Friends, yesterday I came across a news item which was about the FOOTWEAR Industry, and how government has issued guidelines for maintaining the quality of footwear products. The government came into the picture because of many substandard products floating in the market. To curb sub-standard imports from countries like China, large and medium-scale footwear manufacturers and all importers will have to follow the mandatory quality standards for 24 footwear and related products from 1st July 2023. For small-scale footwear makers, the deadline is 1st Jan 2024, while for the micro industry, it is 1st July 2024.
The footwear products on which the quality standards will apply include rubber gum boots, PVC sandals, rubber hawai chappal, slippers, moulded plastic footwear, footwear used for municipal scavenging work, sports footwear, derby shoes, anti-riot shoes, moulded solid rubber shoes and heels etc. With this, the total number of footwear under quality control order (QCO) stands at 27 out of 54. The remaining 27 and other footwear products will also follow suit in the next six months.
The standards prescribe what kind of raw material like leather, PVC, and rubber to be used in manufacturing footwear besides norms on making soles and heels, among other parts of footwear. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has revised five standards on footwear specifications, and the industry has been given an additional time of six months till 1st Jan 2024, to comply with QCOs.
Test facilities have been created in 2 BIS labs, 2 Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) labs, Central Leather Research Institute and 11 private labs for testing footwear. The main tests performed during footwear inspection are:
- Carton drop test
- Slip resistance
- Sole bonding test
- Material strength check
- Humidity content check
- Symmetry check
- Endurance check
Here is the list of footwear products under mandatory BIS certification:
- Leather safety boots and shoes for miners
- Leather safety boots and shoes for the heavy metal industry
- Canvas shoes, Rubber sole
- Safety Rubber canvas boots for miners
- Canvas boots, rubber sole
- Leather safety footwear having a direct moulded rubber sole
- Leather safety footwear with direct moulded PVC sole
- Sports Footwear
- High ankle tactical boots with PU-rubber sole
- Anti-riot shoes
- Derby shoes
- Personal protective equipment-safety footwear
- Personal protective equipment-protective footwear
- Personal protective equipment-occupational footwear
- Industrial and protective rubber knee and ankle boots
- All rubber gun boots, ankle boots-occupational purposes
- Moulded solid rubber soles and heels
- Rubber microcellular sheets for soles and heels.
- Solid PVC soles and heels
- PVC sandal
- Rubber hawai chappal
- Rubber slippers
- PVC Industrial boots
- PU soles-semi rigid
- Unlined moulded rubber boots
- Moulded plastic footwear- lined or unlined PU boots for general use
- Footwear for men and women for municipal scavenging work
The procedure has been laid out for getting BIS approval, and how the BIS will inspect the manufacturing facility for granting certification.
Now it has become mandatory for all the footwear manufacturing units to get BIS certification, and this process was started about a year back, and many of manufacturers have already obtained BIS certification, others will have to get the same before 30th June 2023.
It has still not been clear what happens to the inventory manufactured earlier which was not with BIS certification, it looks like the government will have to give enough time to manufacturers and retailers to clear the non-BIS stocks, otherwise, the industry will suffer heavy losses. As per industry sources, the average inventory holding time for footwear retailers is 1-2 years.
The footwear industry has made representation to the government for the following:
- Retail industry to be allowed 8-10 months’ time extension from the date of implementation of QCO by the manufacturers.
- Exemption for the existing inventory manufactured/procured prior to QCO effective date, on declaration of BIS.
It is a welcome step from the government to bring this industry under the ambit of BIS, so that substandard products are not there in the market, and customers are not cheated.
Waiting for your views on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
21st June 2023