Ministry of Textiles announced the launch of 02 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for 06 items of Medical textiles and 20 items of Agro-textiles and in the Phase-II, following the due process for notification of Technical Regulations including stakeholder consultation, legal vetting, amongst others according to DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Medical textiles QCO encompass a range of products vital to healthcare and hygiene. The products covered under this QCO include Sanitary Napkins, Medical textiles -Shoe covers, Medical textiles -Dental bib/Napkins, Disposable baby diaper, Reusable sanitary pad/ sanitarynapkin/ period panties andMedical textiles -Bed sheet and pillow cover.

Notably, Ministry of Textiles has exempted Self-Help Groups (SHGs) from the Meditech QCOs, fostering small-scale production for the essential products namely Sanitary Napkins, Baby Diapers, and Reusable Sanitary Pad/Sanitary Napkin/Period Panties.

Also, for the Micro and Small (SME) industry manufacturing Sanitary Napkins, Baby Diapers, and ReusableSanitary Pad/Sanitary Napkin/Period Panties, the Medical textiles QCO shall come into force on the 1 October 2024 providing them sufficient time to comply with QCO conformity. 

For the other Medical textiles items and the general industry, this Medical textiles QCO shall come into force on the 1 April 2024.

The conformity assessment requirements specified in these QCOs are equally applicable to domestic manufacturers as well as foreign manufacturers who intend to export their products to India. 

The Indian Government is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do in the public interest to increase the standard and quality of Agrotextiles and Medicaltextiles.

Agrotextiles QCO shall come into force on the 1 of April 2024. This QCO is of paramount importance to the agricultural community and aims to enhance the quality and performance of the Agro textiles products, ensuring that farmers have access to reliable & durable solutions for their agricultural needs.

QCOs are essential for safeguarding the interests of consumers and supporting the growth of the Technical Textiles sector. 

This will strive to provide best value to the users and end consumers, thereby fostering Indian product quality that is comparable to global standards.

2 QCOs issued in 1st phase for 19 items of Geo-textiles and 12 items of Protective textiles will come into effect from 7 October 2023.

In Phase-III, around 30 more Technical Textiles items in the areas of building textiles, industrial textiles, ropes & cordages among others, may be considered for QCO issuance.