Quality control order in India and BIS certification rules
A quality control order makes specified BIS requirements mandatory in India. Check the product, certification scheme and latest notices before supply.
A quality control order (QCO) is an Indian government order that makes specified product-standard and BIS conformity-assessment requirements compulsory. Whether it applies to your product depends on its scope, commencement provisions, exemptions and later changes, not the standard alone. BIS explains how QCOs impose mandatory certification requirements.
An Indian Standard sets the technical specification. Its existence does not, by itself, mean certification is mandatory. BIS describes certification as basically voluntary. QCOs make Standard Mark use compulsory under a BIS licence or Certificate of Conformity.
Where to find the BIS QCO list
Start with BIS's products under compulsory certification page. It separates Scheme I, the Mark Scheme, from Scheme II registration, Scheme IV Certificates of Conformity and Scheme X certification. Don't assume every BIS quality control order requires the same licensing route.
For Scheme I, the BIS product table connects product names and Indian Standards with notifications. It also contains rescission entries. A product's presence in the table is therefore not proof that its original QCO remains in force.
Use the responsible ministry's notices alongside BIS's list. The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals notification listing covers chemical and petrochemical updates. For a steel quality control order, consult the Ministry of Steel's QCO index. Retrieve the operative notification through the linked documents or the Gazette of India.
How to check applicability and effective dates
There is no single enforcement date for all QCOs. BIS also links upcoming QCOs notified but due for implementation. Notification alone does not establish that an order already applies.
Before a purchasing or supply decision, use this document check:
- Match the exact product and grade to the listed Indian Standard. Avoid relying on a broad commercial description.
- Identify the conformity-assessment scheme specified for that product.
- Read the order's commencement provisions, including any dates for particular categories.
- Check exemptions in the operative text rather than assuming a general exemption applies.
- Trace later amendments, rescissions and temporary suspensions. Keep the applicable notification and licensing evidence with the supply record.
Use the BIS notification history and ministry updates for that check. Read the latest notice itself before relying on a deadline.
Why an old product list can mislead
BIS records these rescission notifications, with the dates below, in its Scheme I history:
- Styrene, IS 4105:2020: S.O. 4864(E), dated 24 October 2025.
- Polyethylene material for moulding and extrusion, IS 7328:2020: S.O. 5136(E), dated 12 November 2025.
- Polyester staple fibres, IS 17263:2019: S.O. 5133(E), dated 12 November 2025.
These entries show why the original order is only the start of a check. A rescinded QCO does not establish that no other product requirement applies.
Temporary suspension needs a separate check. The chemicals ministry's listing includes suspension notices for linear alkyl benzene and n-butyl acrylate published in 2026. Read their conditions and duration before deciding whether a shipment falls within a suspension. A portal publication date is not necessarily the notification date or commencement date.
Foreign suppliers and imports
For an import decision, check the product requirements before arranging supply. Overseas manufacturers can consult BIS's Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme resources and certification-process index for the relevant application information.
BIS's official legal index lists the BIS Act and conformity-assessment regulations with subsequent amendments. RegAffairs AI provides a QCO answer with source citations as a starting point for this check.