On August 23, 2024, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers issued amendments to two Quality Control Orders (QCOs) in the official gazette: the Polypropylene (PP) Materials for Moulding and Extrusion (Quality Control) Amendment Order and the Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) Homopolymers (Quality Control) Amendment Order.
The primary change is the postponement of the implementation date of the QCOs, originally set for August 25, 2024, to December 24, 2024. This delay aims to provide relevant manufacturers additional time to adapt and comply with the new quality standards requirements.
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards Act (BIS Act), 2016, once these QCOs come into effect, manufacturers involved in PP and PVC must apply for licenses from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The products must bear the standard mark under the license. The Orders do not apply to chemicals intended for export only. All relevant manufacturers must comply with these new orders. Those who fail to comply with the orders shall be penalized in accordance with the BIS Act.