According to media reports, India's steel ministry is taking a significant step to tighten the quality control norms for steel consumption in the country. This expansion aims to cover all steel grades, whether produced domestically or imported, under strict quality control regulations. The initiative is designed with two main objectives: improving the quality of domestic infrastructure and hardware and curbing the inflow of cheap imports that harm local steel producers.
Currently, the Bureau of Indian Standards sets the standards for steel production in India, and the steel ministry issues Quality Control Orders that regulate the production and importation of steel in the country. With the new plan, the ministry intends to bring an additional 1,000 grades of steel under the QCO, effectively expanding the scope of the quality control system. This would add to the 1,376 existing steel items already covered by the norms.
This move is a direct response to rising concerns over the quality of imported steel, particularly from countries where lower manufacturing standards might be compromising the materials used in India’s infrastructure. By tightening these quality controls, the government seeks to ensure that only high-quality steel, in line with BIS standards, enters the domestic market. Steel grades that are not covered under BIS standards are currently imported with a No Objection Certificate from the steel ministry. The new initiative aims to eliminate this gap, reducing the import of subpar products.
The expansion of the quality control framework is expected to directly impact the imports of steel grades that do not meet the requisite standards. By enforcing stricter controls and requiring all steel to comply with BIS standards, the government is aiming to maintain high standards in the construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure sectors, thereby preventing a further erosion of domestic industry competitiveness.
