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Amid soaring aluminium imports, India brings in new QCO

March 15, 2026 4 min read Economics GS3 (Indian Economy Industry Trade)
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What Happened

  • India has notified the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2026, issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the BIS Act, 2016.
  • The QCO mandates BIS certification for wrought aluminium utensils (conforming to IS 1660:2024) and aluminium beverage cans (conforming to IS 14407:2023).
  • The move comes against the backdrop of rising aluminium and aluminium-product imports — which increased from USD 57.28 million in FY24 to USD 66.65 million in FY25.
  • Implementation is staggered: large enterprises must comply from October 2026; small units from January 2027; micro enterprises from April 2027.
  • The QCO applies to both domestically manufactured and imported products — goods not bearing a valid BIS Standard Mark cannot be sold, stored, or imported into India once the compliance date applies.

Static Topic Bridges

A Quality Control Order is a statutory instrument issued by the Central Government under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 2016. It makes BIS certification — the ISI Mark — mandatory for specified products. Once a QCO is notified, no person can manufacture, import, distribute, sell, or exhibit the covered product without a valid BIS licence.

  • Legal authority: Section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016 — the parent legislation that consolidates and replaces the earlier BIS Act, 1986.
  • Issuing authority: Central Government (typically the Ministry overseeing the product sector — DPIIT for industrial goods, Ministry of Steel for steel, etc.).
  • Standard Mark: The ISI Mark (for domestic products) and Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme (FMCS) — for importers who must also obtain BIS certification.
  • Customs enforcement: Customs authorities at ports verify BIS compliance; non-compliant goods are detained or returned.
  • As of March 2025, India had issued 187 QCOs covering over 679 product categories.
  • Non-compliance penalties: Imprisonment or fine under Section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.

Connection to this news: The aluminium QCO is a classic non-tariff measure — it does not raise import duties but creates compliance barriers that effectively reduce low-quality, uncertified imports.

QCOs as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) and Import Regulation

India has increasingly used QCOs as a substitute for tariff-based import protection, especially after WTO commitments cap tariff levels on many industrial goods. QCOs serve dual purposes: genuine quality assurance for consumers and regulatory protection for domestic industry against cheaper, substandard imports.

  • WTO context: Technical barriers to trade (TBTs) are permissible under the WTO TBT Agreement if they are based on international standards, applied non-discriminatorily, and not more trade-restrictive than necessary.
  • India aligns its BIS standards broadly with ISO/IEC standards but customises them for domestic conditions.
  • China is the primary source of concern for aluminium product imports — China's overcapacity in aluminium manufacturing has led to global export surpluses.
  • The Government has issued QCOs across a range of sectors: steel (Ministry of Steel), chemicals, electronics, toys, textiles — part of a deliberate import substitution and quality-upgrade strategy under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat framework.
  • Critics argue excessive QCOs raise input costs for domestic manufacturers who rely on imported intermediates.

Connection to this news: The aluminium QCO targets both finished products (cookware, cans) that compete directly with Chinese imports and signals that India will continue using standards-based barriers as import regulation tools.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) — Structure and Role

The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body of India, established under the BIS Act, 2016 (replacing the earlier Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986). BIS operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

  • Headquarters: New Delhi; regional offices across India.
  • Functions: Formulate Indian Standards (IS), grant product and system certifications, operate the Standard Mark licensing scheme (ISI Mark), enforce QCOs.
  • Foreign Manufacturer Certification Scheme (FMCS): Allows overseas manufacturers to obtain BIS certification; required for products under QCOs that are imported.
  • BIS standards are designated with "IS" prefix — e.g., IS 1660 for wrought aluminium utensils.
  • Hallmarking: BIS also runs India's gold hallmarking scheme under the BIS Act, 2016.

Connection to this news: For aluminium imports to continue after the QCO compliance deadline, foreign manufacturers must register under FMCS and obtain BIS certification — adding time and cost that effectively filters out the lowest-cost, uncertified suppliers.

Key Facts & Data

  • Aluminium product imports: USD 57.28 million (FY24) → USD 66.65 million (FY25), a ~16% increase.
  • QCO notified under: Section 16, BIS Act, 2016; issued by DPIIT.
  • BIS standards mandated: IS 1660:2024 (wrought aluminium utensils), IS 14407:2023 (beverage cans).
  • Compliance timeline: Large units — October 2026; Small units — January 2027; Micro units — April 2027.
  • India's total QCO portfolio: 187 QCOs covering 679+ product categories (as of March 2025).
  • Aluminium end-use sectors: Construction, packaging, engineering, consumer durables.
  • BIS operates under: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.