The base order these amendments change
The Furniture (Quality Control) Order 2025 was notified as S.O. 801(E) in February 2025. It covers six categories: work chairs (IS 17631:2022), general-purpose chairs and stools (IS 17632:2022), tables and desks (IS 17633:2022), storage units (IS 17634:2022), beds (IS 17635:2022) and bunk beds (IS 17636:2022). Covered products need a BIS Scheme-I licence and the ISI mark. The order took effect on 14 February 2026 for medium and large enterprises. For micro and small enterprises it took effect in mid-August 2026; sources differ on whether the date is 13 or 14 August. None of the 2026 amendments described below removed a category or cancelled the requirement. They changed what happens to goods already in the pipeline and how licences can be obtained.
First amendment: S.O. 774(E), 13 February 2026
According to consultant summaries, the first amendment did three things. It allows up to 200 units a year of covered furniture to be imported for research and development without a licence. It lets manufacturers who are certified, or who have applied for certification, sell stock made or imported before the deadline for 12 months. It exempts goods imported only for re-export. For a homeowner, the second point matters most: a retailer selling pre-deadline stock may be doing so legally, but only within that 12-month window and only if the maker is certified or has applied. Ask which applies. Check the current notification on egazette.gov.in, because consultant summaries can simplify conditions. The research and development allowance is aimed at manufacturers testing products, not at households importing for their own use.
Second amendment: S.O. 1125(E), 2 March 2026
According to a law-firm summary, the second amendment addressed goods already ordered or shipped when the deadline arrived. Such goods were exempt if the Bill of Entry was filed within 180 days. After clearance, the importer had to submit documents to BIS within 7 days. Counting from the February deadline for larger enterprises, that 180-day window closed around mid-August 2026. In practice, a covered shipment ordered or shipped today cannot rely on this relief. If a seller cites the March 2026 amendment as the reason a new consignment does not need a licence, ask them to show you the clause and the dates, and check the current notification on egazette.gov.in or bis.gov.in. For micro and small enterprises, whose deadline fell in mid-August 2026, confirm how the window applies against the notification itself.
Transition Facilitation (QCO) Order 2026, June 2026
On 25 June 2026, DPIIT notified the Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order 2026, S.O. 3417(E) (PIB release, 25 June 2026). It is not furniture-specific: its Schedule lists ten quality control orders, including the Furniture QCO. It lets a company incorporated in India apply to DPIIT for permission to source covered goods from manufacturers holding a Scheme II (self-declaration) licence instead of the usual Scheme I (ISI mark) licence. That Scheme II licence is valid only for supply to the permitted company, an Implementation Committee assesses the risk, applications are open for 24 months, and the Order runs for five years. What it does not do matters just as much: it is not an extension of the furniture deadline, it gives no clearance route for consignments already shipped or waiting at a port, and products must still meet the Indian Standard. If a seller cites this Order to explain why uncertified furniture is fine, ask for the DPIIT permission letter and the licence number.
What this means for a buyer in late 2026
As of September 2026, every size of enterprise is inside the Furniture QCO, the 180-day pipeline relief has closed, and the 12-month sell-through only helps makers who are certified or have applied. For any covered piece you buy now, whether from a showroom, an importer or a factory abroad, ask for the manufacturer's BIS licence number and verify it. If the seller relies on an exemption, ask which notification and clause, and get it in writing. Remember that motorised furniture has a separate order from 1 October 2026, and non-domestic upholstery has its own fire-retardant requirement. Rules in this area have changed several times in eighteen months, so re-check before any large order. Keep a copy of the licence details with your invoice.