Used in the manufacture of soles, heels or soles and heels combined, for footwear

Vulcanised rubber plates, sheets and strip for footwear soles and heels

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 5676

HSN 4008 21 10 (vulcanised rubber plates, sheets and strip used in footwear sole and heel manufacture) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 5676:1995 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 July 2023, by virtue of the Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023. No separate customs-clearance overlay applies beyond the BIS QCO obligation.

What this is

HSN code

4008 21 10

Chapter

40 · Rubber and articles thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 5676:1995 · effective 01-07-2023

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 5676:1995 for moulded solid rubber soles and heels. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and licensed manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023 · S.O. 2600(E) dated 27-10-2020 · S.O. 3893(E) dated 01-09-2023
2
Ensure every rubber sole or heel plate bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under licence, per Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself; packaging-only marking is insufficient.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 2600(E) dated 27-10-2020
3
If importing moulded solid rubber soles and heels for exclusive use in manufacturing footwear for export, prepare a self-declaration on company letterhead citing the invoice number and confirming that goods will not enter the domestic market. Obtain certification from the Council for Leather Exports quoting a currently valid Registration-cum-Membership Certificate number, Udyam Registration Certificate number, and the bill of entry number.
Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023 · S.O. 3893(E) dated 01-09-2023
4
Upload the self-declaration, Council for Leather Exports certification, and all other relevant documents on the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange portal before seeking import clearance. Customs will not grant clearance under the export-manufacture exemption without these documents on the portal.
Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023 · S.O. 3893(E) dated 01-09-2023
5
If the importer qualifies as a micro or small manufacturing unit under Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, document this status to claim the blanket QCO exemption. The BIS ISI Mark obligation is entirely dis-applied for qualifying MSME micro and small units.
S.O. 3880(E) dated 11-08-2022

A word of counsel

The sharpest trap on this tariff line is the export-manufacture exemption: importers frequently assume that any footwear exporter automatically qualifies, when the exemption is conditional on a self-declaration certified by the Council for Leather Exports and uploaded to the Indian Customs Electronic Data Interchange portal before clearance — not after. Goods imported without these documents in place and without a CM/L-licensed supplier are detained at port regardless of the importer's eventual export intent, attracting demurrage and ground rent while the documentation is assembled.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 4008 21 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Moulded solid rubber soles and heels must conform to IS 5676:1995 under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 July 2023, per the Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and its Components (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2023. Import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence.

Is there any exemption from the BIS QCO for rubber soles imported for export-oriented production?

Yes, but it is conditional. The exemption applies only where the importer furnishes a self-declaration certified by the Council for Leather Exports — confirming the goods are for export-footwear manufacture only — and uploads all specified documents on the ICED portal before clearance.

Do micro and small enterprises qualify for any exemption from IS 5676:1995?

Yes. The QCO is dis-applied entirely for micro and small manufacturing units as defined in Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, per S.O. 3880(E) dated 11-08-2022. Medium and large enterprises must comply in full.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all rubber sole and heel variants from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L licence is scope-specific by product specification and manufacturing facility; sole and heel variants or production plants outside the licensed scope are not covered, and customs detains consignments on a scope mismatch with the BIS register.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-18. Source: BIS / Indian Customs CUSDATA.