Other

Rubber or plastics footwear with plug-assembled straps or thongs (sandals, slippers, flip-flops)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 16645

HSN 6402 20 90 (rubber or plastics footwear with upper straps or thongs assembled to the sole by means of plugs) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 15 March 2024, under the Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and Its Components (Quality Control) Order, 2024. No separate customs-clearance overlay applies beyond the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) QCO obligation.

What this is

HSN code

6402 20 90

Chapter

64 · Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 16645 · effective 15-03-2024

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Compliance steps

1
Identify the applicable Indian Standard for the specific product variant being imported: IS 6721:2023 for sandals and slippers; IS 16645:2018 for moulded plastics footwear including lined or unlined polyurethane boots for general industrial use; IS 16994:2018 for footwear for municipal scavenging work; IS 17043 (Part 1):2024 for shoes for services; IS 17043 (Part 2):2024 for shoes for general purpose.
Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and Its Components (Quality Control) Order, 2024 · S.O. 1422(E) dated 15-03-2024 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
2
Source only from a BIS CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current licence against the IS number corresponding to the product variant. Verify the supplier's CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 1422(E) dated 15-03-2024
3
Ensure every unit in the consignment bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number. Marking must appear on the product itself; marking on packaging alone does not satisfy the conformity-assessment requirement under Scheme-I.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Footwear Made from All-Rubber and All-Polymeric Material and Its Components (Quality Control) Order, 2024
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the applicable IS reference on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched CM/L number triggers consignment detention, demurrage, and potential re-export.
BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962 · S.O. 1422(E) dated 15-03-2024
5
If the manufacturing unit qualifies as a micro or small enterprise under Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, document that status to claim the QCO exemption. The exemption covers only the manufacturer, not the importer; all imports require CM/L compliance regardless.
S.O. 3880(E) dated 11-08-2022 · Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is sourcing against the wrong Indian Standard — a supplier licensed for sandals under IS 6721:2023 is not licensed for polyurethane industrial boots under IS 16645:2018, and a CM/L covering municipal scavenging footwear under IS 16994:2018 does not extend to general-purpose shoes under IS 17043. With four distinct IS numbers mapped to this one eight-digit HSN, product-scope mismatch between the CM/L and the actual consignment is the predominant cause of port detention; verify the exact IS reference against the supplier's CM/L scope before every shipment, not merely on the first purchase order.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 6402 20 90 require BIS certification?

Yes. All rubber or plastics footwear with plug-assembled straps or thongs under this tariff line must conform to the applicable Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme, and importation is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence, with effect from 15 March 2024.

Which Indian Standard applies to sandals and slippers under this HSN?

IS 6721:2023 applies to sandals and slippers. IS 16645:2018 applies to moulded plastics footwear including lined or unlined polyurethane boots for general industrial use. IS 16994:2018 covers footwear for municipal scavenging work, and IS 17043 (Part 1 and Part 2):2024 covers shoes for services and general purpose respectively.

Are micro and small manufacturers exempt from the QCO?

The exemption under S.O. 3880(E) dated 11-08-2022 applies only to micro and small manufacturing units as defined under Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. Importers are not exempt — all consignments must bear the ISI mark from a CM/L-licensed facility.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all footwear variants under HSN 6402 20 90?

No. A CM/L licence is specific to the Indian Standard, product scope, and manufacturing facility for which it was granted; variants classified under a different IS number, or manufactured at an unlicensed plant, are not covered and cannot lawfully be imported under that licence.

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