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Selling clothing, footwear and textiles in India

In India, packaged clothing carries the Legal Metrology declarations, and garments sold loose carry a shorter set including size and maximum retail price. Many kinds of footwear conform to Indian Standards and bear the BIS Standard Mark under Quality Control Orders. BIS's textile orders mostly cover fibres, yarns and technical textiles rather than finished clothing.

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

Packed clothing
Rule 6 declarations, Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011
Loose garments
Maker, origin, consumer care, size and MRP (from 1 January 2023)
Sizes
In cm or m, or S, M, L and so on with metric details
Footwear
BIS Standard Mark under footwear QCOs
Leather and other footwear
QCO in force from 1 August 2024
Small footwear makers
Micro and small units outside the leather footwear order

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the garment sold pre-packed, or loose so the buyer can inspect it? Read more
  2. 2Is it footwear covered by a QCO? Read more
  3. 3Is any other textile product on BIS's Scheme I list? Read more
  4. 4Is the plastic packaging covered by EPR? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Garment declarations

What packed and loose garments show under the Legal Metrology rules.

  • Pre-packed clothing carries the rule 6 declarations: manufacturer, packer or importer, country of origin for imports, generic name, net quantity or number, month and year of manufacture, retail sale price and consumer care details.
  • Where size matters, the dimensions of the commodity are declared.
  • From 1 January 2023, a garment or hosiery sold loose, so that the buyer can inspect it, is exempt from the full rules but bears: the name and address of the manufacturer, marketer, brand owner or importer, with country of origin for imports; a consumer care email and phone number; the size in cm or m, or size indicators such as S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL with metric details (as amended in 2023); and the maximum retail price inclusive of taxes (rule 26(f)).
  • That exemption applies only to finished products, and the same details are shown on e-commerce sites.

How we help: Compliant Always reads swing tags and labels against the declarations for packed or loose sale, and lists what is missing. Ask about this

Footwear Quality Control Orders

Footwear that conforms to an Indian Standard and bears the BIS mark.

  • The Footwear made from Leather and other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024 came into force on 1 August 2024.
  • Its table includes canvas shoes and boots with rubber soles (IS 3735 and IS 3736), sports footwear (IS 15844 Parts 1 to 3) and shoes for services and general purpose (IS 17043 Parts 1 and 2), among safety and protective footwear.
  • Covered footwear conforms to the standard and bears the Standard Mark under a BIS licence under Scheme I; goods for export and micro and small manufacturing units are outside the order.
  • The 2026 amendment extends to 31 July 2027 the date until which declared old stock may be sold, and allows manufacturers to import up to 4500 pairs a year for research and development, not for sale.
  • A separate order covers footwear made from all rubber and all polymeric material and its components, such as PVC sandals and rubber hawai chappals.
  • The Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 lists both footwear orders.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the BIS licence and test reports with each footwear model, and shows when a licence is due for renewal. Ask about this

Other textile orders

Where BIS certification touches textiles.

  • BIS's Scheme I list includes QCOs on textile inputs, such as viscose staple fibres, and on technical textiles, such as agro textiles and woven sacks for packaging.
  • Several polyester fibre and yarn orders on the list have been rescinded.
  • Protective clothing for firefighters, for industrial workers exposed to heat and for welding is listed under its own standards.
  • Imported products under a QCO need a licence held by the foreign manufacturer under BIS's Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.

How we help: Compliant Always records which Scheme I entries were checked for each product, and watches the list for new orders. Ask about this

Plastic packaging and liability

EPR, and what the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 says.

  • Producers, importers and brand owners using plastic packaging register on the CPCB centralised portal and may not carry on business without registration; micro and small enterprises are excluded as brand owners.
  • A manufacturer is liable for harm caused by defects or inadequate instructions and warnings (section 84).
  • The Central Consumer Protection Authority may order recall of dangerous, hazardous or unsafe goods (section 20).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the EPR registration and care and content labels with each product. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand ownerSwing tags and pack declarations, and EPR registration.Labels read against the declarations for packed or loose sale.
Footwear manufacturerThe BIS licence, testing and the mark on covered footwear.Licence and test reports kept with each model.
ImporterIts name and the country of origin on the tag, and not importing covered footwear without the mark.Supplier licences read and dated before shipment.
Online sellerShowing the loose-garment details on the listing.Listing details compared with the product record.

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

What must a clothing label show in India?
Pre-packed clothing carries the Legal Metrology declarations. Garments sold loose show the maker or importer and country of origin, a consumer care email and phone number, the size with cm or m, and the maximum retail price.
Do garments sold loose need an MRP?
Yes. Since 1 January 2023, rule 26(f) of the Packaged Commodities Rules requires loose garments and hosiery to bear the maximum retail price inclusive of taxes, among other details.
How are clothing sizes declared in India?
For garments sold loose, as the size in cm or m, or with internationally recognisable indicators such as S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL alongside metric details, under rule 26(f) as amended in 2023.
Does footwear need BIS certification in India?
Many kinds do. The Footwear made from Leather and other Materials QCO, 2024 and the all-rubber and polymeric footwear order require conformity to Indian Standards and the BIS Standard Mark.
Are sports shoes covered by a BIS order?
Yes. Sports footwear to IS 15844 Parts 1 to 3 is listed in the Footwear made from Leather and other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024.
Are small footwear makers exempt from the BIS order?
The leather and other materials order does not apply to micro and small manufacturing units as defined under the MSME Development Act, 2006, or to goods for export.
Can I import footwear samples into India?
Under the 2026 amendment, manufacturers of leather and footwear products may import up to 4500 pairs a year for research and development and non-commercial use, marked not for sale.
Does clothing need BIS certification in India?
BIS's Scheme I list read for this guide covered fibres, yarns, technical textiles and protective clothing, not everyday finished garments. Check the list for your product.
Do clothing listings online need the label details?
Yes. The loose-garment details are displayed on the e-commerce site, and packed goods' listings show the rule 6 declarations except the date of manufacture.
Who is liable for a defective garment or shoe?
The manufacturer, under section 84 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, for defects or inadequate instructions and warnings; a seller in some cases, such as where it controlled the labelling.
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.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

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