New Delhi: In a move aimed at easing compliance and ensuring uninterrupted supply of critical steel products, the steel ministry has overhauled several import-related procedures following a comprehensive regulatory review and recommendations from the high-level committee on non-financial regulatory reforms (HLC-NFRR).
The government has scrapped the requirement introduced last year for importers to obtain clarification or a NoC from the ministry for steel grades not covered under any quality control order (QCO). All such grades have now been mapped on the steel import monitoring system (SIMS) portal, allowing importers to directly generate SIMS numbers without seeking approval from the ministry.
Officials said the decision is expected to reduce procedural hurdles for downstream industries dependent on specialty steel inputs.
For steel grades covered under QCOs, however, the regulatory position remains unchanged: imports must be sourced only from manufacturers with valid and operative BIS licences. Where imports are proposed from non-BIS licensed manufacturers, applications will continue to be examined by the exemption committee constituted via the ministry’s order of May 14, 2020, comprising representatives from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and technical experts.
Alongside procedural changes, the ministry has approved extensions of major exemptions to address supply-side concerns highlighted by user industries. The exemption earlier granted to specified Chapter 73 steel products —initially applicable for shipments with Bill of Lading dated on or before October 31, 2025 — has now been extended to consignments shipped on or before March 31, 2026. Traders say the decision will help maintain availability in segments where domestic production is still ramping up.
A similar extension has been granted for stainless steel flat products in the 200 and 300 series, for which industry had cited substantial advance payments to overseas suppliers and continuing shortfalls in domestic output. Imports of these grades will remain exempt from mandatory adherence to IS 6911, IS 5522 and IS 15997 for shipments with Bill of Lading dated on or before March 31, 2026, compared with the earlier deadline of December 31, 2025.
The ministry said the measures balance ease of doing business with the broader objective of self-reliance in steel production. Further instructions will be issued if required.