Footwear Quality Control Orders, 2024: leather and rubber or polymeric footwear, standards, exemptions and 2026 changes

India controls footwear quality through two parallel orders, both issued by DPIIT on 15 March 2024:

• Leather and other materials. The Footwear made from Leather and other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024, S.O. 1421(E), which came into force on 1 August 2024^[1].
• All rubber and all polymeric. The Footwear made from All Rubber and all Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Order, 2024, S.O. 1422(E), also in force from 1 August 2024^[2].

Both superseded 2022 orders. The history goes back further: the original 2020 footwear QCOs (S.O. 3858(E) and S.O. 3860(E) of 27 October 2020) were rescinded on 3 June 2022 and replaced by 2022 orders (S.O. 2599(E) and 2600(E)), which the 2024 orders then superseded^[3].

Which order applies depends on what the shoe is made of. A fully moulded PVC or rubber sandal falls under the rubber and polymeric order; a leather or mixed-material shoe falls under the leather and other materials order. Safety footwear has a third, separate order, covered below.

The leather and other materials order covers IS 1989 Parts 1 and 2, IS 3735, IS 3736, IS 3976, IS 11226, IS 14544:2022, IS 15844 Parts 1 to 3 (sports footwear), IS 17012, IS 17037 and IS 17043 Parts 1 and 2:2024 (shoes for services and general purpose)^[1].

The rubber and polymeric order covers 12 items, including sandals and slippers (IS 6721:2023), hawai chappals (IS 10702:2023), PVC industrial boots (IS 12254:2021), IS 5557, IS 13995, IS 16645 and IS 16994, and outsole components under IS 5676, IS 6664, IS 6719 and IS 13893^[2].

Not by these two orders. Safety footwear falls under the Personal Protective Equipment – Footwear (Quality Control) Order, 2020, S.O. 3857(E) of 27 October 2020, covering IS 15298 Parts 2, 3 and 4, implemented on 1 January 2022 according to the Transition Facilitation Order schedule^[6]. If you import work boots with protective toecaps, check the PPE order first.

Our sources do not record HS codes in the footwear order texts, and we have not sourced an official mapping of HS codes to these orders. Comploa therefore gives none. Coverage is set by the product descriptions and standards above. Because outsoles and microcellular sheets are covered as components, an importer of footwear parts, not just finished shoes, should check the rubber and polymeric order.

Until 31 July 2027, after two extensions.

For rubber and polymeric footwear, S.O. 3701(E) of 30 August 2024 allowed non-BIS-marked stock made or imported before commencement to be sold until 31 July 2026, replacing an earlier 30 June 2025 deadline^[9]. S.O. 3037(E) of 12 June 2026 then moved that date to 31 July 2027^[4].

For leather footwear, S.O. 3038(E) of 12 June 2026 extended the date in the order's third proviso from 31 July 2026 to 31 July 2027^[5]. The parallel 2024 leather amendment, S.O. 3700(E), could not be parsed; its 31 July 2026 wording is inferred from S.O. 3038(E)^[9].

The relief covers stock made or imported before 1 August 2024. It does not let you import new unmarked footwear today.

• Micro and small manufacturing units. Both 2024 orders exclude micro and small manufacturing units as defined in section 7 of the MSMED Act, 2006^[2]. Our sources record no end date for this exclusion. It covers manufacturing units; on our reading it does not exempt an importer of footwear made abroad.
• Exports. Both orders exclude goods meant for export. The rubber and polymeric order also exempts imported outsoles and microcellular sheets (IS 5676, 6664, 6719, 13893) used only to make footwear for export, on a self-declaration certified by the Council for Leather Exports^[2].
• R&D imports. Since June 2026, leather and footwear manufacturers may import up to 4,500 pairs a year for R&D and non-commercial use. They must be marked ‘NOT FOR SALE’, not sold, and disposed of as scrap^[5].
• Pre-implementation shipments. S.O. 775(E) and S.O. 776(E) of 12 February 2026 list both footwear orders and exempt imports shipped before implementation with the Bill of Entry within 180 days, or with a purchase order placed before implementation and the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry within 180 days^[8]. The footwear orders were implemented on 1 August 2024, so how a 180-day window works for them in 2026 is not clear from our sources. Ask BIS before relying on it.

Possibly, for specific companies. The Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026, S.O. 3417(E) of 25 June 2026, lets DPIIT permit companies incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013, after assessment by an Implementation Committee, to source goods under ten scheduled QCOs via BIS Scheme-II licences^[6]. Both 2024 footwear orders and the PPE footwear order are in the Schedule; it gives 27 October 2020 as the issue date for the footwear orders, the date of the original 2020 orders^[6].

Applications are open for 24 months and the order lapses after five years unless extended; DPIIT's detailed guidelines are still to be issued^[6]. Without a specific permission, the normal ISI-mark rule applies.

Yes. As of October 2026 both footwear orders, leather and rubber or polymeric, are in force since 1 August 2024. BIS lists amendments up to June 2026 and no rescission^[3]. The footwear orders were not part of the late-2025 rescissions, which removed orders on chemicals, polymers and fibres such as polyester yarns^[10]. See the QCO tracker.

The factory needs the BIS licence; you import only marked pairs. Foreign factories apply under BIS FMCS for an ISI mark licence, one per standard and factory.

An importer of PVC slippers and flip-flops. These fall under the all-rubber and all-polymeric order, with IS 6721:2023 for sandals and slippers and IS 10702:2023 for hawai chappals^[2]. The factory needs a licence for the exact standard, and every pair needs the mark.

A retailer with unsold non-BIS stock from 2024. Stock made or imported before 1 August 2024 may be sold until 31 July 2027^[4][5]. Keep the import records that prove the date. New shipments do not qualify.

A sports-shoe brand launching in India. Sports footwear falls under IS 15844 Parts 1 to 3 in the leather and other materials order^[1]. Each contract factory needs its own licence^[11]. The brand's Indian entity may also follow the Transition Facilitation Order, which lists both footwear orders^[6], but it gives nothing until DPIIT grants a permission.

• Wrong order for the material. A leather-upper shoe and an all-PVC slipper are under different orders^[1][2].
• Components forgotten. Outsoles under IS 5676, IS 6664, IS 6719 and IS 13893 are covered too^[2]; the export-only exemption for them needs a Council for Leather Exports-certified self-declaration^[2].
• Safety shoes cleared under the wrong order. They come under the PPE footwear order^[6].
• R&D pairs not marked. R&D imports must be marked ‘NOT FOR SALE’ and stay within 4,500 pairs a year^[5].
• Importer assumes the MSE exclusion helps. It covers micro and small manufacturing units^[2]; on our reading, not imports.

See also why shipments get held at Indian ports.

Every footwear standard has its own annual minimum marking fee, from Rs 58,000 (rubber soles) to Rs 2,27,000 (general-purpose shoes) for a large factory, plus a unit rate per pair or per 100 pairs^[14].

The small-scale fee is half and the micro fee one fifth of the large-scale figure^[14]. From 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029 BIS also gives concessions of 80% for micro, 50% for small and 80% for start-ups, plus 10% for women-led firms^[15]. Remember that micro and small units are excluded from the footwear orders anyway^[2], so these concessions matter mainly to firms certifying voluntarily or those above the threshold. The table shows the common standards; it is not every standard in the orders.

A large foreign factory making both PVC slippers (IS 6721) and hawai chappals (IS 10702) needs two licences and pays about Rs 2.89 lakh in fixed BIS charges in year one, before testing, travel and per-diem.

• Two applications: Rs 1,000 each^[16], one per standard^[11].
• Inspection: Rs 7,000 per man-day^[16]; a foreign visit normally takes two days^[17], so Rs 14,000 if one visit covers both.
• Contingency: Rs 10,000, plus officers' per-diem, tickets, visa and insurance^[16].
• Licence fees: Rs 1,000 a year per licence^[16].
• Minimum marking fees: Rs 1,35,000 for IS 6721 and Rs 1,26,000 for IS 10702^[14].
• Bank guarantee: USD 10,000 per licence after grant^[13].

That is Rs 2,89,000 by our arithmetic. The unit rates are low: at Rs 0.05 a pair^[14], 20 lakh pairs of sandals come to Rs 1,00,000, still below the minimum. A sports brand with three IS 15844 parts would face three minimums totalling Rs 5,85,000 at the large rate^[14]. Model it in the compliance cost estimator, and see FMCS fees, ISI fees and ISI licence costs.

The factory files online on Manakonline with an Authorised Indian Representative, a process flow chart, its quality system, raw-material and component details, machinery and test-equipment lists, QC staff papers, test reports and plant layout^[18].

The importer cannot apply on the factory's behalf^[19]. The AIR must be an Indian resident, at least a graduate, with no conflict of interest with labs^[20], and may normally represent only one foreign maker unless they share a group or the AIR is a related importer^[20]. Foreign applications always go through option-1, with a factory visit and samples^[21]. Shoe factories often buy soles and uppers: where the standard requires raw-material conformity, BIS accepts ISI-marked material first, then lab reports, then the maker's certificate^[22]. See ISI documents and the Manakonline guide.

Ask for a CM/L number for each standard in your range and check it before you pay. 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 6721 for sandals or IS 15844 (Part 1) for general sports shoes.
2. The factory. A licence covers one product standard at one factory^[11], 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 slipper licence will not cover a sports shoe from the same factory.

Sellers carry the same liability as importers: the BIS Act's definition of 'person' includes sellers and retailers^[27]. E-commerce stock is a known surveillance target.

In FY 2024-25 BIS reportedly bought 344 QCO product samples from e-commerce platforms, and 142 had no valid licence^[28]. BIS branches may also run drives against any QCO violation in their area^[29]. If you are selling pre-August 2024 stock under the 31 July 2027 relief^[4], keep the import papers that prove the date with the listing records. See compliance for Amazon sellers and the product label checklist.

Not by law. Most foreign factories use a consultant to handle the AIR role, the samples and BIS's visit.

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 Chennai and Delhi, both near footwear clusters, and the BIS labs directory. Our guide to choosing a BIS consultant lists the red flags. For testing near the southern leather cluster, see Chennai labs.

Fees, production and consignee reports, market samples and a timely renewal. Market samples of footwear are cheap for BIS to buy, so a weak batch is likely to be caught.

• Market surveillance. BIS generally buys two market samples a year per licence for third-party testing^[29], and may draw them anywhere in the supply chain, including the port of entry^[29].
• Consignee reports. Licensees report month-wise production and consignee details every quarter^[29].
• 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^[34].
• Automatic expiry. Licences more than 90 days past validity expire automatically on the portal^[35].

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

Retail-packed shoes usually need Legal Metrology registration and plastic EPR for their packaging, plus the usual IEC and Bill of Entry rules.

• Legal Metrology. Anyone importing a commodity for sale in pre-packed form must register under rule 27^[36] within 90 days of starting^[36], for a Rs 500 fee^[36]. See LMPC.
• Plastic EPR. Importing goods in plastic packaging makes you an importer under the plastic EPR rules^[37], with CPCB registration^[37]. See plastic EPR.
• IEC and customs. No import without an IEC unless exempt^[38]; see IEC code. Keep the assessed Bill of Entry for five years^[39]; for old-stock claims it is your proof of date.

Most problems are about the wrong order or standard for the material, or relief that does not cover new imports.

Section 17 of the BIS Act prohibits importing, selling, storing or exhibiting for sale notified goods without a Standard Mark under a valid licence^[27]. Under section 29 as we have read it (later amendments not checked), contravention is punishable with up to two years' imprisonment, 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^[27]. Importers are directly bound^[27].

BIS officers may search premises and seize goods they believe breach section 17^[40], and a first offence not punishable with imprisonment alone can be compounded^[27]. See what happens if you sell without BIS and the QCO hub for other consumer-goods orders such as toys.

Check the leather, rubber and PPE orders separately; their dates and relief differ. 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^[41]. 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.