BIS QCO for Bolts, Nuts & Fasteners: Complete 2026 Compliance Guide

First, the government brought ordinary bolts, nuts and screws under mandatory BIS certification. Then it went deeper - pulling 19 distinct fastener products, from a common hex bolt to a high-strength structural nut, under one compulsory order and the ISI Mark.

Yes, you read that right. The Government of India issued the Bolts, Nuts and Fasteners (Quality Control) Order, 2024, which superseded the original 2023 order and covers 19 fastener products, each tied to its own Indian Standard. If you manufacture, import or sell any of them in India, the ISI Mark is no longer optional - it is the law.

If you make or import these products, this page is for you. We will explain exactly what the order covers, every Indian Standard involved, who is exempt, the compliance deadlines, the penalties for ignoring it, and the smartest way to get certified before it costs you.

Let us break it all down.

A Quality Control Order (QCO) is a legal directive issued by the Government of India that makes BIS certification mandatory for specific products. Once a QCO comes into force, those products cannot be manufactured, stocked, sold or imported in India without conforming to the relevant Indian Standard and carrying the BIS Standard Mark (the ISI Mark) under a valid licence.

This particular order - the Bolts, Nuts and Fasteners (Quality Control) Order, 2024 - was issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT) under the powers of Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. It requires the Standard Mark to be obtained under Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The earlier 2023 order (Gazette notification S.O. 3267(E), dated 21 July 2023) was the first version; the 2024 order superseded it while keeping the same 19 products and the same Indian Standards.

Why fasteners specifically? Because these are tiny parts holding up enormous things - bridges, transmission towers, machines and structures. A single sub-standard bolt can fail catastrophically. By bringing fasteners under compulsory certification, the government closed the door on cheap, unverified imports and weak local stock - and, for honest manufacturers, turned the ISI Mark into both a legal must-have and a passport into serious tenders and supply contracts.

The order covers 19 distinct fastener products, each mapped to its own Indian Standard exactly as listed in the official Gazette Table. Whatever you make - a general hex bolt, a high-strength structural nut, a transmission tower bolt or a humble door aldrop - it is on this list:

One crucial note from the order itself: the latest version of each Indian Standard, including amendments notified by BIS from time to time, applies from the date of such notification. So your compliance must always track the current version of the standard - not the one from the day you applied.

And notice something important - several of these standards have been harmonised with ISO. But if you are a foreign manufacturer already producing to ISO specifications, you are technically closer to compliance than you think - you still need the BIS licence and ISI Mark to sell in India. ISO compliance alone is not enough.

This is the part most websites skip, and it can save you a lot of worry. The order itself carves out four specific exemptions (and only four). If you fall squarely into one of these, the order may not apply to you:

1. ) Export-only manufacturing - Goods manufactured domestically purely for export are exempt. If it never enters the Indian market, the order does not apply.

2. ) Imported as a component - Goods imported as a part of any finished good, sub-assembly or component are exempt - they are not sold as loose fasteners.

3. ) Import for export production - Goods imported by a domestic manufacturer specifically to make products that will be exported are exempt.

4. ) Tiny Udyam micro units - Enterprises registered on the Udyam portal whose investment in plant and machinery (or equipment) at original cost does not exceed ₹25 lakh, and whose turnover did not exceed ₹2 crore in the previous financial year (certified by a Chartered Accountant), are exempted.

A word of caution: these exemptions are narrow and specific. The moment an "export-only" maker sells one batch in India, or a micro unit crosses either the ₹25 lakh investment limit or the ₹2 crore turnover limit, certification kicks in immediately. Do not assume - get your exact status confirmed in writing before you rely on an exemption.

The Bureau of Indian Standards is the certifying and enforcing authority under this order, and any contravention is punishable under the BIS Act, 2016. The consequences are not symbolic - they have real teeth.

Under the BIS Act, manufacturing, selling, storing or importing a notified fastener without the ISI Mark can attract a fine starting from ₹2 lakh and rising for repeat offences, and in serious cases imprisonment of up to two years. On top of the monetary penalty comes the operational damage: seizure of non-compliant stock from your factory, warehouse or distributors; customs detention and blocked clearance for importers; and the silent killer - loss of OEM contracts, tenders and institutional customers, who simply cannot buy from an uncertified supplier.

For manufacturers especially, this is critical - because your customers are increasingly fastener buyers themselves operating under a QCO. They cannot afford to buy non-certified bolts, nuts or sleeves from you. If you are not certified, you are quietly cut out of their approved-vendor list. It is a chain reaction.

Here is what the journey actually looks like:

Step 1 - Map your product to the correct Indian Standard. A hex bolt under IS 1363, a structural bolt under IS 3757, a transmission tower bolt under IS 12427, and so on. If you make multiple product types, each standard needs its own licence - accurate mapping at the start saves serious time and money later.

Step 2 - Get your factory and testing setup audit-ready. BIS requires in-house testing facilities as per the applicable standard — proof load, tensile, hardness, dimensional and chemical-composition checks, with calibrated instruments and a quality manual. Gaps in factory readiness are the number-one reason applications get delayed.

Step 3 - Prepare documentation and file the application. Company and factory papers, process flow charts, machinery and equipment lists, calibration certificates, quality-control plans and raw-material test reports - all filed online on the BIS portal in the exact BIS format. Indian manufacturers apply under the domestic ISI Mark (Scheme-I); foreign manufacturers apply under FMCS and must appoint an Authorized Indian Representative (AIR).

Step 4 - BIS factory audit and sample drawal. A BIS officer inspects your premises, verifies manufacturing and testing capability, and draws product samples.

Step 5 - Independent lab testing. Samples are tested at a BIS-recognised laboratory against the complete requirements of the applicable Indian Standard.

Step 6 - Licence grant and ISI marking. Once reports are satisfactory, BIS grants your licence with a unique CM/L number, and you can start marking your products with the ISI Mark and the licence number.

Step 7 - Stay compliant. Surveillance audits, sample testing and renewals are part of the ongoing journey. Consistent quality is non-negotiable.

Think about what happens when this QCO is fully enforced - which it now is.

Every fastener manufacturer in India will urgently need ISI-certified bolts, nuts and fasteners - because their own QCO compliance depends on a clean supply chain. Cheap, uncertified imported components get blocked at customs. The supply of certified fasteners suddenly tightens, while demand explodes.

Now ask yourself - who wins in that scenario? The manufacturer who got certified six months early and is sitting ready with the ISI Mark, or the one still waiting for an audit slot?

Early movers capture OEM contracts, become preferred vendors for buyers who themselves operate under a QCO, and command better pricing. The order is not just a compliance requirement - for serious manufacturers, it is a market-share opportunity dressed up as a regulation.

A free initial assessment to map your exact products to the right Indian Standards. Complete documentation preparation so your application sails through without objections. Factory and in-house lab readiness guidance so you clear the BIS audit in the first attempt. Coordination with BIS-recognised testing laboratories. Full FMCS and Authorized Indian Representative (AIR) support for foreign manufacturers. And continuous follow-up until the licence is in your hand - plus support for surveillance audits and renewals after that.

With 20+ years of experience and 10,000+ certifications across India and abroad, Standphill India has guided everyone from single-product workshops to multi-standard manufacturers through fastener certification - for Indian and foreign makers alike. The deadline countdown has begun, and every month you wait, the queue ahead of you grows longer.

Contact Standphill India today for a free consultation on BIS QCO compliance for bolts, nuts and fasteners - applicable standards, realistic timelines, complete costing - within 24 hours of your enquiry. Call us now or submit an enquiry on our website. Get certified before your competitors do.

Standphill India - Your Trusted BIS Certification Consultant for Bolts, Nuts & Fasteners.

This article is based on the Bolts, Nuts and Fasteners (Quality Control) Order, 2024 (in supersession of the 2023 order, Gazette notification S.O. 3267(E)) as notified by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. Implementation timelines and product entries are stated as per the official Gazette notification. Standards are subject to the latest versions and amendments notified by BIS from time to time. Readers are advised to refer to the official Gazette notification and BIS guidelines for exact dates and requirements, as these may be amended from time to time.