Hand Tools QCO 2025 Explained: The 9 Tools That Now Need the ISI Mark

The ISI mark is now mandatory for 9 hand tools

Since 1 October 2026, spanners, pipe wrenches and combination pliers sold in India must carry the ISI mark. This is a legal requirement under the Hand Tools (Quality Control) Order, 2025, notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). It applies to anyone who makes, imports, distributes, stores or sells these tools.

If you run a forging unit in Jalandhar, import adjustable wrenches from China or Taiwan, or stock tool kits for retail, this guide explains exactly what the order says, when it applies to you, and what happens if you ignore it.

What the order says

The order was published in the Gazette of India as S.O. 5596(E), dated 4 December 2025. It was issued under Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, which lets the Central Government make the Standard Mark compulsory for any product in the public interest.

It makes three requirements: each listed tool must conform to its Indian Standard (IS); each tool must carry the BIS Standard Mark (the ISI mark); and the mark must be used under a licence from BIS, granted under Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. BIS is named as both the certifying and the enforcing authority.

The order also states that the latest version of each Indian Standard, including amendments, applies. If BIS revises IS 2028 next year, your tools must meet the revised version.

How the order got here

The December 2025 order replaced earlier versions. The first Hand Tools QCO was issued on 17 September 2024, a revised order followed in July 2025, and S.O. 5596(E) of 4 December 2025 superseded both and fixed the start date at 1 October 2026.

Older blog posts and consultant pages still quote 2025 deadlines from the earlier versions. Those dates no longer apply.

The 9 hand tools covered

Tools outside this list are not covered by this order — screwdrivers, hammers, long-nose pliers, socket sets, torque wrenches and so on. They may be covered by future orders, so check the BIS "Upcoming QCOs" page regularly.

When the deadline applies to you

The order sets different dates by enterprise size, using the definitions in the MSMED Act, 2006.

Three points businesses often miss

Medium enterprises get no extra time. The order gives later dates only to micro and small enterprises; medium units follow the general date.

You need Udyam Registration to claim the later date. Without a valid Udyam certificate showing you as micro or small, assume the 1 October 2026 date applies.

The extra months are for getting certified, not for waiting. Getting a BIS licence involves lab testing and a factory inspection, which can take one to four months. A micro unit that applies in March 2027 is likely to miss its own deadline.

For reference, from 1 April 2025 a micro enterprise has investment up to ₹2.5 crore and turnover up to ₹10 crore, and a small enterprise has investment up to ₹25 crore and turnover up to ₹100 crore.

Who has to comply

Section 17(1) of the BIS Act is broad. Once a product is under a QCO, no person may manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale that product without a valid ISI mark. In practice:

Indian manufacturers need their own BIS licence for each tool type and each factory.

Foreign manufacturers exporting to India need a BIS licence under the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme (FMCS). Customs can hold uncertified consignments.

Importers and brand owners cannot clear uncertified stock. If you sell under your own brand but buy from a contract manufacturer, the licence must be held by the actual manufacturing unit.

Distributors, wholesalers and retailers must not stock or display unmarked tools. "I bought it before the deadline" is not a defence once the order is in force.

Kit makers and OEMs must check that every covered tool inside a tool kit, a vehicle tool roll or a machine accessory pack carries the ISI mark.

The two exemptions

1. Goods made in India for export. Tools manufactured domestically purely for export are outside the order. The exemption ends if any of that stock is sold in India.

2. R&D imports. Hand-tool manufacturers may import up to 200 pieces per year for research and development. These must not be sold, must be scrapped after use, and need a year-wise record that you can show to government authorities on request.

There is no exemption for samples sent to buyers, for trade-fair stock, or for "old inventory".

Penalties for non-compliance

Section 4 of the order says violations are punishable under the BIS Act, 2016. Under Section 29(3), anyone who contravenes Section 17 faces imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of at least ₹2 lakh for a first offence and at least ₹5 lakh for later offences — which can go up to ten times the value of the goods involved — or both.

If the value of the goods cannot be determined, the Act presumes that one full year's production was in violation and uses the previous year's turnover as the value.

The offence is cognizable: authorities can act without a warrant. Under Section 30, directors, managers and other officers in charge of the business can be prosecuted along with the company. BIS can also search premises and seize non-compliant stock.

What to do now

How TechbyDR Services helps

We map your hand-tool range to the nine standards, check your factory's testing and quality control against BIS expectations, coordinate lab testing, and take your Scheme-I licence application through inspection to grant. For foreign factories, we manage the FMCS application and the Authorised Indian Representative requirement.