SIMS is a licensing program applicable to steel importers. The Government felt the need to introduce a licensing program which would enable the maintenance of a statistical database recording of all the steel imports entering into the country. Accordingly, SIMS was introduced with effect from 1st November 2019 through Notification no.17/2015-2020 dated 5th September 2019. This notification makes advance registration compulsory for all steel-related imports which can be accessed below:
The purpose of SIMS is to enable the Government to maintain a constantly updated database which contains advance information about steel imports entering into the country. This data would help the government to arrive at effective policy formulations and implementations regarding steel imports. Also, various other stakeholders associated with the steel industry will be empowered to obtain information about the various steel products imported into the country. The data stored in the SIMS portal is published every week on the website of the Ministry of Steel and can be viewed by the public
