Lok Sabha Question No. 2833 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-18
Subject: Input Materials for Domestic Industry
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Shri Eatala Rajender, Smt. D K Aruna, Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar, Shri Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy

## INPUT MATERIALS FOR DOMESTIC INDUSTRY

2833. SMT. D K ARUNA: SHRI CHAMALA KIRAN KUMAR REDDY: SHRI EATALA RAJENDER: SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

(a) whether the quality control order on key input materials for the domestic industry is harming jobs due to the declining competitiveness of the downstream industry and is acting as a barrier to accessing raw material and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  BIS  certification  process  is  cumbersome  for  MSMEs  and  is  enabling  the  creation  of monopolies while competitors like Bangladesh and Vietnam have free access to such raw materials;

(c) whether India has imposed QCO on Man Made Fibre (MMF) Fibre/yarn, which is acting as a NonTariff Barrier (NTB) on the import of such raw materials, thereby affecting their free flow and this has resulted in a shortage of specialized fibre/yarn varieties, which has also impacted domestic prices; and (d) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps being taken to protect the textile industry from losses to help industrial workers?

## उत्तर

## ANSWER वस्त्र राज्  य मंत्री ( श्री पबित्र मार्घेररटा )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)

(a): Quality  Control  Orders  (QCOs)  are  regulatory  measures  implemented  by  the  Government  to ensure quality  of  certain  products  in  the  market  in  public  interest  for  Protection  of  human,  animal  or plant health, Safety of environment, Prevention of unfair and trade practices and National security after due consultation with the stakeholders including industry.

(b): Bureau of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)  certification  process  is  same  for  all  domestic  manufacturers irrespective of their scale i.e. Large, Medium,  Small  &  Micro. However, BIS gives certain relaxation/concession to the domestic manufacturers in the MSME sector for ease of compliance to the BIS certification. Further, in order to protect the interest of Small and Micro

Enterprises,  the  Ministry  of  Textiles  also  provide  extended  timelines  for  compliance  with  the  Quality Control Orders (QCOs), wherever applicable.

The Ministry of Textiles has notified 76 Textiles products under compulsory BIS certification through Quality  Control  Orders  (QCOs)  under  the  provisions  of  BIS  Act,  2016.  These  QCOs  are  equally applicable  to  domestic  manufacturers  as  well  as  foreign  manufacturers  including  Bangladesh  and Vietnam who want to export such material to India.

(c) & (d): In order to ensure quality products to the consumers and prevent import of substandard Material;  Quality  Control  Orders  (QCOs)  are  imposed  on man-made  fibers/yarns. However,  to  ensure competitiveness of  Indian Exporters, exemptions from mandatory Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are available  for  imports  intended  for  export  production  under  specific  schemes,  such  as  Advance Authorizations, by Export Oriented Units (EOUs), and in Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Further, the Government constantly engages with textiles industry and other stakeholders to deliberate on various matters in the textiles sector, including inter alia quality consciousness, Quality Control Orders (QCOs) etc. Government has also constituted Textile Advisory Groups on Manmade fibre and cotton comprising all stakeholders to discuss and resolve issues related to the entire value chain.

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