What is a Quality Control Order (QCO) in India, and how does it affect importers?

QCO stands for Quality Control Order. A ministry issues it under the BIS Act, 2016 to make an Indian Standard mandatory for a product. The Toys QCO, for example, was issued by DPIIT under sections 16, 17 and 25(3) of the BIS Act^[1].

Once a product is notified, section 17 of the Act bars manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, storing or exhibiting it for sale without a Standard Mark under a valid licence^[2]. A QCO turns a voluntary standard into a market-entry rule. For electronics, MeitY uses a similar instrument called a Compulsory Registration Order; see Electronics CRS order.

Both make BIS certification compulsory, but they use different schemes and ministries. Most consumer electronics fall under MeitY's Compulsory Registration Order, certified under Scheme-II^[12]. Most other goods fall under QCOs that use the Scheme-I ISI mark, as the Toys QCO does^[1].

Every order has the same building blocks. Read each one before deciding your product is in or out.

Everyone in the supply chain. The BIS Act defines 'person' to include manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, sellers and their representatives, so importers are directly bound^[2]. The licence itself is held by the manufacturer. Foreign factories get it through BIS's foreign manufacturer routes; under the Toys QCO, certification is a Scheme-I licence to use the Standard Mark (the ISI mark)^[1].

Each order sets its own scope. The Toys QCO, for example, covers products intended for play by children under 14^[1]. Check the exact product description in the order, not just the product name.

A QCO names the products, the Indian Standards they must meet, the certification scheme and a date of coming into force. Orders are often amended and deferred. Toys, for instance, was first set for 1 September 2020^[1] and then moved to 1 January 2021^[17].

Orders also get rescinded. On 12 November 2025 the chemicals department withdrew 14 QCOs at once^[7]. That is why we keep a dated QCO tracker rather than a fixed list. BIS's upcoming-QCO page listed 30 product entries due for enforcement between 6 November 2026 and 1 May 2027^[4].

A QCO is rarely fixed. The typical life events, with real examples:

For consumer goods importers, these orders generate most of the questions we see. Dates are as recorded on our QCO tracker.

On BIS's own lists first. BIS keeps a Scheme-I compulsory certification table that numbers QCOs serially up to 136, the Furniture QCO 2025 being number 136^[3]; it shows amendments and rescissions against each order, which is how we confirmed that the appliances QCO had no later amendment as of 1 November 2026^[22]. BIS also runs an upcoming-QCO page, which on 30 October 2026 listed 30 product entries pending enforcement^[4].

The gazette notification (the S.O. number) is the legal text. Our QCO hub links each order we cover, and the QCO tracker records every dated change.

• Penalty: under section 29(3) as enacted (later amendments not checked), breaking section 17 is punishable with up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh for a first contravention and Rs 5 lakh after that, or both^[2].
• Common exemptions: many orders exclude goods for export^{[1][23][24][25]}, and some allow limited R&D imports, such as up to 300 toy units a year^[26].
• Transition relief: DPIIT S.O. 775(E) exempts goods shipped before implementation under 26 QCOs if the Bill of Entry is filed within 180 days of implementation^[6].
• Old stock: some orders let certified manufacturers and importers sell declared older stock for a limited period, for example six months under the cookware orders^[25].
• Small firms: DPIIT set a common Udyam exemption threshold in eight QCOs in February 2026^[27]. In the cookware orders the equivalent exemption is for goods made domestically^[28], so do not assume it covers imports.

There is no single 'QCO fee'. Costs are the BIS licence fees for the scheme used; see BIS ISI mark.

Three DPIIT instruments from February and June 2026 matter most.

• Shipped before the date: S.O. 775(E) exempts goods shipped before implementation under 26 QCOs if the Bill of Entry is filed within 180 days; papers go to BIS within 7 days of clearance^[6].
• Ordered before the date: S.O. 776(E) does the same where the purchase order predates implementation^[18].
• Small firms: S.O. 777(E) set a common Udyam threshold of Rs 1 crore investment and Rs 5 crore turnover in eight QCOs^[27].
• Transition Facilitation Order: S.O. 3417(E) lets DPIIT permit assessed companies to source goods under 10 scheduled QCOs through BIS Scheme-II licences^[10].

Each relief has conditions. Read the order, then talk to your customs broker before you ship.

The Furniture QCO was implemented on 13 February 2026^[10]. Its second amendment exempts imports shipped before that date if the Bill of Entry is filed within 180 days^[29].

Shipment C is the one people miss: the paperwork deadline runs from out of charge, not from arrival.

• Assuming the order is old news. Dates move, so check the current amendment on the QCO tracker.
• Counting QCOs. BIS numbers QCOs serially up to 136, but that list includes withdrawn orders and is not an official count of orders in force^[3].
• Relying on a product name. Scope is set by the order text and the standard, not by an HS heading.
• Shipping on the deadline. Goods arriving after the date without the mark face the section 17 prohibition^[2] unless a transition order clearly covers them.

At the border, in warehouses and online. Section 28 of the BIS Act lets a BIS officer search premises or vehicles and seize goods involved in a section 17 contravention^[8]. In FY 2024-25 BIS reportedly bought 344 QCO product samples from e-commerce platforms, of which 142 had no valid certification^[33]. Consumer regulators act too: in 2022 the CCPA ordered Amazon to recall 2,265 pressure cookers sold in breach of the QCO and pay Rs 1,00,000^[34].

Companies are not the only ones at risk: responsible directors and the authorised representative can be deemed guilty along with the company^[2]. More on selling without BIS.

• Standard Mark and ISI mark: what a QCO makes compulsory.
• Indian Standard: the technical rule behind each order.
• Compulsory Registration Scheme: the electronics equivalent.
• BIS ISI mark and ISI licence costs: how to get certified.

If you are not sure whether a QCO catches your product, ask for a free compliance check.