Kochi, June 30 (KNN) Footwear makers from Kerala have appealed to the government to give them more time to implement the recent order from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for products to adhere to BIS norms.

They have also urged the government to exempt micro-units completely from the implementation of BIS norms.

“For small-scale units, the implementation may be postponed for a minimum of two years, effective from January 1, 2026, and for medium-scale units the implementation may be postponed by minimum one year,” they said.

According to the BIS order, 24 footwear items should adhere to the norms by July 1, 2023.

V.K.C. Razak of Footwear Manufacturers’ Association said, “the manufacturers were only happy to adhere to quality norms but implementing them from July 1 for a large number of products was not practical.”

He pointed out that footwear-making was the second-largest employment provider in the country. Around 75 per cent of units are in the unorganised sector without the financial muscle.

Kerala State Small Industries Association president A. Nizaruddin said the situation would lead to a major crisis in the sector, bringing it to a standstill.

In a letter to the concerned authorities, the footwear manufacturer have pointed out that products occupied retail shelves for a long time, making it impossible to take them back at short notice.

The industry also pointed out that BIS has not provided sufficient width for the range of products in terms of the multiple raw materials that go into production. “There are products that cost between Rs 100 and Rs 10,000. The entire range is being covered under one standard now,” it said.

They also said that taking back the product already sold from the market may not be a practical solution as most of the companies work on a distribution channel and there are unsold products with manufacturers.  (KNN Bureau)