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Selling kitchenware and food contact articles in India

In India, much kitchenware falls under Quality Control Orders made under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. Stainless steel utensils, aluminium utensils, pressure cookers, potable water bottles, insulated flasks and kitchen appliances conform to Indian Standards and bear the BIS Standard Mark under licence. Packs carry the Legal Metrology declarations.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Main rules
BIS Quality Control Orders
Stainless steel utensils
IS 14756:2024, Cookware, Utensils and Cans QCO, 2026
Pressure cookers
Domestic Pressure Cooker QCO; gaskets to IS 7466
Bottles and flasks
IS 17803 bottles; IS 17790 insulated flasks
Micro enterprises
Exempt from some orders under S.O. 777(E), 2026
Pack declarations
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the product on BIS's Scheme I list under a kitchenware QCO? Read more
  2. 2Does the maker hold a BIS licence, and does the product bear the mark? Read more
  3. 3Is the maker exempt as a micro or small enterprise? Read more
  4. 4What goes on the pack? Read more
  5. 5Is it food packaging, which FSSAI's packaging rules cover? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Kitchenware Quality Control Orders

The orders and standards BIS lists for kitchenware.

  • The Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2026 (S.O. 1661(E), 30 March 2026) covers stainless steel utensils (IS 14756:2024), stainless steel sinks for domestic purposes (IS 13983:1994) and three-piece round open-top metal cans (IS 18427:2024).
  • Its implementation dates are 1 October 2025 in general, 1 January 2026 for small enterprises and 1 April 2026 for micro enterprises.
  • BIS also lists wrought aluminium utensils (IS 1660:2024), domestic pressure cookers, rubber gaskets for pressure cookers (IS 7466), potable water bottles of copper, stainless steel or aluminium (IS 17803:2022), insulated flasks, bottles and containers (IS 17790:2022) and aluminium foil for food packaging (IS 15392).
  • Electrical kitchen appliances fall under the Kitchen Appliances QCO, 2018 and the Electrical Appliances for Kitchen QCO, 2023; see the electronics guide.
  • Upcoming orders include wrought aluminium for utensils (IS 21) from 1 December 2026 and aluminium cans for beverages (IS 14407:2023) from 1 April 2027.

How we help: Compliant Always records which Scheme I entries apply to each product, with the order and standard, and watches the list for new orders. Ask about this

BIS licence and Standard Mark

What a QCO requires, and how imports are treated.

  • Covered goods conform to the standard and bear the Standard Mark under a BIS licence under Scheme I.
  • No person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale a covered product without the mark under a valid licence; contravention is punishable under section 29(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.
  • Foreign manufacturers obtain a licence under BIS's Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme, with an Authorised Indian Representative.
  • The 2026 cookware order does not apply to goods filled with material when imported, or to goods made in India for export.
  • Manufacturers may import up to 200 pieces a year for research and development under that order, not for sale.
  • Stock made or imported before implementation by a certified or applicant manufacturer or importer may be sold for six months after it, on a declaration certified by a chartered accountant.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps each BIS licence and test report with the products it covers, dated, and shows which are due for renewal. Ask about this

Micro enterprise exemptions

The 2026 amendments for the smallest makers.

  • S.O. 777(E) of 12 February 2026 amends several QCOs, including those for potable water bottles and insulated flasks, so that they do not apply to goods made by an enterprise registered on the Udyam portal with investment in plant and machinery of up to Rs 1 crore and turnover of up to Rs 5 crore in the previous year.
  • The turnover and investment are certified by a chartered accountant.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the supplier's Udyam registration and certificate on file where an exemption is relied on. Ask about this

Pack declarations and liability

Legal metrology and consumer protection.

  • Pre-packed kitchenware carries the rule 6 declarations: manufacturer, packer or importer, country of origin for imports, generic name, number or net quantity, month and year of manufacture, retail sale price and consumer care details.
  • Where size matters, dimensions are declared, and for multi-piece sets the contents are declared.
  • A manufacturer is liable for harm from defects or inadequate instructions and warnings (section 84, Consumer Protection Act, 2019).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against the rule 6 declarations and keeps instructions and warnings with the product. Ask about this

Food packaging

FSSAI's rules for packaging that holds food.

  • The FSS (Packaging) Regulations, 2018 require packaging material that comes into contact with food to be food grade.
  • They set Indian Standards for paper, metal and plastic packaging materials in contact with food, and require pigments for plastics in contact with food to conform to IS 9833.
  • As notified in 2018, products made of recycled plastics, including carry bags, may not be used for packing, storing, carrying or dispensing food.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps material declarations and migration test reports with each article, dated, for customers who ask. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerThe BIS licence, testing, and the mark on covered products.Licences and test reports kept with each product.
Foreign manufacturerIts FMCS licence and Authorised Indian Representative.Licence and AIR details kept together and dated.
Importer or sellerNot importing or selling covered goods without the mark, and the pack declarations.Supplier licences read and dated before an order ships.

Central and state rules

Most product rules in India are central: FSSAI for food, CDSCO for imported cosmetics, BIS for standards and the Department of Consumer Affairs for packaged-goods declarations.

States license cosmetics manufacture, enforce food and legal metrology rules through their own officers, and run excise on alcohol.

Questions businesses ask

Do stainless steel utensils need BIS certification in India?
Yes. Under the Cookware, Utensils and Cans for Foods and Beverages (Quality Control) Order, 2026, stainless steel utensils conform to IS 14756:2024 and bear the BIS Standard Mark under licence.
When did the stainless steel utensils order take effect?
The order's table gives 1 October 2025 in general, 1 January 2026 for small enterprises and 1 April 2026 for micro enterprises.
Do water bottles need the ISI mark?
Potable water bottles of copper, stainless steel or aluminium are listed under IS 17803:2022. A 2026 amendment exempts goods made by qualifying micro enterprises.
Do pressure cookers need BIS certification?
Yes. BIS lists domestic pressure cookers under their own QCO, and rubber gaskets for pressure cookers under IS 7466.
Are aluminium utensils covered by a QCO?
BIS lists wrought aluminium utensils under IS 1660:2024, and wrought aluminium for making utensils (IS 21) from 1 December 2026.
Can imported kitchenware be sold without a BIS licence?
Not where a QCO covers it. No person may import or sell covered goods without the Standard Mark under a valid licence; foreign manufacturers obtain one under BIS's FMCS.
Are small manufacturers exempt from kitchenware QCOs?
Some are. S.O. 777(E) of 12 February 2026 exempts goods made by Udyam-registered enterprises with investment up to Rs 1 crore and turnover up to Rs 5 crore from orders including potable water bottles and insulated flasks.
Can I import cookware samples into India?
Under the 2026 cookware order, manufacturers may import up to 200 pieces a year for research and development, not for sale, keeping a yearly record.
Are there rules for plastic food containers in India?
FSSAI's Packaging Regulations, 2018 require packaging in contact with food to be food grade and set Indian Standards for plastics, metal and paper. Check BIS's Scheme I list for any QCO on the product.
What must a cookware box say in India?
The Legal Metrology declarations: manufacturer, packer or importer, country of origin for imports, generic name, number of pieces, month and year of manufacture, retail sale price and consumer care details.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in India?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including India's central regulators and the state rules that sit beside them. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

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