LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2833
TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2025
INPUT MATERIALS FOR DOMESTIC INDUSTRY
2833. SMT. D K ARUNA:
SHRI CHAMALA KIRAN KUMAR REDDY:
SHRI EATALA RAJENDER:
SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES be pleased to state :

(a) whether the quality control order on key input materials for the domestic industry is harming jobs due to the declining competitiveness of the downstream industry and is acting as a barrier to accessing raw material and if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether BIS certification process is cumbersome for MSMEs and is enabling the creation of monopolies while competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam have free access to such raw materials;
(c) whether India has imposed QCO on Man Made Fibre (MMF) Fibre/yarn, which is acting as a NonTariff Barrier (NTB) on the import of such raw materials, thereby affecting their free flow and this has resulted in a shortage of specialized fibre/yarn varieties, which has also impacted domestic prices; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps being taken to protect the textile industry from losses to help industrial workers?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES
(SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a): Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are regulatory measures implemented by the Government to ensure quality of certain products in the market in public interest for Protection of human, animal or plant health, Safety of environment, Prevention of unfair and trade practices and National security after due consultation with the stakeholders including industry.
(b): Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification process is same for all domestic manufacturers irrespective of their scale i.e. Large, Medium, Small & Micro. However, BIS gives certain relaxation/concession to the domestic manufacturers in the MSME sector for ease of compliance to the BIS certification. Further, in order to protect the interest of Small and Micro Enterprises, the Ministry of Textiles also provide extended timelines for compliance with the Quality Control Orders (QCOs), wherever applicable. The Ministry of Textiles has notified 76 Textiles products under compulsory BIS certification through Quality Control Orders (QCOs) under the provisions of BIS Act, 2016. These QCOs are equally applicable to domestic manufacturers as well as foreign manufacturers including Bangladesh and Vietnam who want to export such material to India.
(c) & (d): In order to ensure quality products to the consumers and prevent import of substandard Material; Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are imposed on man-made fibers/yarns. However, to ensure
Competitiveness of Indian Exporters, exemptions from mandatory Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are available for imports intended for export production under specific schemes, such as Advance Authorizations, by Export Oriented Units (EOUs), and in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Further, the Government constantly engages with textiles industry and other stakeholders to deliberate on various matters in the textiles sector, including inter alia quality consciousness, Quality Control Orders (QCOs) etc. Government has also constituted Textile Advisory Groups on Manmade fibre and cotton comprising all stakeholders to discuss and resolve issues related to the entire value chain.