Centre announces quality control orders for 31 textile items
3 min read . Updated: 11 Apr 2023, 04:03 PM IST
PremiumThese QCOs shall come into force after 180 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. The conformity assessment requirements specified in these QCOs are equally applicable to domestic and foreign textile manufacturers
New Delhi: The ministry of textiles on Tuesday announced two quality control orders (QCOs) for 31 items, comprising 19 geo textiles and 12 protective textiles, following due process of notification of technical regulations.
These orders mark the first technical regulation from India for the technical textiles industry, said Rajeev Saxena, joint secretary, ministry of textiles, in a press conference.
“The Centre is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do in the public interest to increase the standard and quality of geo textiles and protective textiles, for the protection of the environment, human health, and animal & plant life & health," the Ministry of Textiles said.
Geo-textiles are used for infrastructure projects and environmental applications while protective textiles are used to protect human life from hazardous and adverse working conditions.
These QCOs will strive to provide best value to users and end consumers, fostering Indian product quality that is comparable to global standards, it added.
India’s exports of technical textile products stood at $2.85 billion in 2021-22 and is expected to grow faster than traditional textile exports facing headwinds due to demand slowdown in the west. Technical textile accounts for approximately 13% of India’s total textile and apparel market.
The government plans to issue two more QCOs for 28 items in phase-II of the regulation, which would cover 22 items of agro textiles and six items of medical textiles. In phase-III, orders may be considered for 30 more technical textile items.
Out of the 31 items, 19 items belong to the geo-textiles category, including Laminated High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Woven Geomembrane for Waterproof lining, PVC Geomembranes, Needle punched non-woven geobags, Polypropylene Multifilament woven geobags, among others.
Geo-textiles are used for infrastructure projects and environmental applications while Protective Textiles are used to protect human life from hazardous and adverse working conditions.
“The remaining 12 items are of protective textiles, including curtains and drapes, upholstered composites used for non-domestic furniture, protective clothing for firefighters, protective gloves for firefighters, protective clothing for industrial workers exposed to heat, clothing made of limited flame spread materials and material assemblies affording protection against heat and flame, high visibility warning clothes, protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes, tactical 3 point sling, pouch for ammunition and grenades made of disruptive pattern nylon-66, bullet resistant jackets, and water-proof multipurpose rain poncho," it added.
The QCOs will come into force after 180 days from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette. The conformity assessment requirements specified in these QCOs are equally applicable to domestic manufacturers as well as foreign manufacturers who intend to export their products to India.
After the date of commencement of the QCO, no person shall manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale any product(s) covered under the QCO without a Standard Mark except under valid License from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the government said.
If domestic products are subjected to mandatory compliance with Indian Standards, such products if imported would also need to comply with Indian Standards compulsorily, the ministry explained.
The QCO method is increasingly being used by the government to cut dumping of cheap products from China. This comes amid widening trade deficit with China which accounts for nearly 40% of India’s total trade deficit.
"Any person who contravenes the provisions of the Order shall be punishable under the provisions of sub-section(3) of section29 of the BIS Act, 2016 with imprisonment or with fine or with both," the ministry added.