NEW DELHI: Government of India has withdrawn the quality-control order (QCO) on polyester fibre and yarn, thereby easing regulatory requirements for the textile and apparel industry. The decision comes amidst mounting concerns from textile manufacturers over supply constraints and rising compliance costs that were affecting their competitiveness.
“The rescinding of the QCOs on polyester fibre and polyester yarn comes as a great relief, as it has been a long-awaited demand of all the user industries. Polyester fibre and polyester yarn form most of the man-made fibre (MMF) products, and hence, this measure by the authorities will contribute to the growth of the MMF segment in India. The removal of the QCOs will improve the cost competitiveness of Indian textile and apparel products by making it easier to obtain raw materials at internationally competitive prices," said Ashwin Chandran, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI).
In a notification, dated November 12, 2025, the Ministry said it was revoking the earlier orders issued under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act. The withdrawn QCOs covered key raw materials including ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid, polyester spun yarn (grey and white), polyester continuous filament yarn, polyester partially oriented yarn, and polyester industrial yarn.
The previous directive by the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals through BIS, had mandated that both domestic producers and importers secure BIS certification and carry the standard-mark licence before selling their products in the domestic market. Industry bodies highlighted that the measure disrupted raw material availability and imposed additional procedural burdens, particularly on smaller manufacturers dependent on imports.
The revocation along with the export promotion mission announced on Wednesday come as a big relief to the textile exporters.
Textile has been one of the worst affected sectors due to the US tariff announced by President Donald Trump in August. The sector has been slashed with 50% tariff and US being one of the major export markets, textile sector has been grappling with challenges.