Key Regulatory Changes By Bureau Of Indian Standards In 2025

INTRODUCTION

In 2025, the Government of India, continued the expansion and rationalisation of India's quality control framework via notifications and withdrawal of multiple Quality Control Orders ("QCOs"). As of 2025, the Government has notified approximately 190 QCOs covering more than 800 products, mandating compulsory certification by the Bureau of Indian Standards ("BIS") across several industrial and consumer-facing sectors. These measures have been issued by various Central Ministries by virtue of the powers enshrined under Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 and are operationalised through the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018, with the objective of improving product quality, consumer safety and standardisation across various industries.

MAJOR INDUSTRIES IMPACTED

Some of the major industries impacted in 2025 by such QCOs issued from time to time, are as follows:

1. Chemicals and Petrochemicals: Chemicals and petrochemicals were initially governed through multiple product-specific QCOs rather than a single sector-specific order. In 2025, the Government withdrew approximately 14 QCOs relating to the Chemical Industry. This action was taken to alleviate supply constraints, reduce high import costs, and streamline operations for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the textile, packaging, and plastics industries. The revocation of these QCOs eased raw material supply constraints for textile and plastic industry.
2. Metals and Alloys: The Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Products (Quality Control) Order, 2025 dated 05 May 2025, brought aluminium products within the compulsory BIS certification regime. The order affects aluminium manufacturers and importers supplying infrastructure, construction and engineering projects, where compulsory certification has now become a prerequisite for market participation.
3. Fasteners, Hardware and Hand Tools: QCOs covering industrial fasteners, together with the Hand Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2025 dated 22 July 2025, extended mandatory BIS certification to commonly used mechanical tools. These orders impact manufacturers and importers supplying construction and industrial projects, where uncertified products cannot be sold or deployed on-site.
4. Furniture and Consumer Products: The Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 dated 13 February 2025, mandated BIS certification for specified furniture categories. This QCO affects consumer-goods manufacturers and importers, particularly those supplying such products in institutional, commercial and organised retail markets, by making the BIS compulsory certification a condition for manufacture and sale of specified furniture category.
5. Electrical and Industrial Equipment: The introduction of Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2025 dated 19 May 2025, lead to regulation of a broad range of electrical appliances. The said QCO impacted manufacturers and importers of consumer durables and industrial electrical equipment, where BIS certification operates as a gatekeeping requirement for market access.
6. Beverage Industry: BIS certification requirements applicable to aluminium cans for food and beverages under the QCO framework materially affected the beverage industry in 2025. Limited domestic certified capacity and certification requirements for imported cans created supply bottlenecks, disrupting production and sales for beer manufacturers and prompting industry representations seeking transitional relaxations.

OUR THOUGHTS

The developments in 2025 reflect a more nuanced approach to quality regulation in India. While the continued expansion of QCOs across chemicals, metals, hardware, furniture and electrical equipment reinforces the Government's commitment to standardisation and product safety, the targeted withdrawal of certain chemical and textile-related QCOs indicates regulatory sensitivity to industry concerns and supply-chain realities. From a compliance perspective, BIS certification has emerged as a critical and non- negotiable market-access requirement rather than a procedural formality. Businesses operating in manufacturing, imports, distribution and sale of regulated products in India, will need to closely monitor sector-specific QCO notifications, exemptions and phased implementation timelines, as compliance failures may have direct commercial and operational consequences in the Indian market.

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