QCO changes in 2026: every new order, deferral, rescission and relief, dated

Three kinds of change dominated 2026: new or replaced orders (electrical appliances, aluminium products, cookware, hand tools), deferrals and suspensions (TVs, hard drives, linear alkyl benzene, steel entries), and relief for importers (B/L and purchase-order windows and the Transition Facilitation Order). One major order, the machinery safety OTR, was rescinded before it ever applied.

The headline dates:

• 14 January: the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 was rescinded with immediate effect^[1].
• 12 February: DPIIT's S.O. 775(E) and 776(E) gave 180-day relief for shipments and purchase orders that predated 26 QCOs^[4][8].
• 13 February: the furniture QCO came into force^[3].
• 6 April: the new umbrella electrical appliances QCO was issued^[2].
• 25 June: the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 was issued^[3].
• 1 October: the appliances QCO took effect for enterprises other than micro and small^[2].

BIS's list of upcoming QCOs, updated 30 October 2026, still shows 30 product entries due between 6 November 2026 and 1 May 2027^[7]. This post explains each change and who it hits. For the full running log across BIS, EPR and Legal Metrology, see new import rules 2026; for status by order, the QCO tracker. To check one product, use the QCO deadline checker.

This table lists every 2026 QCO and CRS order change we have confirmed, newest first. Status is as of 1 November 2026. Where a row is reported rather than read in the official text, it says so.

Yes. The Ministry of Heavy Industries rescinded the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 with immediate effect by S.O. 239(E) dated 14 January 2026, published on 16 January^[1]. It never took effect.

The OTR was the widest technical regulation India had attempted. Issued as S.O. 3649(E) on 28 August 2024^[32], it listed 20 categories of machinery and electrical equipment with HS codes, from pumps and compressors to transformers and switchgear^[32]. Machines were to meet IS 16819:2018 (ISO 12100) plus Type B and Type C standards^[32], under BIS Scheme X with a technical file and prior manufacturer registration^[32].

The start date moved twice before the rescission. A June 2025 amendment set 1 September 2026^[33]; a November 2025 amendment replaced that with 'such date as may be notified'^[34]. By then BIS had opened a pre-registration portal, and 494 domestic manufacturers had pre-registered by 31 July 2025^[35].

What it means now: importers of the listed machines no longer need a Scheme X certificate. Machines that are covered by another order still need it; the OTR itself excluded machinery already covered by any other section 16 order^[32]. BIS's upcoming-QCO list of 30 October 2026 contains no machinery omnibus entry^[36]. Full background is on our machinery safety QCO page.

It is the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2026, S.O. 1739(E) of 6 April 2026, which superseded the 2025 order and came into force on 1 October 2026^[2]. It is an umbrella order that catches appliances not covered by any other QCO.

Scope. It covers electrical appliances for household, commercial or similar use rated up to 250 V single-phase or 480 V for others, including DC and battery-operated appliances^[2]. Its table names 90 appliance types, including cooking ranges and hobs, appliances for heating liquids, coffee makers, food processors and air-cleaning appliances^[2]. It does not apply to appliances under any other QCO or notified for BIS certification under another law^[2], and it lists no HS codes^[2].

Standard and scheme. Appliances must meet IS 302 (Part 1):2024 / IEC 60335-1:2020^[2] and carry the ISI mark under a Scheme-I licence^[2]. Where an IS 302 Part 2 standard exists, BIS checks both Part 1 and the relevant Part 2 clauses^[37]. See IS 302 (Part 1).

Dates by enterprise size. The Standard Mark is compulsory from 1 October 2026 for enterprises other than micro and small, from 1 January 2027 for small and from 1 April 2027 for micro enterprises^[2].

Relief. Up to 200 units a year imported for R&D by appliance manufacturers are exempt^[2]. Certified (or applicant) manufacturers may sell declared pre-implementation stock for six months after the date^[2]. Note that this QCO is not in the February 2026 B/L relief list^[38].

This is a long road: the first umbrella order was S.O. 4098(E) of 2024^[39], replaced in May 2025 by S.O. 2232(E)^[40]. If you import electric kettles, induction cooktops or other small appliances, check whether a separate order already covers them, as BIS lists items like mixers, irons and room heaters under older orders^[37].

It is a DPIIT order, S.O. 3417(E) of 25 June 2026, that lets DPIIT permit Indian companies, assessed by an Implementation Committee, to source goods under 10 scheduled QCOs through BIS Scheme-II licences instead of Scheme-I^[3].

The ten scheduled QCOs are toys, PPE footwear, air conditioners, both footwear orders, water heaters, washing machines, hinges, furniture and electrical appliances^[3]. The schedule lists the appliances QCO as entry 10 with implementation on 1 October 2026^[41], and furniture with implementation on 13 February 2026^[3].

Applications are accepted for 24 months from commencement, and the order lapses after five years unless extended; DPIIT is to issue detailed guidelines^[3]. It is not an exemption for traders. Only companies incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 can be permitted^[3], and the goods still need a BIS licence. Until the guidelines appear, plan on the normal ISI mark or FMCS route. Products affected include air conditioners, water heaters, washing machines and toys.

On 12 February 2026 DPIIT issued four orders that eased QCO start dates for importers and small firms. Two give 180-day windows for goods already shipped or ordered; one sets a common small-enterprise threshold; one adds furniture exemptions.

Furniture moved from paper to enforcement, and footwear got more time for old stock. Both orders are now in force.

Furniture. The Furniture QCO, S.O. 801(E) of February 2025^[42], came into force on 13 February 2026^[3]. It covers chairs, stools, tables, desks, storage units, beds and bunk beds to IS 17631 to IS 17636 under Scheme-I^[42]. In 2026 it gained an R&D import allowance of 200 units a year^[28], a 12-month window to sell declared stock^[28], a higher Udyam exemption threshold of Rs 1 crore investment and Rs 5 crore turnover^[27], and 180-day B/L and purchase-order relief under S.O. 1125(E)^[26]. Those import windows have expired on their terms^[11].

Footwear. On 12 June 2026, S.O. 3037(E) and 3038(E) pushed the last date to sell pre-commencement non-BIS stock from 31 July 2026 to 31 July 2027^[5][43], and exempted imports of up to 4,500 pairs a year for R&D, marked 'NOT FOR SALE'^[43]. Both 2024 footwear QCOs are in force since 1 August 2024^[11] and both are in the B/L and PO relief orders^[4]. See furniture QCO and footwear QCO.

The cookware QCO was split between two ministries, aluminium items were re-dated, and a separate aluminium products QCO was issued. Dates now differ by material.

DPIIT's S.O. 219(E) of 15 January 2026 took over wrought aluminium utensils (IS 1660:2024) and aluminium beverage cans (IS 14407:2023), setting 1 October 2026 generally and 1 January and 1 April 2027 for small and micro enterprises^[12]. The Ministry of Steel's S.O. 1661(E) of 30 March 2026 took over stainless steel utensils, sinks and three-piece cans, keeping 1 October 2025 as the general date^[24].

There is a conflict on cans. S.O. 219(E) says 1 October 2026, but BIS's upcoming list of 30 October 2026 shows aluminium beverage cans with enforcement on 1 April 2027^[7]. We treat the BIS date as the operative one but advise checking with BIS before shipping.

Separately, the Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Products QCO, S.O. 1319(E) of 13 March 2026, brings ten wrought aluminium standards under BIS from 1 December 2026^[7], including IS 21 for utensil-making alloys^[7]. That is a turnaround: in November 2025 the older aluminium, copper and nickel QCOs had been withdrawn^[11]. See our cookware QCO page and pressure cookers, which sit under a separate order^[11].

Steel saw suspensions and short exemptions rather than new orders. The Ministry of Steel made more Schedule 1 entries inoperative and extended, then let lapse, several import exemptions.

S.O. 3300(E) of 20 June 2026 made entries 23 (IS 2879) and 129 (IS 5518) inoperative for three years and entries 51 to 53 (IS 5522, IS 6911, IS 15997 stainless sheet and strip) inoperative until 31 March 2027^[44]. That followed the November 2025 S.O. 5134(E), which suspended 42 entries for three years and 13 for one year^[45].

The import exemptions came in short bursts: listed HS codes for B/L by 30 June 2026^[21], stainless flats input adherence for B/L by 30 September 2026^[23], a temporary stainless exemption on 27 April^[20], and on 28 October an exemption for 162 semi-finished stainless grades under IS 14650 to 31 March 2027^[9]. As of 1 November no later HS-code extension is listed^[46]. Everything else in the steel QCO still needs a BIS-licensed mill and a test certificate with each consignment^[47].

Chemicals saw one new order and two suspensions, woven sacks were amended twice, and two small orders were rescinded or trimmed. Most of the big chemical rescissions happened in late 2025, not 2026.

• Linear alkyl benzene: QCO S.O. 1655(E) issued 30 March 2026, suspended by S.O. 3456(E) and S.O. 5343(E); BIS now shows enforcement on 31 December 2026^[7].
• n-Butyl acrylate: a fresh S.O. 1854(E) on 10 April, suspended by S.O. 3729(E) on 9 July^[11].
• Morpholine: a further instrument, S.O. 1722(E), on 2 April^[22].
• Flux cored solder wire: rescinded 12 January^[11].
• HDPE/PP woven sacks: amended 5 January and again 6 October; IS 16709 sacks from 6 November 2026, IS 11652 and IS 17399 from 6 January 2027^[36].
• Polypropylene ropes from recycled plastic: exempt for 12 months from 5 June^[18].
• Cotton bales: a BIS circular title of 15 June records the 2023 QCO as rescinded; we have not read the order^[15].

For the 2025 wave of 14 polymer and fibre rescissions, see chemicals QCOs^[48] and textiles QCOs.

Yes, slightly. The Electrical Accessories (QC) Amendment Order, 2026 (S.O. 187(E), 13 January 2026) removed PVC insulating tape (IS 7809 Part 3/Sec 1) from the order^[31].

The rest of the 2023 order stands: boxes and enclosures, cable trunking, lamp holders, switch-socket-outlets and the other listed items still need the ISI mark under Scheme-I^[49]. Plugs and socket-outlets remain under their own 2021 QCO to IS 1293^[50]. Importers of extension boards should read our electrical accessories QCO page for how the two orders interact.

The electronics Compulsory Registration Order was amended six times in 2026: an earlier TV extension, a new exemption for specialised equipment, a wider hard-drive entry (then deferred), a TV deferral, a new screen-protector category and a further HDD deferral^[29].

Not immediately for shipments, but it affects every existing CRS licence. Old standards IS 13252 (Part 1) and IS 616 run alongside IS/IEC 62368-1:2023 only until 1 November 2028^[51].

MeitY's S.O. 4997(E) of October 2025 made the switch^[52]. In 2026 BIS issued guidelines asking existing licensees in 38 categories to submit complete 62368-1 reports for all lead models by 1 November 2028^[53]. Extended reality products lost their concurrent-running window on 1 May 2026^[51]. For LED lamps, the last date for revised IS 16102 (Part 1):2026 was extended to 2 February 2027^[54]. See IS/IEC 62368-1 and the electronics CRS order page.

Yes. The BIS (Conformity Assessment) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on 25 February 2026^[55], made CRS licences grants of up to five years, renewable for up to five more, with fees paid annually in advance^[56], and did the same for ISI licences^[55]. The CRS processing fee became Rs 25,000 a year instead of Rs 50,000 once^[55][57].

Missing the yearly fee and production statement now suspends a licence for 90 days, lifted only by paying with a Rs 5,000 late fee, after which it is cancelled^[55]. For Scheme-I (ISI) licences, minimum marking fee concessions were reset from 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029^[58], and FMCS applications became online-only from 1 June 2026^[59]. These are not QCO changes, but they change what a QCO costs you. Fee detail is in BIS ISI mark fees and FMCS fees.

Twelve dated deadlines fall between November 2026 and November 2028. BIS's upcoming list counts 30 product entries pending to 1 May 2027^[7].

1. An importer of countertop coffee makers. Coffee makers are on the appliances QCO list^[2] and map to IS 302 Part 2/Sec 206^[60]. The importer is a large company, so the Standard Mark has been compulsory since 1 October 2026^[2]. The Chinese factory needs an FMCS licence, which BIS says averages about six months^[61], so a factory that applied late in 2026 may not have been licensed in time for October.

2. A buyer of CNC metal-cutting machines. Through 2025 this buyer was preparing for Scheme X under the OTR^[32]. Since 14 January 2026 that requirement is gone^[1]. The buyer still checks whether any component, such as a motor or cable, falls under another QCO.

3. A furniture distributor with stock in the pipeline. Containers shipped before 13 February 2026 could be cleared within 180 days under S.O. 1125(E)^[26], with documents to BIS within seven days^[26]. Declared older stock could be sold for 12 months^[28]. New orders now need BIS-licensed factories.

For your own product, the QCO deadline checker gives the date that applies, and the compliance calendar tracks what is next. Our QCO orders dataset lists every order with its number.

The goods cannot be lawfully imported or sold, and the BIS Act penalties apply. Contravening section 17 carries up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for a first offence, extendable to ten times the value of goods^[62].

The appliances QCO says so directly: anyone who contravenes it is punishable under the BIS Act, 2016^[2]. Importers are 'persons' under the Act and directly bound by section 17^[62]. Our post on selling without BIS covers what enforcement looks like in practice.