Cookware, Utensils and Cans Quality Control Order: which products, which dates, and what changed in 2026

It is a family of orders that makes BIS certification compulsory for metal kitchen utensils, steel sinks and some metal food and drink cans. It has been rewritten five times, so the first thing to know is which version you are reading.

The current position in October 2026 is split across two orders issued by two ministries:

• Stainless steel items (utensils, sinks, three-piece metal cans) are governed by S.O. 1661(E) of 30 March 2026, issued by the Ministry of Steel^[1].
• Aluminium items (wrought aluminium utensils, aluminium beverage cans) are governed by S.O. 219(E) of 15 January 2026, issued by DPIIT^[3].

Both replaced the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2025, S.O. 3850(E) of 21 August 2025^[2]. Like other QCOs made under the BIS Act, they bring these goods under section 17, which prohibits importing, selling or storing for sale notified goods without a Standard Mark under a valid licence^[5].

Five products, each tied to its own Indian Standard^[2]. Which order now governs each one, and from when, is in the table.

Three things are often confused with this order:

• Pressure cookers have their own order, the Domestic Pressure Cooker (Quality Control) Order, 2020 (S.O. 294(E) of 21 January 2020, amended by S.O. 2019(E) of 23 June 2020), which requires IS 2347:2017^[6]. See the pressure cooker QCO, the IS 2347 standard page and the pressure cooker import guide.
• Aluminium raw material for utensils. BIS's upcoming-QCO list shows wrought aluminium and aluminium alloys for making utensils (IS 21:1992) with enforcement on 1 December 2026, under the aluminium products QCO^[4]. That order, the Aluminium and Aluminium Alloy Products (QC) Order, 2026, is S.O. 1319(E) of 13 March 2026^[4]. It controls the metal a utensil maker buys, not the finished pan. Steel inputs have their own orders; see the steel QCO page.
• Filled cans. The cookware orders do not apply to goods or articles that arrive filled with material in any form, solid, liquid or gas^[1]. An imported can of soft drink is not caught by the can standard; an empty can for filling in India is.

The order texts list no HS codes, and we have not yet sourced an official mapping of HS codes to these orders. Comploa therefore gives none. Coverage depends on the product description and standard in the table above. If your item is a mixed-material product (for example, a steel pan with an aluminium base), check with BIS which standard it is certified against before you test.

Each version superseded the one before it, and most moved the dates. The table runs newest first.

The two official sources disagree, and we could not find the document that explains why.

• The Gazette. S.O. 219(E) of 15 January 2026 sets 1 October 2026 as the general implementation date for aluminium beverage cans under IS 14407:2023^[3].
• BIS's upcoming-QCO list. BIS's list of QCOs due for implementation, checked on 30 October 2026, shows aluminium cans for beverages (IS 14407:2023, DPIIT) with enforcement on 1 April 2027^[4].

A later date on BIS's list usually reflects a deferral notification. We did not find one. Until it is located, treat 1 October 2026 as the date in the last Gazette text we have read, and treat 1 April 2027 as BIS's current listing. If you import empty aluminium beverage cans, confirm the date with BIS in writing before relying on the later one. The aluminium utensils standard IS 1660 is not on BIS's upcoming list, so utensils appear to be in force from 1 October 2026^[4].

They get later dates, and some got an exemption, but both points have a catch.

Later dates. Every version since 2023 has given small and micro enterprises later dates than the general one^[9][8][7][2]. Under the current orders those dates are 1 January 2026 and 1 April 2026 for steel items^[1] and 1 January 2027 and 1 April 2027 for aluminium items^[3]. The catch: the 2025 and 2026 texts are internally inconsistent about which of the two later dates belongs to small and which to micro enterprises. The proviso points one way and the table headers the other^[2]. We do not resolve this; if it matters to you, ask BIS.

Udyam exemption. S.O. 3850(E) of August 2025 exempted goods made in India by Udyam-registered enterprises with plant and machinery investment up to Rs 25 lakh and turnover up to Rs 2 crore, certified by a chartered accountant^[2]. That proviso does not appear in S.O. 1661(E) or S.O. 219(E), which now govern all five products. Whether it still applies is not confirmed. Do not rely on it without written confirmation.

These provisions are for Indian manufacturers. They do not help a foreign factory or an importer.

Beyond small-business dates, the orders give four reliefs^[1]:

• Old stock. Certified manufacturers and importers, or those who have applied, may sell declared stock made or imported before implementation for up to six months after the implementation date, on a CA-certified declaration to BIS^[1].
• Filled containers. Goods imported filled with material in any form are outside the orders^[1].
• R&D imports. Manufacturers may import up to 200 units a year for R&D, not for sale, to be scrapped, with year-wise records to the Central Government^[1].
• Exports. Goods made in India for export are outside the orders^[1].

The stock relief is time-limited. For steel items implemented on 1 October 2025, the six-month window has passed on its terms; for aluminium utensils from 1 October 2026, it runs from that date.

Partly. Our reading of the official sources is that the order is in force for stainless steel utensils, sinks and three-piece cans (generally since 1 October 2025) and for aluminium utensils (generally from 1 October 2026), while aluminium beverage cans appear deferred to 1 April 2027^[6]. That status combines S.O. 1661(E), S.O. 219(E) and BIS's upcoming list; the cans deferral notification has not been located, so the cans date is BIS's listing rather than a Gazette text we have read.

The cookware order was not among the QCOs rescinded in late 2025. The aluminium and aluminium alloys QCO of 2023 was withdrawn on 13 November 2025^[6], but that was a raw-material order, not the utensils order. See the QCO tracker for every change.

The pattern is the same as for other ISI-mark products: the factory holds the BIS licence, and you import only marked goods from licensed factories. See BIS ISI mark and BIS FMCS for the process.

An importer of stainless steel kitchen utensils. The date has passed: stainless steel utensils under IS 14756:2024 have been covered since 1 October 2025^[1]. You need goods from a factory licensed for that standard, and the mark on every piece. The six-month old-stock window counts from the implementation date^[1], so on our reading of the dates it no longer helps for steel utensils.

A seller switching to aluminium cookware to avoid the steel rules. That no longer works. Wrought aluminium utensils under IS 1660:2024 have a general date of 1 October 2026 under S.O. 219(E)^[3]. Check the factory's licence before you place the order.

A beverage company importing empty aluminium cans for filling in India. Empty cans are covered by IS 14407:2023^[2]. The date is unclear: 1 October 2026 in S.O. 219(E)^[3] or 1 April 2027 on BIS's list^[4]. Ask BIS in writing which applies to your shipment. If you import drinks already canned, the orders do not apply to the can^[1].

• Wrong version of the order. Suppliers and agents may quote dates from the 2024 or 2025 versions, which have been superseded^[2][1][3]. Use S.O. 1661(E) for steel items and S.O. 219(E) for aluminium items.
• Licence for one product, shipment of another. Sinks, utensils and cans each have their own standard^[2], and a Scheme-I licence is granted per standard and factory^[10].
• Pressure cookers shipped as cookware. They need IS 2347:2017 under their own order^[6].
• Old-stock claims without the declaration. The six-month relief needs a CA-certified declaration to BIS^[1].
• R&D quantities over the cap. The R&D allowance is up to 200 units a year, not for sale^[1].

See also why shipments get held at Indian ports.

Each cookware standard has its own annual minimum marking fee, from Rs 47,000 (aluminium utensils) to Rs 1,87,000 (aluminium beverage cans) for a large factory, plus a unit rate on what is marked^[13].

The small-scale fee is half the large-scale fee and the micro fee one fifth^[13]. From 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029 BIS also gives concessions on the minimum fee of 80% for micro enterprises, 50% for small ones and 80% for start-ups, plus 10% more for women-led enterprises^[14]. Note the units: utensils are charged by weight, sinks by piece and cans per 100 pieces.

For a large overseas factory making stainless steel utensils, the fixed BIS charges in year one come to about Rs 77,000 before testing, officer travel and per-diem, plus a USD 10,000 bank guarantee.

• Application fee: Rs 1,000^[15].
• Factory inspection: Rs 7,000 per man-day^[15]. A visit to a foreign factory normally lasts two days^[16], so one officer for two days is Rs 14,000.
• Contingency payment: Rs 10,000, plus the officers' per-diem, tickets, visa and insurance^[15].
• Annual licence fee: Rs 1,000^[15].
• Minimum marking fee: Rs 51,000 for IS 14756 at the large-scale rate^[13].
• Testing: the actual charges of the BIS or BIS-recognised lab in India that tests the samples drawn at the visit^[17].
• Bank guarantee: a USD 10,000 Performance Bank Guarantee after grant^[12]. It is security, not a fee.

That is Rs 77,000 by our arithmetic. Volume can push it up: at Rs 0.25 per kg^[13], a factory marking 4,00,000 kg of utensils a year would owe Rs 1,00,000 on volume. A BIS grant letter seen by consultants says the higher of the actual and the minimum fee is payable at renewal^[18]. A factory that also makes sinks needs a second licence, with its own Rs 1,02,000 minimum^[13]. Compare the FMCS fee schedule, the ISI fee page and our ISI licence cost guide.

The factory files online on Manakonline with an Authorised Indian Representative, a process flow chart, its quality system, machinery and test-equipment lists, raw-material details, QC staff papers, test reports and the factory layout^[19].

The importer cannot apply on the factory's behalf^[17], but an importer is often nominated as the AIR. The AIR must be an Indian resident, at least a graduate, with no conflict of interest with labs^[20], and may represent only one foreign maker unless they are in one group or the AIR is a related importer^[20].

Foreign factories cannot use option-2, the quicker route with their own test report; all go through option-1 with a factory visit^[21]. Raw-material conformity matters for utensils: where the standard requires it, BIS accepts ISI-marked material first, then reports from BIS or recognised labs, then the material maker's certificate^[22]. See ISI documents and the Manakonline guide.

Ask for the CM/L licence number for each product line and look it up before you pay a deposit. Every ISI licence number takes the form CM/L- followed by digits^[23], and BIS requires it on the product with the Standard Mark, preferably below it^[24].

BIS's free BIS Care app fetches the licensee's details from a CM/L number^[25]. Check three things against your purchase order:

1. The standard. The licence must name the Indian Standard for your item, for example IS 14756 for steel utensils or IS 1660 for aluminium ones.
2. The factory. A licence covers one product standard at one factory^[10], so a licence held by the supplier's other plant does not count.
3. The varieties. The mark may be used only on the varieties, sizes or grades in the licence's scope^[26].

Our guide on how to verify a BIS licence shows each screen. A sink licence under IS 13983 will not cover a kadai, and a utensil licence will not cover a can.

Online sellers are directly liable: the BIS Act's definition of 'person' covers sellers and retailers, not only importers^[5]. Platforms have also faced action over kitchen goods.

In August 2022 the Central Consumer Protection Authority ordered Amazon to notify buyers of 2,265 pressure cookers sold in breach of the QCO, recall them, refund the price and pay a Rs 1,00,000 penalty^[27]. In March 2025 BIS reportedly searched an Amazon seller warehouse in Delhi and seized over 3,500 products without valid ISI marks^[28]. In FY 2024-25, BIS reportedly bought 344 QCO product samples from e-commerce platforms, and 142 had no valid licence^[29].

Keep each supplier's licence copy on file, show the mark and licence number in listing photos, and see compliance for Amazon sellers and the Amazon listing checklist.

A consultant is optional but common for foreign factories, mainly to act as or find the AIR and run the visit. Labs are picked from BIS's recognised list.

BIS has 36 branch offices and 10 of its own laboratories^[30]. Its list of recognised outside labs had 444 entries on 30 October 2026, all of them in India^[31]. Since December 2025 a manufacturer no longer needs an in-house laboratory; shared, cluster or sub-contracted testing at BIS-recognised or ISO/IEC 17025 accredited labs is allowed^[32].

Consultant pricing varies widely, and published prices rarely say what they include. One consultancy lists an ISI professional fee from Rs 40,000, with testing and marking fees extra^[33]. Start with the BIS consultants directory, with city pages such as Delhi and Mumbai, and the BIS labs directory. Our guide to choosing a BIS consultant lists the red flags. Cookware testing is often booked at labs near the main ports, such as Delhi NCR labs.

Fees, production and consignee reports, market samples and a timely renewal. A lapsed licence means the next container is unmarked in law, even if the pots carry the logo.

• Market surveillance. BIS generally buys two market samples a year per licence for third-party testing^[34], and may draw them anywhere in the supply chain, including the port of entry^[34].
• Consignee reports. Licensees report month-wise production and consignee details every quarter^[34].
• Renewal. An FMCS renewal needs Form XII, production details with consignee addresses, a bank guarantee extended six months beyond validity and the marking fees; late renewal costs Rs 5,000 extra^[35].
• Automatic expiry. Licences more than 90 days past validity expire automatically on the portal^[36].

Set a reminder with the licence renewal date tool, and see ISI licence renewal for the forms.

Retail-packed cookware usually also needs Legal Metrology registration, plastic EPR for its packaging, an IEC and a correctly filed Bill of Entry.

• Legal Metrology. Anyone importing a commodity for sale in pre-packed form must register under rule 27^[37] within 90 days of starting^[37]; the fee is Rs 500^[37]. See LMPC registration.
• Plastic EPR. Importing a commodity in plastic packaging makes you an importer under the plastic EPR rules^[38], with registration on CPCB's portal^[38]. See plastic EPR.
• IEC and customs. No import may be made without an IEC unless exempt^[39]; see IEC code. The Bill of Entry is due by the end of the day before arrival^[40].

Most problems come from mixing product lines on one licence, relying on expired relief, or forgetting the packaging rules. The table pairs each with a fix.

Breaking section 17 of the BIS Act is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh for a first contravention and not less than Rs 5 lakh for later ones, extendable to ten times the value of the goods, or both, as the Act was published; we have not confirmed whether the Jan Vishwas amendments changed this^[5]. Importers and sellers are covered because the Act defines “person” to include them^[5]. BIS also tests ISI-marked goods bought from the market^[10].

BIS officers may search premises and seize goods they believe breach section 17^[41], and a court may order property involved in the offence forfeited to BIS^[42]. See what happens if you sell without BIS.

Check each product line separately, because steel and aluminium items have different dates. The QCO deadline checker tells you whether an order applies on a given date, the QCO data table lists every order with its standards and dates, and the QCO tracker logs each change newest first. BIS's upcoming list showed 30 product entries pending between 6 November 2026 and 1 May 2027 when we last checked^[4]. To screen a whole catalogue, try the HS code approval finder and the compliance cost estimator. If you are unsure whether an item is caught, ask for a free compliance check.