Linear Alkyl Benzene Quality Control Order Suspended Until 31 December 2026
The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals has temporarily suspended the Linear Alkyl Benzene (Quality Control) Order, 2022, by an order dated 29 September 2026 (S.O. 5343(E)), published in the Gazette of India and listed on the Department's notifications page on 1 October 2026.
What the order says: • The Central Government, after consulting the Bureau of Indian Standards, has taken note of supply-chain disruption caused by "exigencies prevailing globally". • To ensure the availability of linear alkyl benzene (LAB), conformity to the Indian Standard under the QCO "shall not be applicable" for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2026. • The QCO was first notified on 5 April 2022 (S.O. 1648(E)) and was last amended on 25 June 2026 (S.O. 3456(E)).
What it means for buyers and suppliers
LAB is the main raw material for LAS, the active ingredient in most detergents. Until 31 December 2026, LAB — including imports — can be sold without BIS certification, which widens the choice of sources for detergent makers. Buyers should still check specifications (bromine index, colour, 2-phenyl content) in their contracts, since the BIS check no longer does it for them. Unless the suspension is extended, the QCO applies again from 1 January 2027.
Source: Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3(ii), No. 5136, 29 September 2026 — Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers order S.O. 5343(E). Image: general structure of linear alkylbenzene. DMacks, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.