Alerts & Updates 28th Oct 2025
Dear Reader,
We are writing to you with an important update regarding the withdrawal of Quality Control Orders (“QCOs”), by the Central Government which mandated the compulsory standard mark requirements applicable to the manufacture and imports of Acid, Acid Oil, Palm Fatty Acids, Rice Bran Fatty Acids, Coconut Fatty Acids, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Fatty Acids, Acrylonitrile, Maleic Anhydride, and Styrene (Vinyl Benzene) in India.
| Background | The Central Government had earlier notified QCOs for Lauric Acid, Acid Oil, Palm Fatty Acids, Rice Bran Fatty Acids, Coconut Fatty Acids, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Fatty Acids, and Acid Oil on April 27, 2022, and for Acrylonitrile, Maleic Anhydride, and Styrene (Vinyl Benzene) on April 5, 2022.
As per these QCOs, compliance with the mandatory use of the Indian Standard Mark as mentioned in the QCOs, was a pre-requisite for the sale of these chemicals in India. Accordingly, the said chemicals were required to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (“BIS”). The enforcement date of these QCOs were deferred to October 24, 2025, through extension orders that postponed the BIS compliance deadline. However, through notifications dated October 22 and October 24, 2025, the Central Government has now withdrawn these QCOs along with the associated BIS certification requirements. |
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| Products concerned | The QCOs apply to products covered by the following Indian Standards:
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| Previous timelines for Implementation | The QCOs were originally scheduled to come into effect on October 24, 2022. However, due to a series of extension orders issued over time, these QCOs never came into force. As per the most recent extension orders, the tentative enforcement date for these QCOs had been deferred to October 24, 2025. As of now, these orders stand withdrawn. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Next Steps | With the withdrawal of these QCOs, the associated BIS compliance requirements are no longer mandatory for the manufacture and import of these chemicals in India. However, it is not recommended for entities currently holding a BIS licence to surrender it, as the Central Government reserves the right to reinstate the QCOs at any time, without prior notice.
If the QCOs are reinstated, both domestic and foreign manufacturers of these chemicals will only be able sell these products in India while mandatorily using the prescribed Standard Mark under a valid license issued by the BIS. To obtain the necessary certification from the BIS, both foreign producers and domestic manufacturers of these chemicals would need to submit a formal application to the BIS. Furthermore, the process of certification will also require physical testing and inspection of the relevant product at the factory premises as well as parallel testing by a BIS authorized laboratory in India to verify the same. |
For any queries or comments on this update, please feel free to contact us at insights@elp-in.com.
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