The Ministry of Steel Wednesday extended till April 17 the deadline for mandatory use of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certified high-grade steel in automobile manufacturing.
Automobile manufacturers in India have been importing high-grade steel and had pressed the government to extend the deadline for using Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certified high-grade steel beyond February 17.
According to auto manufacturers, they are facing difficulty in sourcing high-grade steel from domestic companies while foreign suppliers have expressed reluctance to seek BIS certification due to very low volumes.
In a notification on Wednesday, the steel ministry said, "in pursuance to the enforcement of steel and steel products quality control order dated August 13, 2018, the Ministry of Steel informs that all grades available in Indian standards IS 4454 (Part-1): 2001, IS 4454 (Part II): 2001, IS 11169 (Part-I): 1984 and IS 6603: 2001, IS 6527: 1995 and IS 6528: 1995 shall remain outside the purview of the quality control order till April 17, 2019."