Why Louis Vuitton and Dior can't bring their shoes to India

livemint.com:

Coveted worldwide for their style, design and durability, but shut out of the Indian market over quality rules: That’s the paradox facing French luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior and Christian Louboutin trying to sell their exquisite footwear in India. Footwear imports by these brands and others have faced hurdles after the government’s quality rules mandating the application of BIS standards for imported footwear, including embossing ISI marks on all footwear sold in India took effect in July 2023, three people aware of the matter said. Under the quality control order (QCO) on footwear, no company can manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit any product in the country without the ISI mark.

The rules, which were issued in June 2022, took effect in July last year. In order to import footwear, these global brands may have to meet Indian standards in their European factories. According to one of the three people cited above, who holds the Indian franchise for six international luxury brands, this is a cumbersome affair.

“Each time, the sample must be sent, and for every new material used in the shoe, whether it has the same design or not, will have to go for retesting before being exported to India. I don’t know how this will be achieved, especially in the women’s shoes category," the person said on condition of anonymity. Developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the embossed ISI logo is seen domestically as a marker of quality, something the government wants to extend to imported goods as well.