Under India’s Furniture (Quality Control) Order, 2025, work chairs must conform to IS 17631:2022 and carry the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Standard Mark, under a BIS licence. Goods made in India only for export are exempt, and some small enterprises have separate provisos. The order has been amended, so read the current text, not a summary.
What does the order actually require?
The order was made on 13 February 2025 under section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016. It lists six Indian Standards. Work chairs are IS 17631:2022. The others cover general purpose chairs and stools, tables and desks, storage units, beds and bunk beds.
For listed goods, the order says they “shall conform” to the matching standard and bear the Standard Mark under a BIS licence (Scheme-I of Schedule-II of the BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations, 2018). The Bureau is the certifying and enforcing authority. Breaking the order is punishable under the BIS Act.
When did it take effect?
The original text says it comes into force twelve months after publication in the Gazette. The order was published on 14 February 2025. That puts the start in February 2026.
The text was amended twice in 2026. S.O. 774(E) of 12 February 2026 added provisos for limited research and development imports, for stock made or imported before implementation (sellable for twelve months with a self-declaration to BIS), and for non-BIS-marked parts imported by furniture exporters. S.O. 1125(E) of 2 March 2026 added transitional provisos for certain imports whose shipping and purchase orders pre-date implementation. A separate Transition Facilitation (Quality Control) Order, 2026 (S.O. 3417(E)) came into force on 25 June 2026 and applies to goods under several quality control orders, furniture among them. PwC India’s summary of that order is our source for this, and we have not read its gazette text, so we do not describe how it works. We read S.O. 774(E) in the official gazette copy. We have not confirmed every date and every other amendment from official sources, so treat any date here as correct “as of 26 October 2026” and verify it against the current gazette.
Who is exempt?
The original order says nothing in it applies to goods “manufactured domestically for export”. It also has provisos for micro and small enterprises, including a time-limited one and an exemption tied to Udyam registration, plant and machinery value and turnover. The exact conditions are in the gazette text. If you rely on an exemption, confirm it against the current order and ask your supplier to state which one applies.
What is IS 17631:2022?
BIS lists it as “Work Chairs - Specification”, a new standard published in 2022 with no earlier standard superseded. The BIS page we read gives the title, year and that one amendment is listed. It does not show the scope text, so we do not describe the test limits here. Buy the standard from BIS to read them.
How is this different from BIFMA?
BIFMA standards are US test standards that many chair makers quote. IS 17631 is an Indian standard, and its mark is a legal requirement for covered goods. They are separate. A chair can cite one and not the other. For the BIFMA side, see What BIFMA-Compliant Means on an Office Chair.
What should an office buyer ask for?
- Is this chair covered by the order, and if exempt, on what ground?
- The BIS licence number and the model it covers.
- The standard and edition, including any amendment.
- Whether leather upholstery is tested separately from the frame.
- The supplier’s written confirmation, kept with the purchase file.
How does Hausbarn fit in?
Hausbarn designs and builds premium office furniture through manufacturing partners, with a focus on the executive and CEO cabin. Our Premium Office Furniture page describes the range, including leather-upholstered seating. For any chair, ask us or any supplier for the licence and standard details in writing before you order.