The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has amended two quality control orders governing the footwear sector, aimed at easing compliance and strengthening domestic manufacturing. The changes, notified on June 12, apply 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.
Under the amendments, the deadline for clearing legacy stock has been pushed back a year, from July 31, 2026 to July 31, 2027. The department said footwear sales are largely seasonal and stock often carries over beyond a single cycle. The extra time will let manufacturers, distributors and retailers liquidate existing inventory in an orderly manner. It will also ensure only BIS-certified footwear is sold in the market thereafter.
The amendments also ease rules on importing footwear samples for research and development. Manufacturers of leather and footwear products can now import up to 4,500 pairs a year for research and other non-commercial purposes.
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These samples cannot be sold and must be marked "Not For Sale." They have to be disposed of as scrap once used. Companies will also need to maintain yearly records of such imports and share them with the government when asked.
The department said the exemption would help manufacturers assess product designs and determine sample volumes genuinely needed for research. Imported samples are meant strictly for vendor presentations or as references for domestic manufacturing.
The department added that the changes reflect its ongoing effort to strengthen India's quality ecosystem while easing the compliance burden on industry. They are also aligned with the government's broader push for zero-defect manufacturing under the Make In India initiative.
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