Leather boots and other footwear with rubber sole

Leather ankle-covering boots and footwear with rubber sole

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 1989

HSN 6403 91 10 (leather boots and other footwear with rubber sole, covering the ankle) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard — IS 1989, IS 11226, IS 14544, IS 17012, IS 17037, or IS 17043, depending on product type — is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 August 2024 by virtue of the Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024. No separate customs-clearance overlay applies beyond the BIS obligation.

What this is

HSN code

6403 91 10

Chapter

64 · Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts thereof

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 1989 · effective 01-08-2024

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

Compliance steps

1
Identify the precise product type before placing the purchase order and map it to the correct Indian Standard: IS 1989 (Part 1):1986 for miners' safety boots, IS 1989 (Part 2):1986 for heavy-metal-industry safety boots, IS 11226:1993 for direct-moulded rubber sole safety footwear, IS 14544:2022 for direct-moulded polymeric sole safety and protective footwear, IS 17012:2018 for high-ankle tactical boots, IS 17037:2018 for anti-riot shoes, IS 17043 (Part 1):2024 for service shoes, and IS 17043 (Part 2):2024 for general-purpose shoes.
Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
2
Verify that the foreign manufacturer holds a current BIS CM/L licence against the specific Indian Standard and Part covering the product being imported. Confirm the licensed product scope, the manufacturing facility address, and current validity on the BIS online register before the purchase order is placed.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
3
Ensure every pair of footwear bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number on the product itself. Marking only on the packaging or labelling without the product-level ISI mark does not satisfy the Scheme-I marking requirement.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024
4
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the applicable IS number and Part on the bill of entry. Customs verifies the CM/L in real time against the BIS register; an absent, expired, or scope-mismatched licence triggers consignment detention.
BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962 · S.O. 1421(E) dated 15-03-2024
5
If the foreign manufacturer qualifies as a micro or small enterprise under Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, document and retain the exemption basis. The QCO exemption applies to micro and small manufacturing units only — not to importers or traders.
S.O. 3775(E) dated 11-08-2022 · Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006

A word of counsel

The most common failure on this tariff line is treating the six applicable Indian Standards as interchangeable and placing a single CM/L check against IS 1989 alone. Each IS and Part has a distinct product scope — anti-riot shoes, tactical boots, miners' safety boots, and general-purpose service shoes are governed by different standards, and a CM/L licence against the wrong IS is treated by customs as no licence at all. Where a consignment mixes product types, each type must be covered by a CM/L against its own mapped standard, or the entire consignment faces detention.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 6403 91 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Conformity to the applicable Indian Standard is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 01 August 2024 under the Footwear Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2024; import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against the correct IS and Part for the product type.

Which Indian Standard applies to this HSN?

Six standards apply depending on product type: IS 1989 (Parts 1 and 2):1986 for miners' and heavy-metal-industry safety boots, IS 11226:1993 for direct-moulded rubber sole, IS 14544:2022 for direct-moulded polymeric sole, IS 17012:2018 for high-ankle tactical boots, IS 17037:2018 for anti-riot shoes, and IS 17043 (Parts 1 and 2):2024 for service and general-purpose shoes.

Does the micro and small enterprise exemption under S.O. 3775(E) apply to importers?

No. The exemption under S.O. 3775(E) applies only to micro and small manufacturing units as defined in Section 7 of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006; importers and trading entities are not exempt from the QCO obligation.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all footwear types within HSN 6403 91 10?

No. Each CM/L is standard-specific and Part-specific; a licence against IS 17012:2018 for tactical boots does not cover anti-riot shoes under IS 17037:2018, and customs detains consignments where the CM/L scope does not match the product type declared on the bill of entry.

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