The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has amended footwear quality control orders, providing manufacturers with an additional year to clear old stock. According to reports from Essential Business Intelligence, the Commerce and Industry Ministry, and The Economic Times, the deadline for clearing legacy stock has been extended from July 31, 2026 to July 31, 2027. The department noted that footwear sales are largely seasonal and stock often carries over beyond a single cycle, making the extended timeline necessary for manufacturers, distributors and retailers to liquidate existing inventory in an orderly manner. After July 31, 2027, only footwear certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will be allowed to be sold in India, marking a significant shift in quality compliance requirements. The extension is expected to reduce the compliance burden, minimise disruption to trade and ensure that only BIS-certified footwear products are sold in the market thereafter.
The amendments also ease rules on importing footwear samples for research and development purposes. As reported by Essential Business Intelligence, the Commerce and Industry Ministry, and The Economic Times, manufacturers of leather and footwear products can now import up to 4,500 pairs annually for research and other non-commercial purposes. These samples must be prominently marked and embossed with the words 'NOT FOR SALE' and cannot be sold in the market, with proper disposal requirements after use. Companies will also need to maintain year-wise records of such imports and share them with the government when requested. The sample exemption has been introduced to enable manufacturers to evaluate product designs, assess whether documentation alone is sufficient for product assessment, and determine the quantity of samples genuinely required for research and development. Samples imported under this provision are intended exclusively for vendor presentations or for replication and subsequent manufacture within India and are expressly prohibited from commercial sale.
The changes apply to two key quality control orders governing the footwear sector: the Footwear made from Leather and other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024, and the Footwear made from All Rubber and all Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Order, 2024. According to the department, the amendments are aimed at easing compliance and strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities. The Commerce and Industry Ministry emphasized that these changes reflect its ongoing effort to strengthen India's quality ecosystem while easing the compliance burden on industry, creating a framework for importing footwear samples for R&D while ensuring they do not enter the commercial market. The transitional provisions are intended to ease compliance, support product development and innovation, and facilitate industry operations without compromising quality standards.
The department stated that the changes are aligned with the government's broader push for zero-defect manufacturing under the Make In India initiative. As reported by Essential Business Intelligence, the Commerce and Industry Ministry, and The Economic Times, the government is re-evaluating its rollout of quality control orders (QCOs) following widespread industry criticism, especially from firms reliant on imported components. Concerns about implementation hurdles and the system's broad scope are prompting a review to prevent supply chain disruptions and ease business operations. The department noted that the exemption would help manufacturers assess product designs and determine sample volumes genuinely needed for research purposes, ensuring only BIS-certified footwear is sold in the market thereafter. The amendments are intended to make compliance easier for the footwear industry without diluting quality standards, providing manufacturers with the necessary time to transition to stricter quality requirements while maintaining their competitive position in the market.
