Why in News?
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) amended two Footwear Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to promote ease of doing business while strengthening domestic footwear manufacturing.
Key Amendments
- Legacy stock clearance deadline extended from 31 July 2026 to 31 July 2027.
- Allows manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to clear existing seasonal inventory.
- After the deadline, only BIS-certified footwear can be sold.
R&D Import Exemption
- Manufacturers can import up to 4,500 pairs of footwear samples annually for Research & Development (R&D).
- Samples:
- Must be marked “NOT FOR SALE”.
- Cannot be sold commercially.
- Must be disposed of as scrap after use.
- Year-wise import records must be maintained.
Purpose
- Support product design, testing, and innovation.
- Reduce compliance burden.
- Facilitate domestic manufacturing under Make in India.
- Strengthen India’s quality ecosystem in line with the “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” vision.
Quality Control Orders (QCOs)
- Issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) framework.
- Mandate compliance with prescribed Indian Standards.
- Aim to ensure product quality, consumer safety, and curb substandard imports.
About DPIIT
- The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is a central government department under the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- Established in 1995, it acts as the nodal agency for formulating overall industrial policies, driving the Startup India initiative, and managing inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) frameworks.
Significance
- Improves ease of doing business.
- Encourages innovation and R&D.
- Enhances quality assurance.
- Boosts competitiveness of India’s footwear industry.
[2017] Consider the following statements:
- The Standard Mark of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
- AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] 1 only
[B] 2 only
[C] Both 1 and 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2