According to industry sources, a high-level committee, constituted by the Cabinet Secretariat, has recommended that several QCOs be either fully revoked or deferred by one to two years. The government is preparing to dial back several Quality Control Orders (QCOs) impacting India’s footwear industry, a shift aimed at speeding up domestic production and supporting export growth, according to senior industry sources. A high-level committee formed by the Cabinet Secretariat has reportedly recommended that multiple footwear-related QCOs particularly those covering key components like PVC and rubber be fully withdrawn. The panel’s broader mandate is to clear regulatory bottlenecks and build a more “modern and flexible” compliance regime for non-financial sectors. As per officials say the relaxations are temporary but necessary.

“The idea is to give domestic manufacturers breathing room to scale up and upgrade. Consultations with ministries will continue,” a Commerce Ministry official said. Industry associations have long flagged QCO proliferation as a barrier to ease of doing business, with complaints reaching everyone from line ministries to NITI Aayog and even the Prime Minister’s Office. For now, footwear manufacturers especially those dependent on imported components are likely to welcome the reprieve, seeing it as a chance to stabilise operations and strengthen India’s competitiveness in global value chains.