Centre plans QCO for weaving machines from next year

The Ministry of Heavy Industries plans to introduce Quality Control Order (QCO) for weaving machines (looms) or their assemblies, sub-assemblies, and components and all types of embroidery machinery from August 28, 2025.

In an order dated August 28, 2024, the Ministry said the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024, will be effective from August 28, 2025, making Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) licence mandatory for these machinery.

While the weaving industry has urged the Central government to reconsider the proposal, the textile machinery manufacturers have welcomed the announcement.

K. Sakthivel, vice chairman of the Powerloom Development and Export Promotion Council, said that while the European weaving machines operate at almost 1,600 rpm, the Indian machines go up to only 750 rpm. Shuttlesslooms currently installed in the country are almost fully imported. “Further, we do not have the technology to design high end jacquards,” he said.

According to an industry source, Sri Lanka has a special package and is now buying used powerlooms from India. When neighbouring countries are developing the weaving industry, India is losing export opportunities by bringing in policies that impact the industry. “Instead of promoting development of technologies, we have got into curbing,” he said.

However, according to Sachin Kumar Arora, Executive Director of the Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (India), only 10% of the imported machinery are high end looms and the rest of the weaving machinery that are imported are second-hand, refurbished or assembled by agents. These are 30% cheaper than Indian machinery.

“We see it (the proposed QCOs) as an opportunity with a point of caution. Some of the key components used by the domestic machinery manufacturers are also imported,” he said.