The Indian government has expanded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) quality control norms to cover all steel grades, ensuring that only steel meeting the relevant BIS specifications is produced domestically or imported into the country. The Steel Ministry, which issues the Quality Control Order (QCO), has mandated that steel products conform to BIS standards, effectively raising the bar for steel quality.
As part of this initiative, steel grades not yet covered by BIS standards will require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Steel Ministry for import. This move is aimed at preventing the entry of substandard steel into the market, which could negatively impact the quality of infrastructure and products in India. A senior official from the Steel Ministry stated, “We are working towards bringing all steel grades under BIS standards within the next year. This will help regulate imports and ensure that poor-quality steel does not flood the market. It’s a non-tariff barrier that we are implementing to protect the domestic industry and ensure its competitiveness.”
The decision to extend quality control to all steel grades aligns with the government’s broader efforts to safeguard the domestic steel industry from unfair trade practices and to promote the use of high-quality materials in infrastructure development. This move is expected to provide a boost to the domestic steel sector and help it remain competitive in the global market.