New Delhi, Nov. 18 -- The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Monday pushed back enforcement of its newly-amended standards for handloom cotton muslin and handloom cotton mix sarees to May 2026, offering much-needed relief to weavers who faced steep costs from stricter fibre rules, new testing methods and fresh certification requirements. A similar reprieve was also given to the raw sugar sector. These norms were earlier set for enforcement on 3 November 2025.

The relaxation in norms come following the recommendations of a Niti Aayog committee, led by former cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba, that favoured relaxing quality control orders (QCOs). These mandatory compliance norms, while looking to improve quality, raise input cost, limit sourc...