Clothing for special use such as FR, chemical (IS 15071, 15758), electrical (IS 11871, IS 16655) and industrial protection (IS 17466)

Men's and boys' woven protective garments for industrial use

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME

HSN 6210 40 80 (men's and boys' garments made of technical fabrics for special use) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standards is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 13 October 2023, by virtue of the Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022. Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy controls on textile imports apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

6210 40 80

Chapter

62 · Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 16890:2018 / IS 15748:2022 / IS 15742:2007 / IS 16655:2017 · effective 13-10-2023

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
Identify the precise protective category of the garment — firefighter protection (IS 16890:2018), heat protection for industrial workers (IS 15748:2022), limited flame spread (IS 15742:2007), or welding and allied processes (IS 16655:2017) — and verify the foreign manufacturer's BIS CM/L licence covers the matching IS number, product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022 · S.O. 1707(E) dated 10-04-2023
2
Ensure each garment bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number under Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. Marking must appear on the product itself; packaging-only marking does not satisfy the statutory requirement.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022
3
Accompany every consignment with a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate from an accredited laboratory certifying absence of prohibited hazardous dyes. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo dye testing, but the PSIC remains required for composition certification.
General Note 10 of the ITC (HS) Import Policy · DGFT Public Notice 14/2023 dated 14-06-2023
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number on the bill of entry alongside the applicable IS number and the PSIC. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; a CM/L that is absent, expired, or mismatched to the garment's protective category triggers consignment detention.
Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962
5
If the consignment originates in Bangladesh, verify whether the goods fall within the port restrictions under paragraph 19 of the general notes to the import policy introduced by DGFT Notification 7/25-26. 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

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is selecting a single CM/L licence and applying it across multiple protective-garment categories. Each Indian Standard — IS 16890:2018 for firefighter clothing, IS 15748:2022 for heat protection, IS 15742:2007 for flame-spread materials, and IS 16655:2017 for welding garments — is independently licensed; a CM/L for one protective function does not cover another. Importers who consolidate mixed-category consignments under one CM/L number face detention on every garment variant falling outside that licence's specific scope.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 6210 40 80 require BIS certification?

Yes. Men's and boys' woven protective garments within the notified categories must conform to the applicable Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 13 October 2023, by virtue of the Protective Textiles (Quality Control) Order, 2022 referenced in S.O. 1707(E).

Which Indian Standards apply to garments under HSN 6210 40 80?

IS 16890:2018 applies to firefighter protective clothing; IS 15748:2022 to protective clothing for industrial workers exposed to heat; IS 15742:2007 to clothing of limited flame-spread materials; and IS 16655:2017 to protective clothing for welding and allied processes.

Is a Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate required in addition to BIS CM/L compliance?

Yes. A PSIC from an accredited laboratory is required under the textile import policy framework for hazardous-dye testing. Imports from the EU, Serbia, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom are exempt from azo dye testing under DGFT Public Notice 14/2023.

Does one CM/L licence cover all protective garment types from the same manufacturer?

No. Each CM/L licence is specific to the Indian Standard, the protective category, the product specification, and the manufacturing facility; garments outside the licensed scope or from an unlicensed plant are not covered and attract detention at port.

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