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Part-time relief to French luxury shoemakers; Centre extends QCO implementation

New Delhi: Norms mandating foreign luxury shoemakers and popular athleisure brands such as Nike and Adidas to stamp their shoes with the ISI mark – ubiquitous in India but not so elsewhere – will come into force in August, two officials said, outlining a move that is set to be resisted by these footwear firms.  

Currently, foreign shoemakers, including well known French luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Christian Louboutin, are able to export their shoes to India without such restrictions and this exemption has been extended till August. 

Come 1 August, these products will come under a Quality Control Order (QCO) to be issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which include embossing the shoes with the rectangular ISI mark.

As per the norms of Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), no firm can manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store, or exhibit any product covered under the QCO without the ISI standard mark.

Representatives of French shoemakers said anonymously that they are opposed to the idea of embossing the ISI mark on their shoes. 

Indian officials have suggested that foreign shoemakers may also be asked to source components from India and set up factories in India. 

The government feels a concerted effort to enhance quality control measures will help curb an influx of substandard goods and boost India's standing in global manufacturing and supply chains. The government has set a target to include more than 2,000 products under QCOs in the years to come.

Mint had earlier reported about footwear imports by these brands and others facing hurdles after the government’s quality rules mandating the application of BIS standards for imported footwear, including embossing ISI marks on all footwear sold in India since July 2023.

Queries emailed to secretaries of consumer affairs, DPIIT, director general of BIS, Indo-French Chamber of Commerce & Industry and spokespersons of consumer affairs, BIS, Nike, and Adidas remained unanswered till press time.

"The new notification to extend the QCO has been issued in adherence to the revision of standards by the BIS. Most categories of shoes have undergone changes in their standards. Therefore, we must supersede the earlier notification,” the first official said.

“Importers were facing challenges in importing shoes from foreign destinations due to BIS standards. The interim relief applies to all premium shoemakers. However, after 1 August, everyone will have to comply with the BIS standards in full," the second official said.

Among other things, French firms are worried that luxury footwear products exported to India will be subjected to cumbersome testing and certification requirements by Indian regulatory authorities.

Surprisingly, the domestic footwear industry hailed the move, stating that it will allow them some time to prepare to meet the quality control order rules. Sanjay Gupta, president of Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers Association (IFCOMA), said, "It’s good for them and Indian consumers too. Now, they have the time to make products as per BIS norms."

Source: Source