Of steel

Steel furniture (chairs, tables, beds, storage units)

BIS QCO APPLICABLE · ISI MARK SCHEME · IS 17631

HSN 9403 20 10 (steel furniture) is covered by a Bureau of Indian Standards Quality Control Order under the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025. Conformity to the relevant Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme is mandatory, with enforcement from 14 February 2026 for regular enterprises and 14 August 2026 for micro and small enterprises; upholstered composites used in non-domestic steel furniture additionally require conformity to IS 15768:2008 with effect from 31 March 2025. Directorate General of Foreign Trade policy controls apply as a separate customs-clearance overlay.

What this is

HSN code

9403 20 10

Chapter

94 · Furniture; bedding, mattresses; lamps and lighting fittings

BIS QCO

Applicable · ISI Mark Scheme · CM/L required

Indian Standard

IS 17631 · effective 14-02-2026

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 which Indian Standard governs the specific steel furniture category being imported: IS 17631:2022 (work chairs), IS 17632:2022 (general-purpose chairs and stools), IS 17633:2022 (tables and desks), IS 17634:2022 (storage units and desks), IS 17635:2022 (beds), or IS 17636:2022 (bunk beds). Source only from a Bureau of Indian Standards CM/L-licensed manufacturer holding a current, category-matched licence.
Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 · S.O. 801(E) dated 13-02-2025 · Furniture (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2026 · S.O. 774(E) dated 12-02-2026
2
Verify the supplier's CM/L licence number, licensed product category, and licensed manufacturing facility on the BIS online register before placing the purchase order. The licence must cover the exact furniture category and production facility of the consignment.
Scheme-I of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 · Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025 · S.O. 801(E) dated 13-02-2025
3
If the steel furniture incorporates upholstered composites and is intended for non-domestic use, ensure the supplier also holds a CM/L licence against IS 15768:2008. This obligation arose under the Protective Textile Quality Control (Upholstered Composites used for Non-Domestic Furniture) Order, 2024 with effect from 31 March 2025.
S.O. 3916(E) dated 12-09-2024 · Protective Textile Quality Control (Upholstered Composites used for Non-Domestic Furniture) Order, 2024
4
Confirm that each article bears the ISI mark and the supplier's CM/L number per 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 · Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025
5
If the importer is an enterprise registered on the Udyam Portal with plant and machinery investment not exceeding ₹1 crore and turnover not exceeding ₹5 crore for the previous financial year, document the Chartered Accountant certificate establishing the exemption threshold. If the consignment originates in Bangladesh, verify applicable port restrictions under DGFT Notification 7/25-26.
S.O. 801(E) dated 13-02-2025 · DGFT Notification 7/25-26 dated 17-05-2025

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is treating HSN 9403 20 10 as a single-IS obligation and procuring one CM/L licence against IS 17631:2022 for the entire consignment, regardless of furniture category mix. Each category — work chairs, stools, tables, beds, bunk beds, storage units — is governed by a distinct Indian Standard, and a single licence against IS 17631:2022 does not cover a mixed shipment containing tables or beds. A consignment with category-mismatched CM/L licences is detained in full, not partially released on the conforming portion.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 9403 20 10 require BIS certification?

Yes. Steel furniture under this tariff line must conform to the relevant Indian Standard under the ISI Mark Scheme, with effect from 14 February 2026 for regular enterprises and 14 August 2026 for micro and small enterprises, under the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025.

Does the Udyam-registered micro-enterprise exemption apply to imports?

The exemption in S.O. 801(E) applies to enterprises registered on the Udyam Portal with plant and machinery investment not exceeding ₹1 crore and turnover not exceeding ₹5 crore for the previous financial year, as certified by a Chartered Accountant; importers relying on this carve-out must carry documentary proof at the time of customs filing.

Is IS 15768:2008 a separate QCO obligation on top of the Furniture QCO?

Yes. The Protective Textile Quality Control (Upholstered Composites used for Non-Domestic Furniture) Order, 2024, issued under S.O. 3916(E), requires conformity to IS 15768:2008 for upholstered composites used in non-domestic furniture, effective 31 March 2025, independently of the Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025.

Does a single CM/L licence cover all steel furniture categories in one consignment?

No. Each furniture category is mapped to a distinct Indian Standard — IS 17631:2022 through IS 17636:2022 — and a CM/L licence is category-specific; a mixed consignment requires separate, valid CM/L licences for each furniture type present.

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