New Delhi, Sept. 16 -- In the past three years, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has issued 84 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) covering 343 products, according to government data.

This accounts for nearly 45 per cent of the 187 QCOs notified to date under the BIS Act, which mandates conformity to prescribed standards before products both domestic and imported can be sold in the market.

QCOs are legal instruments issued by ministries or departments to enforce quality standards.

While aimed at safeguarding public interest, health, safety, and fair trade, the growing number of such orders has triggered pushback from micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Industry groups argue that mandatory certifications have raised input costs ...