Steel Ministry Grants BIS Exemption to 202 Foreign Manufacturers

• Steel Ministry grants BIS compliance exemption to 202 licenses held by foreign manufacturers
• Move benefits suppliers from 16 nations, led by Japan and South Korea
• Aims to streamline steel imports and support Integrated Steel Plants

The Ministry of Steel recently took a major step towards easing steel imports by exempting 202 Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) licenses from mandatory compliance requirements on the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) portal.

The ministry stated, "In pursuance of the para II of order no. S-20011/15/2024-TECH dated 11.07.2025, 202 numbers of BIS licences (Annexure-1) have been exempted in the SIMS portal from the mandatory adherence requirement of input steel for the final products supplied by Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs) so far".

The exemption came in an order issued on 8 August covering manufacturers in 16 regions including Japan, South Korea, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, and the US. Japan leads the way with more than 80 exempted licenses followed closely by South Korea with more than 50.

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The measure is aimed at easing import compliance requirements to allow for clearer pathways to steel arriving in India, particularly for Integrated Steel Plants (ISPs) and foreign manufacturers. Since part of the measure removes compliance from certain raw materials, it is aimed at increasing import speeds to help the sector knit together an entire supply chain to focus on production and supply rather than being held up in procedural compliance.

There are exemptions to approximately 72 foreign integrated steel facilities which hold all 202 BIS licenses. This permitted relief means that they will be able to continue supplying steel to Indian ISPs without any compliance obligations under SIMS.

The BIS licensing remains an important quality and safety regulation for steel imports and ensures imported materials adhere to the quality standards prescribed for domestic production, however, the ministry confirmed that the concessions are for the specific licenses indicated.

The decision fits with the broader efforts of the government to enhance every dimension of doing business in the steel arena, providing another niche regulatory relief while still providing assurance of quality which is needed for India’s industrial and infrastructure development.