India’s ministry of steel has announced exemptions for 202 global steel companies from the process of mandatory adherence to requirements of the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) portal, the ministry said in a notification on Tuesday, August 12.
In an official statement, the ministry said, "In pursuance of the para II of order no. S-20011/15/2024-TECH dated 11.07.2025, 202 numbers of BIS licences (Annexure-1) have been exempted in the SIMS portal from the mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for the final products supplied by steel mills.”
The exemptions cover steel producers from 16 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, and the US. Japan leads the list with over 80 licenses, followed by South Korea with more than 50.
The move is aimed at simplifying procedures and supporting the smooth flow of steel imports, particularly for steel mills and foreign manufacturers supplying steel to India.
By removing the need for compliance with certain raw material requirements, the decision is expected to make the process more efficient and help the industry focus on production and supply without delays caused by procedural hurdles.
The Bureau of Indian Standards licensing is generally a key regulatory requirement for steel imports, ensuring quality and safety in materials used for domestic production.
