New Delhi, Nov. 8 -- A high-level government committee has recommended the cancellation, suspension, and deferment of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for more than 200 products, citing concerns that the surge in mandatory standards has raised compliance costs, disrupted supply chains, and weakened India's manufacturing competitiveness.

The panel, chaired by NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba, includes representatives from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), NITI Aayog, and major industry associations such as FICCI, CII, and Assocham, reported Business Standard.

According to people familiar with the matter, the committee has suggested that the governmen...