Furniture QCO Second Amendment Order 2026: The Complete Import Compliance Guide

The Regulatory Baseline: What Changed on 14 February 2026

India’s furniture import landscape changed fundamentally on 14 February 2026, when the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 [S.O. 801(E)] came into force for medium and large enterprises.

From that date, the following furniture products must conform to their respective Indian Standards and bear the BIS Standard Mark under Scheme-I before they can be manufactured, imported, or sold in India:

Furniture Category	Applicable Indian Standard
Work Chairs	IS 17631
General Purpose Chairs & Stools	IS 17632
Tables & Desks	IS 17633
Storage Units	IS 17634
Beds	IS 17635
Bunk Beds	IS 17636

Enforcement authority: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.

Why DPIIT Issued the Second Amendment

Global supply chains do not pause for regulatory deadlines. When the Furniture QCO came into force on 14 February 2026, a significant volume of goods was already in motion — purchased, loaded, or at sea — under commercial commitments made before the regulation existed.

Importers raised concerns with DPIIT about:

• Finished goods consignments already shipped before the enforcement date
• Purchase orders placed with overseas manufacturers months in advance
• The time required for BIS certification — which involves product testing and factory inspections — making immediate compliance structurally impossible for pre-existing orders

In response, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, issued the Furniture (Quality Control) Second Amendment Order, 2026 [S.O. 1125(E)], published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary on 2 March 2026. The order came into force on the date of its publication.

What the Second Amendment Actually Says: Two Provisos, Distinct Conditions

The amendment inserts two new provisos after the sixth proviso in Paragraph 2 of the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025. Each proviso addresses a different factual scenario. Reading them together correctly is critical — they have different conditions and different documentation obligations.

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Proviso 1 — Consignments Already Shipped Before Implementation

Applicable to: Goods physically shipped before 14 February 2026.

Exact conditions from the gazette:

“nothing in the order shall apply to imports of such goods or articles in consignment with Bill of Lading having shipped before the date of implementation of the order and Bill of Entry on or before one hundred and eighty days after the date of implementation of the Order”

In plain terms:

• The Bill of Lading must have been issued before 14 February 2026 (i.e., the goods were shipped before the QCO came into force)
• The Bill of Entry must be filed on or before 13 August 2026 (180 days from 14 February 2026)

Documentation requirement under this proviso: None is stated in the gazette text of Proviso 1. However, importers should maintain the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry as evidence of eligibility for customs and potential BIS enquiry.

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Proviso 2 — Orders Placed Before Implementation, Goods Shipped Within 180 Days

Applicable to: Goods ordered before 14 February 2026 but not yet shipped when the QCO came into force.

Exact conditions from the gazette:

“nothing in the order shall apply to imports of goods or articles where the purchase order for such goods or articles were placed before the date of implementation of the order, and the Bill of Lading and the Bill of Entry in respect of such goods or articles are dated on or before one hundred and eighty days from the date on which the said order came into force and the importer shall provide the Bureau in its letter head duly signed by its authorised signatory, a copy of the purchase order, the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry and other supporting documents within seven days of clearance of such consignment”

In plain terms:

• The Purchase Order must have been placed before 14 February 2026
• Both the Bill of Lading and the Bill of Entry must be dated on or before 13 August 2026
• The importer must submit to BIS, within seven days of clearance, on company letterhead, signed by the authorised signatory:
  • Copy of the Purchase Order
  • Bill of Lading
  • Bill of Entry
  • Other supporting documents

This documentation obligation is mandatory under Proviso 2 and is explicitly stated in the gazette. Missing it could render the exemption inapplicable.

Comparing the Two Provisos Side by Side

	Proviso 1	Proviso 2
Key qualifying document	Bill of Lading	Purchase Order
Condition on Bill of Lading	Issued before 14 Feb 2026	Issued on or before 13 Aug 2026
Condition on Bill of Entry	Filed on or before 13 Aug 2026	Filed on or before 13 Aug 2026
7-day BIS document submission	Not stated in gazette	Mandatory
Scenario	Goods already shipped	Goods ordered, not yet shipped

The 180-Day Window: What 13 August 2026 Means in Practice

Both provisos expire on the same date — 13 August 2026, being 180 days from the QCO implementation date of 14 February 2026.

For importers under Proviso 1, this means the Bill of Entry must be filed by this date. For importers under Proviso 2, both the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry must fall within this window.

There is no extension mechanism in the order. After 13 August 2026, all furniture imports in the covered categories will require valid BIS certification, without exception.

Context: The Broader Amendment Framework

The Second Amendment (S.O. 1125(E), 2 March 2026) addresses import consignment relief specifically. It is the third notification in the Furniture QCO series:

• Principal Order: S.O. 801(E), 13 February 2025 — established the QCO and IS requirements
• First Amendment: S.O. 774(E), 12 February 2026 — introduced provisions including MSME exemptions and pre-implementation stock relief for domestic manufacturers
• Second Amendment: S.O. 1125(E), 2 March 2026 — introduced the two import transitional provisos covered in this article

If your compliance question relates to MSME status, Udyam registration, or goods already held in domestic inventory before 14 February 2026, those provisions are governed by the First Amendment (S.O. 774(E)) and are separate from the import relief addressed here.

Who This Affects and How

Indian Importers and Distributors

Importers with goods already shipped, or with confirmed purchase orders placed before 14 February 2026, now have a defined clearance pathway. The proviso that applies to each shipment depends on the Bill of Lading date.

Global Furniture Manufacturers

Foreign manufacturers exporting into India on pre-existing purchase orders are covered under Proviso 2, but their Indian importer bears the documentation obligation. Manufacturers should ensure their Indian buyer has all documents — particularly a clearly dated Purchase Order — ready for BIS submission.

Furniture Retailers and E-Commerce Platforms

Supply disruptions from sudden enforcement are avoided for qualifying shipments. The amendment provides continuity for inventory already in the pipeline.

Procurement and Supply Chain Teams

The 180-day window is the time to restructure supply chain terms. Future purchase orders for furniture destined for India should require BIS certification as a contractual condition.

What the Amendment Does Not Cover

The transitional provisos do not eliminate BIS certification requirements. They do not apply to any purchase order placed after 14 February 2026. They do not extend the compliance deadline for new supply relationships. And Proviso 1 does not automatically exempt an importer from any BIS enquiry — documentation should still be retained.

Your Compliance Action Plan

	Proviso 1	Proviso 2
Key qualifying document	Bill of Lading	Purchase Order
Condition on Bill of Lading	Issued before 14 Feb 2026	Issued on or before 13 Aug 2026
Condition on Bill of Entry	Filed on or before 13 Aug 2026	Filed on or before 13 Aug 2026
7-day BIS document submission	Not stated in gazette	Mandatory
Scenario	Goods already shipped	Goods ordered, not yet shipped

The 180-Day Window: What 13 August 2026 Means in Practice

Both provisos expire on the same date — 13 August 2026, being 180 days from the QCO implementation date of 14 February 2026.

For importers under Proviso 1, this means the Bill of Entry must be filed by this date. For importers under Proviso 2, both the Bill of Lading and Bill of Entry must fall within this window.

There is no extension mechanism in the order. After 13 August 2026, all furniture imports in the covered categories will require valid BIS certification, without exception.

The Broader Amendment Framework

The Second Amendment (S.O. 1125(E), 2 March 2026) addresses import consignment relief specifically. It is the third notification in the Furniture QCO series:

• Principal Order: S.O. 801(E), 13 February 2025 — established the QCO and IS requirements
• First Amendment: S.O. 774(E), 12 February 2026 — introduced provisions including MSME exemptions and pre-implementation stock relief for domestic manufacturers
• Second Amendment: S.O. 1125(E), 2 March 2026 — introduced the two import transitional provisos covered in this article

If your compliance question relates to MSME status, Udyam registration, or goods already held in domestic inventory before 14 February 2026, those provisions are governed by the First Amendment (S.O. 774(E)) and are separate from the import relief addressed here.

Your Compliance Action Plan

Step 1 : Audit every open shipment. For each consignment, confirm whether the Bill of Lading predates 14 February 2026 (Proviso 1) or whether the Purchase Order predates 14 February 2026 with shipment yet to occur (Proviso 2). Calculate the Bill of Entry deadline accordingly.

Step 2 : Set up the Proviso 2 document submission process. Assign a named person for each Proviso 2 clearance. Prepare a letterhead template in advance. Confirm the authorised signatory is available at point of clearance. The seven-day window begins from the date of clearance and does not allow for delay.

Step 3 : Confirm applicable Indian Standards for your product range. IS 17631 through IS 17636:2022 are the six standards under the QCO. Product testing and BIS licence applications are assessed against these standards.

Step 4 : Initiate BIS certification immediately for future supply. After 13 August 2026, every furniture import in the covered categories requires a valid BIS licence. The certification process — product testing at a BIS-recognised laboratory and factory inspection for foreign manufacturers — takes two to six months. Foreign manufacturers must appoint an Authorised Indian Representative (AIR) before the application can begin.

Step 5 : Update purchase order terms for new orders. BIS certification status should be a contractual condition on all new furniture purchase orders placed for the Indian market from this point forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your BIS Compliance Before the Window Closes

The 180-day transition window under S.O. 1125(E) is a defined, finite period. After 13 August 2026, all furniture imports in the six covered categories require a valid BIS licence under Scheme-I — with no further transitional relief currently notified.

Omega QMS Pvt. Ltd. provides end-to-end BIS compliance support for global furniture brands, Indian importers, and foreign manufacturers. Our services cover identifying applicable Indian Standards, coordinating product testing at BIS-recognised laboratories, managing the BIS Scheme-I certification application, and acting as Authorised Indian Representative for foreign manufacturers.

With over 25 years of regulatory advisory experience in India’s QCO and BIS certification landscape, we help clients move from compliance gap to certified supply chain — without disrupting commercial timelines.

Contact our regulatory experts: +91-9810541740 | info@globalomega.com