New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has introduced amendments to two Quality Control Orders (QCOs) relating to the footwear sector with the objective of facilitating ease of doing business and strengthening the domestic footwear manufacturing ecosystem, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

Under the amendments, the timeline for clearance of legacy footwear stock has been extended by a year from July 31, 2026, to July 31, 2027, and manufacturers of footwear are allowed to import up to 4,500 footwear samples annually for Research and Development.

The amendments that have been notified pertain to 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.

As footwear products are largely seasonal and inventories often remain within the supply chain beyond a single selling cycle, the additional one-year period will provide manufacturers, distributors and retailers adequate time for the orderly liquidation of existing stock.

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 statement said.

The amendments also provide an exemption for the import of samples for Research and Development (R&D).

Manufacturers of leather and footwear products may import up to 4,500 pairs of footwear annually for research and development and other non-commercial purposes. Such samples will not be sold commercially, must be prominently marked and embossed with the words “NOT FOR SALE”, and would be disposed of as scrap after use.

Manufacturers will be required to maintain year-wise records of such imports and furnish the same to the Union government as and when required.

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.

These amendments are aimed at strengthening India’s quality ecosystem while promoting ease of doing business.

The transitional provisions, including the extension of the legacy stock clearance deadline until July 31, 2027, and the annual import of up to 4,500 pairs of footwear samples for research and development, are intended to ease compliance, support product development and innovation, and facilitate industry operations without compromising quality standards.

The measures are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” manufacturing and are expected to advance the objectives of the “Make in India” initiative while strengthening India’s position as a global hub for quality manufacturing, the statement added.

–IANS

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