Key Details
The Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 introduces a performance-based compliance mechanism that gives eligible manufacturers greater sourcing flexibility without diluting mandatory Indian quality standards.
Framework Element | What the Order Provides |
|---|---|
Who can apply? | Incorporated companies demonstrating strong technical capability, compliance history and quality-management systems. |
What changes? | Eligible firms may source from BIS Scheme-II licensed manufacturers instead of relying only on Scheme-I (ISI Mark) licence holders under specified Quality Control Orders. |
How is eligibility assessed? | DPIIT’s Implementation Committee evaluates compliance history, technology adoption, R&D, design capability, supply-chain quality assurance and contribution to domestic manufacturing. |
How is compliance rewarded? | Manufacturers maintaining three years of uninterrupted compliance under applicable QCOs become eligible for the facilitation mechanism. |
What remains unchanged? | Products must continue to comply with applicable Indian Standards, while BIS retains powers of market surveillance and enforcement. |
Coverage | Applies to 10 Quality Control Orders covering products including toys, footwear, furniture, air-conditioners, household appliances and hinges. |
From Uniform Compliance to Risk-Based Regulation
India has significantly expanded the use of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to improve product quality and consumer safety across manufacturing sectors. The Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 marks a shift in how these regulations are implemented.
Rather than applying the same compliance pathway to every manufacturer, the Order introduces a risk-based approach. Companies that demonstrate strong compliance records and robust quality-management capabilities may receive greater operational flexibility, while mandatory product standards remain unchanged.
The reform reflects a broader move towards performance-based regulation, where regulatory flexibility is earned through proven compliance rather than granted uniformly.
Compliance Flexibility Without Diluting Quality Standards
The Order allows eligible manufacturers to procure products from BIS Scheme-II licensed suppliers under specified Quality Control Orders, expanding sourcing options where appropriate. However, every product must continue to conform to the relevant Indian Standard.
The Bureau of Indian Standards will continue to conduct market surveillance and may suspend or withdraw approvals if firms fail to maintain compliance or misrepresent information. The framework therefore eases operational constraints without reducing regulatory oversight.
Supporting Manufacturing Competitiveness
Beyond regulatory simplification, the Order links compliance incentives with broader industrial objectives. Eligibility is assessed not only on past compliance but also on factors such as technology adoption, research and development, design capability, supply-chain quality assurance and domestic value addition.
By rewarding firms that consistently maintain quality standards, the framework seeks to strengthen manufacturing resilience, reduce sourcing bottlenecks and improve the competitiveness of Indian industry while maintaining consumer confidence.
What are Quality Control Orders (QCOs)?
Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are mandatory regulations that require specified products to comply with prescribed Indian Standards before they can be manufactured, imported or sold. Issued by the Government and implemented through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), they are designed to improve product quality, safety and reliability while protecting consumers.
Policy Relevance
Introduces risk-based regulation into India’s quality infrastructure, rewarding demonstrated compliance rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Reduces sourcing constraints for compliant manufacturers while preserving mandatory product-quality requirements.
Encourages firms to invest in technology, quality assurance, R&D and design capability by linking these capabilities to regulatory flexibility.
Supports the objectives of Make in India by strengthening domestic supply chains without weakening consumer safeguards.
Reinforces the role of BIS market surveillance, ensuring that greater compliance flexibility is matched by continued regulatory oversight.
Demonstrates how quality regulation can support both ease of doing business and manufacturing competitiveness, rather than treating them as competing objectives.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: As India expands Quality Control Orders across manufacturing sectors, how can risk-based compliance mechanisms be scaled without creating uneven enforcement or weakening confidence in the country’s quality ecosystem?
Follow the Full News Here: DPIIT Notifies Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 to Strengthen Supply Chains and Facilitate Industry Compliance