Textile Quality Control Orders in India: technical textiles, fibres, ropes and woven sacks, with status as of November 2026

Ordinary apparel and home textiles are not under a general QCO. The textile orders target technical textiles, the industrial and functional products where performance and safety matter, plus packaging sacks and, until late 2025, man-made fibres and yarns.

The live orders fall into these groups:

• Geotextiles and geosynthetics. Geomembranes, geobags, geogrids, geocells, jute and coir geotextiles^[1], and rope gabions^[9].
• Protective textiles. Firefighter clothing and gloves, heat-protective and welding clothing, high-visibility wear, curtains and drapes, bullet-resistant jackets^[1], and upholstered composites for non-domestic furniture^[1].
• Medical textiles. Sanitary napkins, baby diapers, reusable pads, shoe covers, dental bibs, hospital bed sheets and pillow covers^[2].
• Agro textiles. Crop covers, insect nets, mulch mats, irrigation lay-flat tubes and hail nets^[1].
• Ropes, cordage and webbing. Nine rope standards^[3] and flat woven webbing slings^[4].
• Packaging sacks. Jute bags^[1] and HDPE/PP woven sacks^[1].

Each requires conformity to the listed Indian Standard and the Standard Mark under a BIS Scheme-I licence^[3][2].

The Ministry of Textiles counts 8 Quality Control Orders covering 68 technical textile items^[8]. The licence behind each is the ordinary Scheme-I ISI mark licence. Not sure where your product falls? Start with the approval checker or does my product need BIS.

In phases, starting in 2023. On 11 April 2023 the Ministry of Textiles launched two orders for 31 items, 19 geotextiles and 12 protective textiles, describing them as India's first technical regulation for technical textiles; they were to apply 180 days after gazette publication and equally to domestic and foreign manufacturers^[11]. The ministry later gave 7 October 2023 as the start date for that first phase, and 1 April 2024 for agro textiles^[12]. Medical textiles followed under a 2024 order^[2], and ropes, webbing slings and rope gabions from 1 April 2025^[3][4][9].

The point for importers is the phrase 'equally applicable to foreign manufacturers'^[11]. A foreign factory needs its own FMCS licence for each standard, just as an Indian one needs a domestic licence.

Each product is tied to its own Indian Standard, and a BIS licence covers only the standard and factory it names^[13]. The table lists the standards most often asked about. The orders do not tie coverage to HS codes in the material we reviewed, so classify by product and standard first, then check your tariff line in the HS code approval finder.

No. Five polyester orders, covering 100% polyester spun yarn, polyester industrial yarn, polyester staple fibre, fully drawn yarn and partially oriented yarn, were among the 14 QCOs rescinded on 12 November 2025 with immediate effect^[5]. Their feedstocks, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, went in the same batch. The Viscose Staple Fibres QCO followed on 18 November 2025^[6].

These were the most contested textile QCOs, because spinners and weavers depended on imported fibre and yarn. Business Standard reported that the withdrawals followed recommendations of a high-level committee chaired by Rajiv Gauba^[14]; the gazette orders themselves cite only public interest.

One fibre product remains: synthetic micro-fibres for use in cement-based matrices (IS 16481) are still on BIS's list with no rescission^[1]. See the chemical QCOs page. For the wider 2025 rescissions see new rules for 2026.

Sources conflict, so treat it as not in force but confirm before relying on it. The Ministry of Textiles' 2025 year-end review said the Cotton Bales QCO 2023 had been deferred to August 2026^[8]. A later BIS circular of 15 June 2026 is titled as a rescission of the order; we saw the title but have not read the rescission text, so this is reported rather than confirmed^[15]. Either way, cotton bales did not become subject to compulsory certification on the deferred date. The QCO tracker will show the order once we have read it.

These three orders were the first wave of technical textile QCOs and are the widest.

Geotextiles. The Geo Textiles order of April 2023 lists 19 Indian Standards: laminated HDPE and PVC geomembranes, HDPE geomembranes for lining, needle-punched and woven geobags, jute geotextiles, open-weave coir bhoovastra, geotextiles for separation, drainage, stabilisation, protection and erosion control, geogrids, geostrips, reinforced HDPE membranes and geocells^[1]. A 2024 order added synthetic polymer rope gabions for coastal and waterway protection^[9]. Buyers are mostly infrastructure contractors, so the risk is often a rejected tender submission rather than a customs hold.

Protective textiles. Eleven items, from curtains and drapes to firefighter suits and gloves, heat-protective industrial clothing, limited-flame-spread clothing, high-visibility warning clothes, welding clothing, tactical slings, ammunition pouches, bullet-resistant jackets and rain ponchos^[1]. Upholstered composites for non-domestic furniture have their own order^[1].

Agro textiles. Twenty standards, including spun-bonded crop covers and fruit-skirting bags, insect nets, woven ground covers, jute agro textiles, vermiculture beds, sapling bags, HDPE lay-flat tubes for irrigation, mulch mats, windshield, harvest and fencing nets, plant-support nets, flexible water tanks, hail protection nets and orchard covers^[1].

If your product is a technical textile but is not on these lists, it is not covered by these orders. Ask BIS if the description is close to a listed item.

Yes. The Medical Textiles (QC) Order, 2024, issued by the Ministry of Textiles as S.O. 4634(E) on 23 October 2024, puts six items under the ISI mark^[2]:

• Schedule A, from 1 January 2025: sanitary napkins (IS 5405), disposable baby diapers (IS 17509), reusable sanitary pads and period panties (IS 17514).
• Schedule B, from 1 April 2024: shoe covers (IS 17349), dental bibs (IS 17354), bed sheets and pillow covers (IS 17630).

Two points are unusual. Schedule A items made by self-help groups are exempt, and both BIS and the Textiles Committee of the Ministry of Textiles act as certifying and enforcing authorities^[2]. A July 2025 amendment let manufacturers and importers that declared unmarked old stock sell it until 31 December 2025^[16]; that window has closed. The resulting mark is the ISI mark.

The Ropes and Cordages (QC) Order, 2024 covers manila, polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, mixed polyolefin, composite synthetic and dual-fibre ropes, and fibre main cores for steel wire ropes. It came into force on 1 April 2025, or 1 July 2025 for domestic small and micro enterprises^[3].

On 5 June 2026 an amendment exempted polypropylene ropes (IS 5175) made from recycled plastic waste for twelve months from publication^[10]. That relief therefore runs to about June 2027.

Flat woven webbing slings of man-made fibre, used for lifting, are under the separate Indutech (QC) Order, 2024 to IS 15041, with the same start dates^[4]. Steel wire ropes are under a steel-side order^[1]; see the steel QCO page.

Yes, for the listed types.

• 2020 order. HDPE and PP woven sacks for 50 kg and smaller foodgrain packs, sugar and sand^[1].
• 2023 orders. Five orders of 6 December 2023 for sacks for fertilisers, 50 kg cement, block bottom valve cement sacks, 25 kg polymer materials and mail sorting^[1]. All three related orders were amended on 5 January 2026 and again on 6 October 2026^[6].
• Pending dates. BIS's upcoming list shows block bottom valve cement sacks (IS 16709) enforced from 6 November 2026, and cement sacks (IS 11652) and mail sacks (IS 17399) from 6 January 2027^[7]. The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is named as the ministry^[7].
• Jute bags. Six standards, including A-twill and B-twill bags and bags for foodgrains and sugar^[1].

• Exports. The ropes, Indutech, geotextiles 2024 and medical textiles orders all exclude goods meant for export^[3][4][9][2].
• Self-help groups. Schedule A medical textiles made by self-help groups^[2].
• Recycled PP ropes. Twelve-month relief from June 2026^[10].
• Later start for small and micro firms. Only for domestic production, and only at the start^[3].

None of these helps a trader importing finished goods. An importer of geomembranes, firefighter suits or diapers needs licensed, marked product from day one.

Small domestic producers had a later start under some orders, and every certified Indian producer gets fee concessions; importers get almost nothing.

• Later start dates. Ropes and webbing slings applied from 1 April 2025 generally but from 1 July 2025 for domestic small and micro enterprises^[3][4]. Both dates have passed.
• Self-help groups. Schedule A medical textiles made by SHGs are exempt^[2].
• Marking fee concessions. From 17 March 2026 to 31 May 2029, 80% off the large-firm minimum for micro and 50% for small firms^[17]; see ISI mark fees.
• Exporters using Advance Authorisation. The export obligation period for inputs under QCOs issued by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals was extended from 6 to 18 months^[8]. Authorisations are handled on the DGFT portal.

Only where an amendment says so, and the main one has expired. Declared unmarked stock of sanitary napkins, diapers and reusable pads could be sold until 31 December 2025 under the July 2025 medical textiles amendment^[16]. After that date unmarked stock is caught by section 17, which covers storing and exhibiting for sale^[18].

For the woven sack standards still to start, the dates to plan around are 6 November 2026 for IS 16709 and 6 January 2027 for IS 11652 and IS 17399^[7]. Put them into the QCO deadline checker, and see our QCO orders dataset and QCO changes in 2026 for the rest of the calendar.

A spinner importing polyester staple fibre. The PSF QCO was rescinded on 12 November 2025^[5]. No BIS licence is needed from the fibre maker for new shipments.

A D2C brand importing reusable period panties. These are Schedule A medical textiles under IS 17514, with the ISI mark compulsory since 1 January 2025^[2]. The old-stock window ended on 31 December 2025^[16].

A contractor importing geogrids and geocells. Both are on the Geo Textiles QCO list^[1]. Check the supplier's licence for each standard.

A cement company buying block bottom valve sacks. IS 16709 sacks are due from 6 November 2026^[7]. Stock bought now for use after that date should be marked.

A foreign factory making diapers. The factory applies under FMCS through an Authorised Indian Representative^[19], pays the same fees as an Indian licensee plus officers' travel and a Rs 10,000 contingency payment^[22], and gives a USD 10,000 bank guarantee after grant^[20]. BIS's average grant time is about six months^[20]. A D2C brand should plan launches around that. The fee detail is on FMCS fees.

A rope importer using recycled PP rope. IS 5175 polypropylene rope made from recycled plastic waste is exempt for twelve months from 5 June 2026^[10], so shipments arriving after about June 2027 need licensed product. Virgin-fibre PP rope gets no relief.

A loom importer. Looms were caught by the 2024 machinery omnibus order, not a textile QCO, and that order was rescinded in January 2026^[8][23]; see the machinery safety page.

• One licence, many products. A medical supply range can span three standards; each needs its own licence entry^[13]. Check every line with how to verify a BIS licence and the licence search on Manakonline^[24].
• Treating fibres and finished goods alike. Polyester and viscose fibres are free of QCOs^[5][6], but technical textiles made from them are not.
• Foreign test reports. For FMCS, BIS accepts only reports against the Indian Standard^[21], from BIS or recognised labs in India^[21], such as those on BIS labs in Bengaluru.
• Furniture fabrics. Upholstered composites for non-domestic furniture have their own textile order^[1]; the furniture itself may also be caught by the furniture QCO.
• Selling online without proof. Have the licence copy and marked product photos ready; see the Amazon listing checklist.

A BIS consultant can manage the factory side; for a quick read of your own range, ask for a free compliance check.

The standard BIS Act rules apply: no import, sale or storage of notified goods without the Standard Mark under a valid licence^[18], with penalties of up to two years' imprisonment or fines from Rs 2 lakh (Rs 5 lakh for repeat offences) up to ten times the value of the goods^[18]. For medical textiles, the Textiles Committee shares enforcement with BIS^[2].