The Indian government has once again postponed the implementation of the Quality Control Order (QCO) on cotton, extending the deadline by another year. According to a recent notification issued by the Ministry of Textiles, the QCO will now be enforced from Aug 27, 2025 onwards. The order was originally scheduled to be implemented in 2023, but was first delayed until 2024, and has now been extended once more.

This extension was advocated by the Cotton Association of India (CAI) alongwith other industry bodies who argued that an immediate implementation of the QCO would prove impractical for the industry

The government has already enforced the QCO on polyester, viscose fiber, and other products. The delay in implementation of the order on cotton is also a result of the concerns raised by Indian ginning industry over the stringent norms set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for moisture, trash content, and other quality specifications.

Predominantly comprising of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Indian ginning industry faces significant challenges in meeting these standards. The QCO mandates substantial investment in modern machinery, but many of these units operate with basic, outdated equipment and struggle to upgrade their facilities.