Alerts & Updates 27th Nov 2025
Dear Reader,
We are writing to inform you of an important development concerning the Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2024 (“Steel QCO”). The Ministry of Steel (“MoS”) has issued multiple orders dated November 20, 2025, pertaining to the Steel QCO.
These include: (i) an amendment order deferring the applicability of the Steel QCO for certain products; (ii) orders extending the timelines for certain previously granted exemptions; (iii) an order revoking the existing No Objection Certificate (“NOC”) process, and (iv) an order providing mechanism for obtaining exemptions for the import of steel into India from non-licensed manufacturers.
The Steel QCO mandates standard mark requirements for the manufacture and imports of steel products covered within the scope of the standards listed under the Steel QCO.
| Background | The MoS initially notified the Steel QCO on February 14, 2020, and it came into force on the same date. Since then, the original Steel QCO has undergone several supersessions and amendments, with the latest consolidated version coming into effect on August 29, 2024. Click here for the recent version of the Steel QCO. Under the Steel QCO, compliance with the mandatory use of the Indian Standard Mark was a prerequisite for the sale of products covered within the scope of the specified standards in India. Accordingly, such products were required to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (“BIS”). However, through multiple orders dated November 20, 2025, the MoS has introduced certain modifications to the applicability of the requirements under the Steel QCO.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 products in India. Accordingly, the said products were required to be certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).However, through notification dated November 12, 2025, the Central Government has now withdrawn these QCOs along with the associated BIS certification requirements. |
| Brief of the orders | Orders issued by the MoS:
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| Conclusion | While the NOC application process has been discontinued, uncertainty persists regarding applications that were already pending before the Ministry of Steel and under examination by the committee. Additionally, the NOC section on the SIMS portal has been removed, and no information is available regarding the status of previously filed NOC applications, further contributing to the ambiguity. Moreover, although the earlier exemption mechanism has been reinstated, there is continued uncertainty regarding the exact procedure to be followed, as the Office Order No. 1(9)/2019-TD dated May 14, 2020, referred to in the current exemption order, is not available in the public domain. Consequently, non-licensed manufacturers lack clarity on the platform or process for submitting exemption applications. Furthermore, as of date, exemption applications can only be filed for grades mapped on the SIMS portal. Importers dealing with grades not mapped on the portal are unable to apply or obtain a SIMS number, as required under the exemption order. In view of this, exporters/importers of the steel and steel products, should actively engage with the MoS to address any concerns. |
For any queries or comments on this update, please feel free to contact us at insights@elp-in.com.
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