NITI panel calls for reset of over 200 quality orders stifling factory output

A high-level government committee has proposed the cancellation, suspension, and deferment of quality control orders (QCOs) for more than 200 products, citing concerns that these orders have increased compliance burdens and disrupted supply chains, thereby hurting India’s manufacturing competitiveness.

- SHREYA NANDI

The panel, headed by NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, includes representatives from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Aayog, and industry bodies such as the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Indian Industry, and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, among others.

It has recommended that the government scrap 27 QCOs covering key inputs such as plastics, polymers, base metals, footwear, and electronic components to ease pressure on industry, people aware of the matter told Business Standard.