Centre plans phased QCO rollback to ease input supply constraints

The exercise, being led by the consumer affairs department, will be completed in phases, and all line ministries have been asked to identify products that could benefit from the removal of quality controls, said two government officials familiar with the discussions.

“The proposed rollback is expected to focus on input materials where domestic capacity remains limited or where mandatory certification has disrupted supply chains,” said the first government official, on the condition of anonymity.

The move follows a NITI Aayog committee recommendation to ease QCOs to augment manufacturing and ensure the availability of raw materials at affordable rates.

“As recommended by NITI Aayog, we have asked line ministries to identify all such QCOs that can be withdrawn without impacting quality and domestic industry,” said the second official, also on the condition of anonymity.

This official, however, maintained that some important QCOs will be introduced, if needed, to protect against substandard imports of finished goods or raw materials. In a case in point, the government in January added aluminium cookware and beverage cans to the quality control import list, even as it withdrew a series of QCOs on key input materials for textiles and plastics.

In a separate instance, in March, the Centre also introduced a new QCO covering aluminium and aluminium alloy products after imports of these items surged.

Mint's emailed queries on 3 April to the ministry of consumer affairs remained unanswered.

In 2025, the government withdrew about 50 QCOs from a total of 761, following the recommendation of a high-level committee on non-financial regulatory reforms chaired by Rajiv Gauba, a member of NITI Aayog.

As of now, 713 QCOs are in practice.

Prior to the withdrawal and extension of QCOs, out of 761, 353 were from the department for promotion of industry and internal trade, 152 from the ministry of steel, 77 from the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, 76 from the ministry of textiles, 64 from the ministry of electronics and IT, and 14 were from the ministry of heavy industries, as reported by Mint on 10 February 2025.

While QCOs were introduced in 1986 to ensure product quality and curb sub-standard imports, their extension to key raw materials and intermediates has raised concerns among industry, particularly manufacturing units under stress, over rising costs, supply constraints, and procedural delays.

The relaxation of input requirements is expected to ease compliance pressures and improve access to raw materials, especially for smaller manufacturers, according to industry representatives.

“The move is in the right direction as it will help smaller manufacturers get access to raw materials, boost manufacturing, and make Indian goods more globally competitive,” said Vinod Kumar, president of India SME Forum, a body representing India’s small and medium manufacturers.