Of cotton

Knitted cotton briefs, panties and similar women's or girls' articles

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 17514

HSN 6108 21 00 (knitted or crocheted women's and girls' briefs, panties and similar articles of cotton) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to IS 17514:2021 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 January 2025 for large and medium enterprises, and from 01 April 2025 for small and micro enterprises, under the Medical Textiles Quality Control Order Second Amendment 2025. Directorate General of Foreign Trade textile-import policy controls apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

6108 21 00

Chapter

61 · Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 17514:2021 · effective 01-01-2025

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

Compliance steps

1
Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against IS 17514:2021 for reusable sanitary pads, sanitary napkins, or period panties. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Medical Textiles Quality Control Order Second Amendment 2025 · S.O. 4634(E) dated 23-10-2024 · S.O. 04(E) dated 01-01-2025 · S.O. 3526(E) dated 30-07-2025
2
Ensure each article bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The standard mark must appear on the product or its primary packaging as required under the licence conditions.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Medical Textiles Quality Control Order Second Amendment 2025
3
Confirm the enterprise-size tier of the foreign manufacturer. For large and medium enterprises, enforcement applies from 01-01-2025; for small and micro enterprises, from 01-04-2025. Document the manufacturer's enterprise-size classification as part of the pre-shipment compliance file.
S.O. 4634(E) dated 23-10-2024 · S.O. 04(E) dated 01-01-2025
4
Accompany the consignment with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory of the exporting country, certifying absence of prohibited hazardous azo dyes. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo dye testing.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
5
If the consignment originates in Bangladesh, verify applicability of port restrictions under paragraph 19 of the general notes to the import policy. Goods outside the documented carve-outs in paragraphs 2 and 3 are restricted to specified ports.
DGFT Notification 7/25-26 dated 17-05-2025 · General Note 19 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating the QCO as applying uniformly to all knitted cotton panties and briefs, when IS 17514:2021 is scoped specifically to sanitary protection articles — reusable sanitary pads, sanitary napkins, and period panties with absorbency and leakage-barrier performance characteristics. Standard cotton briefs or nightwear under the same heading that carry no sanitary-protection function fall outside the Medical Textiles QCO scope. Importers who certify out-of-scope briefs against IS 17514:2021 waste compliance spend; those who import in-scope period panties without a CM/L-licensed supplier face detention and potential confiscation.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 6108 21 00 require BIS certification?

Yes, for articles within the scope of IS 17514:2021 — reusable sanitary pads, sanitary napkins, and period panties. Conformity is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme from 01 January 2025 for large and medium enterprises, and from 01 April 2025 for small and micro enterprises, under S.O. 4634(E).

Does the BIS QCO apply to all knitted cotton briefs and panties under this HSN?

No. The Medical Textiles Quality Control Order Second Amendment 2025 applies only to sanitary-protection articles within the scope of IS 17514:2021; standard cotton briefs and panties without sanitary-protection function are not within the QCO scope.

Do large and small enterprises have different enforcement dates under the Medical Textiles QCO?

Yes. Large and medium enterprises are subject to the IS 17514:2021 obligation from 01-01-2025; small and micro enterprises have a deferred effective date of 01-04-2025, per S.O. 4634(E) and S.O. 04(E).

Does a single CM/L licence cover all product variants and manufacturing facilities of the same supplier?

No. A CM/L licence is scope-specific by product variant and manufacturing facility; articles outside the licensed specification or produced at an unlicensed plant are not covered, and customs detains consignments on a scope mismatch.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: BIS / DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.