Govt Extends Quality Control Amendment for Air Conditioners and Compressor Import Relaxation Till March 2027 [Read Notification]

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued the Air Conditioner and its Related Parts, Hermetic Compressor and Temperature Sensing Controls (Quality Control) Amendment Order, 2026, introducing conditional exemptions for manufacturers importing specific compressor types for in‑house production.

The order, published in the Gazette of India, modifies the 2019 Quality Control framework under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. It allows manufacturers of air‑conditioning and refrigeration equipment to import designated goods until March 31, 2027, subject to volume caps linked to their imports during FY 2024‑25.

Important provisos

• Reciprocating hermetic compressors (below two tons, fixed and inverter type, for refrigerators): import permitted up to 40% of FY 2024‑25 levels.
• Rotary hermetic compressors (below two tons, for air conditioners and heat pumps): capped at 30% of FY 2024‑25 levels.
• Scroll and rotary hermetic compressors (two tons and above, for refrigeration, AC, and heat pump applications): allowed up to 90% of FY 2024‑25 levels.
• Rotary hermetic compressors (two tons and above, for variable refrigerant flow systems): permitted up to 100% of FY 2024‑25 levels.

Manufacturers must maintain monthly records of such imports, duly signed by authorized signatories, and submit them to the relevant authorities. Also, they are required to present a plan for the indigenisation of these goods to the Central Government.

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