Govt firms up plan to widen ambit of quality control for steel

1,000 more grades to be brought under BIS standards; move will check imports too

- SURYA SARATHI RAY

THE STEEL MINISTRY has firmed up a plan to bring all steel grades consumed in the country—whether domestically manufactured or imported—under strict quality control norms, official sources said. The move has the twin objectives of improving the quality of infrastructure and assorted hardware manufactured in the country, and putting curbs on cheap imports that hit domestic producers across the steel value chain.

The plan, once implemented, will bring 1,000 more grades of steel under the quality control order (QCO), in addition to 1,376 items currently under the norms.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulates standards for steel. The steel ministry issues QCO, which mandates that only quality steel conforming to the relevant BIS standard notified under QCO is produced in the country and imported from outside. Steel grades not yet covered by BIS standards are imported with a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the steel ministry.