new delhi, Dec. 31 -- India is stepping up efforts to align its products with global quality benchmarks, with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) notifying a fresh set of new and revised norms for textiles, aerospace materials, smart mobility, mining safety and agro-textiles. The move is aimed at modernizing legacy norms, covering emerging technologies, and improving global competitiveness of Indian products, even while giving industry a transition window to adapt. In total, around 30 new standards, which are voluntary for compliance, were released by the government on December 27. A major focus is on textiles, with the BIS revising standards for cotton fibres, handloom cotton shirting, drill fabric, and khadi products, replacing norms that in some cases dated back more than four decades. The latest specifications are expected to improve consistency in quality assessment, support exporters facing tight overseas scrutiny and boost consumer confidence, besides removing ambiguity for manufacturers. The latest update to standards assumes significance as the government has withdrawn 25 quality control orders (QCOs) between mid-November and early December, even as it launched over 15 new standards in the same period. The number of new standards notified is now close to 50. The standards create a pipeline for future regulation as they can be later converted into mandatory QCOs. Experts say the latest standards are designed to be flexibile. They prepare exporters to be competitive with quality matching global norms. "Global buyers increasingly expect uniform quality and safety benchmarks and countries that fail to meet them risk losing market access," said Rahul Mehta, chief mentor of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India. Yet, since these standards are voluntary, manufacturers are not compelled to comply immediately. They can upgrade processes and improve quality over time. "The approach allows Indian manufacturers to prepare for global competition at their own pace, helping them align with international standards without immediate regulatory pressure," said Mehta. There still are some concerns around how these standards will be implemented on the ground and how easy compliance will be for exporters. "In my view, this move is meant for quality standardisation to safeguard and sustain the image of Indian products," said Raja M. Shanmugam, former president of the Tiruppur Exporters' Association. "The only caution is that bureaucratic misuse during implementation must be closely monitored." Safety-critical sectors have also seen tighter norms, with revised standards for fire-resistant conveyor belts used in underground mines and hazardous environments, reflecting global expectations on occupational safety. In aerospace-linked applications, updated standards for woven glass fibre fabrics aim to strengthen capability in high-performance materials and improve integration with global supply chains....