The import of steel fasteners including nuts, bolts, screws may stop in India from next week and due to the implementation of the Quality Controller Order (QCA) and due to this, there is a danger of closure of small manufacturing units on a large scale. A Delhi -based think tank has expressed apprehension on Wednesday that it can lead to many people's jobs.
Steel fasteners are important for stability, durability and safety of the industrial sector. Steel fasteners are used in vehicles, manufacturing, electronics, machines and equipment manufacturing, railway, army, defense etc.
According to the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the import of steel fasteners will stop from March 20 due to no foreign manufacturer under the standardization process of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This will create uncertainty in the lowest level of the supply chain and impediment in supply. According to this, many important areas of India such as vehicles, aerospace, electronics and defense are very dependent on the import of special types of fasteners. They will face a crisis on production due to a sudden cloud of uncertainty.
The government has issued quality control orders to protect the quality of products, protect the health of human, animal and plants and prevent wrong methods. After consulting the Bureau of Indian Standards, government departments have issued a notification in this regard. This order is compulsory for domestic and foreign manufacturers. This means that the manufacturer and importer need to fulfill select criteria and to ensure obeying these criteria will have to obtain BIS certification.
In this context, the Department of Industries Promotion and Internal Trade (DPIIT) issued quality controlled orders in September and will be implemented in a phased manner. It will be applicable to all importers and big companies from 20 March. This order will be applicable from 20 June and 20 September for small and medium industries respectively. India produces standard fasteners but depends on imports for high quality fasteners. Now imported fasteners will not be available.
According to GTRI compiled data, India's total import of steel fasteners from many countries of the world in 2024 was around $ 1.1 billion. China's biggest stake in India is $ 30.6 million. This was followed by $ 12.7 million, South Korea $ 11.1 million, Germany $ 10.7 million, US $ 10.4 million, Thailand $ 7.8 million and Singapore $ 6.3 million. According to the report, 'Foreign manufacturers can show anorexia in registration due to the complex and cumbersome process of BIS approval and the low amount of business.
First Published – March 12, 2025 | 11:15 PM IST
