the same products for domestic purposes, you would need to register through REGULAR SIMS.

9. SSO Login: Importers can use the same credentials to log into both the SIMS and SARAL SIMS sites. When do these changes take effect? All the changes listed above will be effective on 21 November 2025.

Changes after the SIMS Update

The Ministry has also updated the way that SARAL SIMS merges the forms for registration of SIMS with that of traditional SIMS & has made changes to make it more user-friendly, to help facilitate Ease of Doing Business.                                                              

• The number of fields required on the regular SIMS form has decreased from 56 to only 20.
• The requirement for an Importer to seek clarification of a Non-QCO steel from either the Importer or the Domestic Manufacturer has been removed.
• Importers of these types are now able to create SIMS numbers directly from the Manufacturer’s Supply Chain & therefore do not require any other form of approval before creating a SIMS number for a Non QCO steel grade.

Conclusion

The introduction of Mandatory registration of SIMS, together with the introduction of SARAL SIMS, represents a fundamental change in India’s steel importation system. The goal of the new procedure is to provide greater oversight & control over steel imports while reducing the burden associated with compliance, particularly for the Small Importers & Exporters. With these simplified processes, fewer required fields, & the ability to register once per year, the Government has established a more open and business-friendly environment for importing steel products into India.