India Quality-Control Reform May Ease BIS Delays, but Add Discretion - GTRI

India’s new quality-control transition framework could ease certification delays for some regulated products but may replace one bottleneck with another by shifting approval power from factory inspections to a government committee, Global Trade Research Initiative said in a report.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has notified the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026, effective Jun. 25, creating an alternative compliance route for products covered under 10 selected Quality Control Orders.

The products include toys, personal protective equipment, air conditioners, compressors, footwear, furniture, hinges, domestic electrical appliances, and household electrical safety products.

Under the new framework, eligible manufacturers may source products from suppliers registered under BIS Scheme-II, instead of relying only on Scheme-I certification, commonly known as the ISI Mark. Scheme I typically requires factory inspections by Bureau of Indian Standards officials, verification of manufacturing processes and product testing before approval.

GTRI said the reform was aimed at addressing long-standing delays caused by limited BIS capacity to inspect overseas manufacturing facilities, particularly as India has rapidly expanded mandatory QCOs across sectors.

The relaxation, however, will not be automatic.

Suppliers must first obtain Scheme-II registration from BIS and then secure approval from an Implementation Committee chaired by DPIIT. The committee will include representatives from BIS, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and other ministries.

GTRI said the committee’s mandate goes beyond product quality. Applicants may be assessed on technical capability, manufacturing competence, quality systems, design and production controls, compliance history, technology adoption, research and development capability, and contribution to domestic supply chains.

This marks a shift in India’s quality-control regime from a product-conformity framework to one that also includes industrial-policy objectives, the trade policy think tank said.

Only companies incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, can apply under the new mechanism. GTRI said this could limit access for foreign manufacturers that do not have an Indian corporate presence.

The report said the new framework could reduce dependence on BIS factory inspections, but warned that manufacturers may now face an inter-ministerial approval process with broad discretionary powers.

GTRI described the new system as a move toward “QCO Plus”, where access to an alternative certification route depends not only on meeting Indian technical standards but also on satisfying broader policy considerations such as localisation, technology and supply-chain development.

The success of the order will depend on whether the Implementation Committee provides transparent, consistent and time-bound decisions, the report said.

GTRI recommended that DPIIT issue operational guidelines specifying eligibility criteria, documentation requirements, evaluation methodology and timelines for processing applications. It also called for a digital application and tracking system, decisions within 60-90 days, an appeal or review mechanism for rejected applications, and periodic disclosure of anonymised data on applications, approvals, processing time and rejections.

Without those safeguards, the reform risks increasing uncertainty and reinforcing the perception that market access depends as much on government approval as on compliance with technical standards, GTRI said.