DPIIT Amends Footwear Quality Control Orders to Enhance Ease of Doing Business and Strengthen Domestic Manufacturing

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) amended two footwear Quality Control Orders (QCOs) – the Footwear made from Leather and other Materials (2024) and the Footwear made from All Rubber and all Polymeric Material (2024) – via S.O. 3038(E) and S.O. 3037(E) on 12 June 2026. The amendments extend the legacy‑stock clearance deadline from 31 July 2026 to 31 July 2027 and permit manufacturers to import up to 4,500 pairs of footwear samples annually for research and development, provided they are marked “NOT FOR SALE”, not sold commercially, and disposed of after use. Records of such imports must be maintained. The changes aim to ease compliance, support product innovation and align with the Make in India and “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” initiatives.