The Indian steel industry has received a major respite as the Ministry of Steel has announced a temporary relaxation from the stringent Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification rule. The regulation, which mandated certification for both finished steel and raw materials, had been a persistent challenge for manufacturers and importers alike, often leading to operational bottlenecks and delays in supply.
The temporary exemption aims to streamline processes, reduce compliance burdens, and ensure the smooth flow of materials within the domestic market. Industry stakeholders have welcomed the decision, noting that it will ease the pressure on importers who had been struggling to obtain certification for a wide range of products, including semi-finished and specialised grades of steel not readily available in India.
According to industry experts, the decision reflects the government’s pragmatic approach to balancing quality assurance with the need for industrial competitiveness. While the BIS framework plays a crucial role in maintaining product quality, its strict implementation across diverse steel categories had inadvertently affected import timelines and project schedules in key sectors such as construction, automotive, and infrastructure.
The relief is expected to be temporary while the ministry reviews and rationalises the certification process to better align it with global trade practices. This move could also support ongoing infrastructure and manufacturing initiatives under programmes such as Make in India and the National Infrastructure Pipeline, both of which rely heavily on timely steel availability.
By easing restrictions on raw material imports and finished product certification, the government seeks to sustain momentum in industrial growth, control costs, and ensure that domestic producers and downstream industries remain competitive in an increasingly volatile global steel market.
