India Market Watch: Are Orders Returning? New Market Access Opportunities Emerge!
“Based on recent developments, India is signaling a potential thaw in trade relations with China. Key measures include resuming tourist visas, revoking Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for 21 industrial products, and restarting BIS certification processes for Chinese manufacturers. These steps aim to lower market entry barriers and compliance costs for Chinese exporters, particularly in sectors like chemicals, electronics, and appliances. For businesses, this represents a timely opportunity to reassess and strategically re-enter the evolving Indian market.”
Recently, the Indian market has been releasing a series of positive signals toward China across multiple fronts, including visas, product regulation, and standards certification. Whether it's the long-awaited resumption of tourist visa issuance, the revocation of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for key industries, or the quiet restart of the Indian Standards Bureau's (BIS) application processing for Chinese manufacturers, these actions collectively point to a clear trend: India is taking steps to relax certain trade restrictions with China, opening a noteworthy new window for Chinese enterprises aiming to deepen their presence in the Indian market.
I. Resumption of Personnel Exchanges: Visa and Flight Routes Restored Simultaneously
In recent years, India's visa policy towards China had become exceptionally stringent, with tourist visas suspended for an extended period and business visa reviews also unusually strict. This created significant obstacles for China-India economic and trade activities that rely on face-to-face communication, on-site factory inspections, and after-sales support.
This situation has recently seen a substantive shift. In November 2025, the Indian government officially announced the full resumption of tourist visa issuance to Chinese citizens to promote normalization of bilateral relations, issuing relevant guidance to its embassies and consulates worldwide. This marks the reopening of regular visa channels that had been interrupted for nearly five years. Concurrently, air connectivity is also being restored. Following IndiGo's launch of the Guangzhou route, more direct flights have been slated for resumption. The facilitation of personnel movement will significantly boost business negotiations, market surveys, and technical exchanges, paving the way for deeper bilateral trade.
II. Relaxation of Regulatory Barriers: Revocation of QCOs for 21 Product Categories
On the front of goods access, Indian regulators issued important notifications in mid-November 2025, announcing the revocation of mandatory Quality Control Orders for a total of 21 chemical, polymer, and metal materials. Details are as follows:
•November 12, 2025: The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals revoked QCOs covering 14 chemical and polymer products, including ethylene glycol, polyester staple fiber, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
•November 13, 2025: The Ministry of Mines revoked QCOs covering 7 metal materials, including copper, aluminum, and nickel.
This policy adjustment impacts multiple industrial chains such as chemicals, textiles, plastics processing, and metal products. It is widely interpreted as a substantive move by India to simplify import regulation, enhance industrial operational efficiency, and improve supply chain resilience. For Chinese exporters in related sectors, this implies that compliance costs and time barriers for entering the Indian market for certain products are expected to decrease significantly.
III. Thawing of Certification Channels: BIS Resumes Accepting Applications from Chinese Manufacturers
A more groundbreaking development comes from the field of product compliance certification. According to multiple authoritative sources, after a suspension of nearly five years, the Bureau of Indian Standards is preparing to resume accepting product certification applications from Chinese manufacturers, covering the ISI mark (applicable to traditional industrial products like building materials and home appliances) and the CRS registration (applicable to electronic products).
•Certification Path: Applications must be submitted through an Indian local authorized representative. ISI certification typically requires a BIS factory audit and subsequent surveillance, while CRS registration focuses on product testing at designated laboratories.
•Testing Requirements: Some testing can be completed in CNAS-accredited laboratories in China, but specific products such as lithium batteries still require testing at laboratories recognized within India.
If fully implemented, this move will open a clearer compliance path for quality manufacturers in sectors like consumer electronics, mobile phones, and home appliances from China, helping companies meet Indian market access requirements more efficiently and seize market opportunities.
Comprehensive Insights and Strategic Recommendations
The recent series of developments indicate that the Indian market is demonstrating a pragmatic and open stance in specific areas. For Chinese foreign trade enterprises, this undoubtedly represents a crucial opportunity window for multi-market diversification and risk dispersion.
Companies should actively follow up on the latest policy details, re-evaluate potential product categories for the Indian market, and prepare for compliance requirements in advance. In this process, accurate and timely market intelligence and data support are essential.
Market Expansion Data Support Note
The Big Trade Data platform integrates customs transaction data and trade statistics from over 230 countries and regions worldwide, enabling enterprises to:
•Gain Market Insights:Accurately analyze import trends and demand changes across various Indian industries.
•Identify Potential Clients: Pinpoint potential buyers and understand their supply chains and trading patterns.
•Formulate Strategies: Develop more targeted market entry and competition strategies based on data-driven insights.
By leveraging reliable data tools, companies can more keenly capture signals and more steadily grasp the new opportunities now emerging in the Indian market.
