Of alloy steel

Hollow drill bars and rods of alloy steel

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · SIMS OVERLAY

HSN 7228 80 10 (hollow drill bars and rods of alloy steel) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order. Conformity to the Indian Standard mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 is mandatory under the ISI Mark Scheme with effect from 29 August 2024, by virtue of S.O. 3716(E). Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) registration administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade applies as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

7228 80 10

Chapter

72 · Iron and steel

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS mapped in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 · effective 29-08-2024

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

BISBIS·Bureau of Indian Standards

SIMSSIMS·Steel Import Monitoring System

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, 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 the Indian Standard specified for hollow drill bars and rods in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024. Verify the CM/L number, licensed product scope, and manufacturing facility address on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order.
Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
2
Ensure every bar or rod in the consignment bears the ISI standard mark under the supplier's CM/L licence and is accompanied by a test certificate bearing the standard mark, issued by the BIS-certified manufacturer, as required for each consignment.
Schedule-I to Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · S.O. 3716(E) dated 29-08-2024
3
If the consignment lacks a BIS CM/L licence or certification, apply through the TCQCO portal for clarification before import. This is mandatory for all steel importers importing without BIS licence per Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023, read with CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023.
Ministry of Steel circular dated 20-10-2023 · CBIC clarification F.No.401/88/2023-CUS.III dated 09-11-2023
4
Register the consignment on the Steel Import Monitoring System portal not earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival. Fee ₹500; the automatic registration number is valid for 75 days and must remain valid on the date of arrival. Re-imports for packaging only and SEZ-to-DTA movements without value addition are exempt from SIMS.
DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 dated 28-09-2020 · DGFT Notification 28/2023 dated 28-08-2023 · DGFT policy circular 38/2015-20 dated 19-01-2022
5
Quote the supplier's BIS CM/L number and the SIMS registration number on the bill of entry, and ensure strict compliance with the Indian Standard of the respective input material as notified in the QCO. Customs verifies both against live portals; absent, expired, or scope-mismatched credentials trigger consignment detention.
CBIC Instruction 16/2025-CUS dated 18-06-2025 as modified by CBIC Instruction 23/2025-CUS dated 15-07-2025 · BIS Act, 2016 · Customs Act, 1962

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is failing to cross-check whether the specific serial number entry for hollow drill bars and rods in Schedule 1 of the Steel and Steel Products QCO, 2024 falls within either of the deferral batches notified under S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 — which suspended enforcement for defined serial numbers for periods of one or three years. An importer who treats all Schedule 1 entries as equally operative risks either unnecessary compliance spend on a deferred entry or, worse, imports a non-deferred product without a CM/L licence and faces detention, confiscation, and prosecution under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 7228 80 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Hollow drill bars and rods of alloy steel are covered by the Steel and Steel Products Quality Control Order, 2024 under S.O. 3716(E); import is permitted only from manufacturers holding a current BIS CM/L licence against the Indian Standard specified in Schedule 1, with effect from 29 August 2024.

Is SIMS registration required separately from BIS QCO compliance?

Yes. Steel Import Monitoring System registration is administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under DGFT Notification 33/2015-20 and is independent of the BIS QCO obligation. Fee ₹500, validity 75 days, apply no earlier than 60 days before the expected date of arrival.

Could the enforcement of the relevant Schedule 1 entry be deferred under S.O. 5134(E)?

Possibly. S.O. 5134(E) dated 20-11-2025 suspended enforcement for specified Schedule 1 serial numbers for one or three years. Importers must identify the exact serial number assigned to hollow drill bars and rods and verify whether it appears in either deferral list before concluding that the BIS obligation is currently operative.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all hollow drill bar and rod specifications from the same manufacturer?

No. The CM/L is facility-specific and scope-specific; bars and rods outside the licensed specification or from an unlicensed manufacturing plant are not covered, and customs detains the consignment on a scope mismatch with the BIS register.

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