India’s ministry of steel has extended exemptions for certain stainless steel products from the purview of mandatory quality control orders (QCOs) to address industry concerns over short supply in the domestic market, a government official said on Friday, November 21, citing an official notification issued by the government.
The exemption has been extended until March 31, 2026. Earlier, the ministry had granted an exemption from mandatory QCO compliance for the specified stainless steel, applicable to imports with a bill of lading dated on or before October 31, 2025.
The ministry said that it extended the exemption as stainless steel importers are facing constraints in sourcing 200 and 300 series stainless steel flat products amid the ongoing domestic capacity ramp-up.
Three Indian Standards are applicable to these products - IS 6911, IS 5522 and IS 15997.
Under the mandatory QCOs, products not conforming to Indian standards cannot be manufactured, stored, traded or sold within the country. In the case of imports, the product had to secure quality certifications from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which would issue such a certification only after physical inspection of manufacturing facilities in the originating country.