The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has relaxed the quality control order (QCO) norms for air conditioners (ACs) and related parts.

In a notification, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has stated that hermetic compressors of more than 7,000 W (2 TR) capacity have been removed from the order for one year for the manufacturers of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment and related parts.

The government has exempted 200 goods or articles imported each year for the purpose of research and development (R&D) by the manufacturers. However, these imported goods will not be allowed to be sold in the market, and would be disposed of as scrap.

Exemption has been given to 6,000 hermetic compressors and heat exchangers domestically manufactured or imported for maintenance and sales every year by each of the manufacturers. Temperature sensing controls have also been dropped from the list.