The 5th National Standards Conclave was held in New Delhi on 18 & 19th June 20 18. A key feature of the 5th Conclave was the launch of the Indian National Strategy for Standardization (INSS).
in his message the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi voiced his appreciation on the new framework on Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Technical Regulations that can provide far reaching benefits to the economy and help in raising the credibility of the ‘Made in India’ brand in the global market. The Prime Minister also expressed hope that besides raising the competitiveness of the respective sectors, the INSS will also help in aligning the sectoral strategies with national priorities.
The Hon’ble Minister for Commerce and Industry Mr Suresh Prabhu released the INSS document during the Conclave. He said that the Strategy is a testament of our commitment to an India looking to a future as a global leader in trade as well as standards setting. It sets a vision for the country to achieve the highest quality standards in production and distribution of goods as well as in services and an attempt to reclaim Brand India.
The Hon’ble Minister of State for Commerce and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Administration Mr C R Chaudhary highlighted the need for setting up a dynamic and measurable agenda of priorities and actions for driving inclusive development, protecting citizens rights and promoting India as a responsible supplier of high quality goods and services.
The Standards Conclave witnessed broad ranging deliberations on the goals identified in the INSS covering the 4 pillars of the Quality ecosystem that are Standards development; Conformity Assessment, Accreditation and Metrology; Technical Regulations and SPS Measures; and Education and Awareness.
The campaign for raising the critical importance of Standards has been led by Commerce Secretary Ms Rita Teotia who said it was deeply satisfying to see that the efforts of the past four years in creating awareness on the importance of standards and aligning them with trade have culminated into a structured action plan through the INSS. Adhering to international standards backed by world class testing, certification and schemes can go a long way in integrating Indian industry to global market.
Ms. Surina Rajan, Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards outlined the major initiatives taken by BIS in establishing cutting edge standards and its efforts in broad-basing its footprint across all sectors including services.
The “CII-ASL Study on TBT/SPS Notifications at the WTO” was also released during the Conclave. The study examines technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phyto sanitary measures.
“Standards should be seen as an aspirational aspect to enhance the quality of a product or a service” said, Dr. Naushad Forbes, Past President, CII. He added that industry needs to prepare itself to embrace standards.
The goals outlined in the Standards strategy would be implemented over a five year period with regular monitoring by an empowered committee.