BIS Certification for Steel: QCO 2024 Compliance for Manufacturers & Importers
Steel Products Under Mandatory BIS Certification: QCO 2024
Attention steel manufacturers, importers, and OEMs: the Ministry of Steel notified the Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024, vide S.O. 574(E) on 5 February 2024, superseding the 2020 order. BIS Certification for Steel is mandatory for a wide range of products, including various steel grades, rolled products, structural steel, pipes, and fittings. Most covered products became subject to enforcement from 2 September 2024, and staying current on this order, including its most recent amendments, remains essential for market access, regulatory alignment, and legal conformity in India.
November 2025 Amendments: What Changed
This is the update most compliance teams haven’t caught up on yet. On 20 November 2025, the Ministry of Steel issued a set of orders that materially change how the QCO is administered:
- Deferred applicability for certain products: an amendment order pushed back the compliance timeline for specific product categories still working through certification.
- Extended timelines for previously granted exemptions: businesses operating under an existing exemption should confirm their specific extended deadline rather than assuming the original grant still applies unchanged.
- Revocation of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process, a route some importers and manufacturers had relied on, is no longer available in its previous form.
- A new mechanism for import exemptions from non-licensed manufacturers, replacing elements of the prior approach.
If your compliance planning still reflects only the original 2024 order, it’s worth revisiting against these four changes specifically before assuming your current approach remains valid.
What Manufacturers and Importers Must Do
- All domestic and imported steel products covered under QCO 2024 must bear the BIS Standard Mark and be accompanied by a valid test certificate from a licensed manufacturer.
- Enforcement timing varies by product: most items became subject to the order from 2 September 2024, while certain items such as ferro-chromium, ferro-manganese, and silico-manganese steels received deferments (ferrochromium’s own enforcement, for example, began 8 November 2024), and specific bearing steels received separate deferment periods. The November 2025 amendments have since adjusted some of these timelines further, so current product-specific dates should be confirmed against the latest Ministry of Steel notifications rather than the original 2024 schedule alone.
- Non-compliance can result in confiscation of goods, fines, and potential prosecution under the BIS Act, 2016, or the Customs Act, for imported items.
Coverage Under the Steel QCO 2024
Schedule I: Primary Steel Products (145 items)
These products must carry the BIS Standard Mark (ISI) and a valid test certificate. Covered items include carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, and electrical steel forms, such as
- Rolled flat products: hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheets, plates, and strips
- Wire rods and bars, including deformed bars for concrete reinforcement
- Slabs, blooms, billets, and forgings
- Electrical steels: grain-oriented and non-oriented sheets/strips (IS 3024, 648, 16585, etc.)
- Special steels: heat-treated bearing steels, weather-resistant structural steels, high-strength flat-rolled steels
- Steels for industrial use: springs, chains, valves, rivets, fasteners, cold-heading
- Consumer and industrial components: steel for utensils, welded chains, pressure vessel components, and similar items
Schedule II: Manufactured/Composite Steel Items (7 items)
These items made from steel or tinplate must conform to specified Indian Standards and be certified:
| Product Category | Applicable Standard(s) |
| Transformer cores, stampings, laminations | Electrical steel per IS 3024:2015, IS 648:2006, IS 16585:2016 |
| Stainless steel pipes & tubes | Relevant BIS standards for stainless grades |
| Containers (tanks, casks, drums, cans – 50–300 L) | Per relevant BIS specifications |
| Containers under 50 L sealed by solder/crimp | Tinplate or tin-free steel standard |
| Seals, caps, lids, threaded bungs (tinplate/tin-free steel) | BIS compliance required |
| Sign-plates, name-plates, address-plates (tinplate steel) | BIS-standard metal sheets |
| Primary cells & battery parts | BIS-specified steel/tinplate parts |
Recommended Next Steps for BIS Certification for Steel
- Identify applicable products: determine which Schedule I or Schedule II items apply to your manufacturing or import lineup, and confirm whether the November 2025 amendments affect your product’s specific timeline.
- Verify relevant standards: cross-check the current Indian Standards (IS) listed in the QCO 2024 gazette, including any subsequent amendments.
- Initiate BIS licensing: apply for BIS Certification under Scheme I, or the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS) where applicable, for covered products; see our full BIS certification schemes guide for how each scheme actually works.
- Prepare labels and certificates: ensure all products bear the BIS Standard Mark with valid test certificates before shipping or selling in India.
- Maintain compliance records: keep detailed records of certifications, test reports, and documentation for audits and future verification — the kind of gap most likely to surface as a real compliance risk, covered in our note on BIS non-compliance risks.
Avoid production delays and customs clearance issues — confirm your product’s current status under both the original QCO and the November 2025 amendments before your next shipment or production run.
How MBG Corporate Services Can Help
Our BIS certification services team can confirm which Schedule I or Schedule II requirements apply to your specific products, including how the November 2025 amendments affect your timeline, and manage the licensing process end to end. If you’re deciding whether to bring in dedicated support, see our note on choosing a BIS certification consultant.