Textile bodies in Surat urge against implementing QCO orders for BIS Certification on polyester yarn

Apr 03, 2024

A number of textile organisations in Surat, including the Federation of Indian Art Silk Weaving Industry (FIASWI), have spoken out against the upcoming implementation of Quality Control Orders (QCO) for Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) certification on different Polyester Yarn.

These orders, which are slated to go into effect on 3rd July 2023, have been requested to be removed by the industry associations. In a letter to Rachna Shah, the Government of India’s Textile Secretary, and J K Gupta, Head of Specifications (Textiles) at BIS, FIASWI emphasised the need to change any unworkable aspects in the current regulations.

Polyester yarn, in the opinion of FIASWI, is largely used as an industrial raw material, and buyers and consumers are already well-informed about their particular needs for the kind of yarn required to produce fabric. Furthermore, according to FIASWI, the lack of high-quality yarn on the global market could lead to unfair business practises among domestic yarn producers.

Since December 2021, a large number of foreign producers have reportedly submitted applications for BIS certification. However, there has been no advancement in the BIS authorities visiting their plants for inspection as of yet. Due to the certification process’s delay, there is now a sizable discrepancy between the supply and demand for Polyester Fully Drawn Yarn (FDY).

In response to these worries, Bharat Gandhi, the chairman of FIASWI, has suggested creating a special email address for registering complaints about the supply of yarn that doesn’t meet BIS criteria. Additionally, he has urged for mechanisms to cover the losses suffered by user industries as a result of the supply of subpar yarn.

The implementation of QCO orders will limit the import of Specialty Polyester Yarns, which are required for numerous applications but are not produced in India.

The importation of raw materials like ITY/BSY yarns, which are used to make Burak fabrics, Mechanical Stretch Yarns, CEY Yarns, which are used to make stretch fabrics, and Polyester Low Melt Yarn, which is frequently used in the uppers of shoes, is no longer allowed.

Indian manufacturers and exporters of these specialised yarns have expressed an interest in becoming BIS certified. However, the BIS Department’s inaction in failing to inspect these factories has hampered their quest for certification.