Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Highlights Importance of Quality Standards on World Standards Day

New Delhi: Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, emphasized the critical role of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in ensuring access to safe, reliable, and high-quality products for all Indian citizens. Delivering the keynote address on the occasion of World Standards Day in New Delhi today, Joshi underlined the interdependence between consumers and producers, stating that consumer well-being is directly linked to quality products, while the growth of industry hinges on the demand for these goods.

Joshi highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India synonymous with world-class standards and urged BIS to focus on enhancing quality as India’s economy continues to grow. He emphasized that BIS has a pivotal role in driving India’s economic growth and solidifying the ‘Made in India’ label, with a focus on elevating ‘Brand Bharat’ to a global level.

“India’s rising stature in global trade makes quality crucial,” said Joshi. He noted that the new BIS Act of 2016 has strengthened the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ initiative and is supporting the ‘Make in India’ campaign. Praising BIS for its efforts in product standardization, the Minister shared that over 22,300 standards are currently in force, with 94% of Indian standards harmonized with international ISO and ISE standards. He also mentioned that 174 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) covering 732 products have been made compulsory for BIS certification, a significant jump from 14 QCOs covering just 106 products in 2014.

The Minister stressed the need to raise public awareness about standards, urging consumers to check for ISI and BIS certifications before purchasing products. “We must create a standard where consumers are aware of their rights and demand certified quality in every product they purchase,” he said.

Joshi also recognized the impact of standards on India’s position as the fifth largest economy in the world, noting that standards act as the backbone of society, ensuring the safety, quality, and trust in products and services. “Standards play a pivotal role in technical development, industrial growth, and the well-being of society, contributing to economic growth and environmental sustainability,” he added.

For businesses, adhering to standards improves processes, reduces waste, and ensures compatibility with other markets, while for consumers, standards guarantee reliability, consistency, safety, and interoperability of products. Joshi applauded the work of other standard development organizations (SDOs), such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), and emphasized the importance of the ‘One Nation, One Standard’ concept to ensure coherence across various sectors.

During the event, the Minister launched the BIS Care App 3.0, a one-stop utility platform that empowers consumers to verify the genuineness of BIS-certified products and hallmarked jewelry. The app also facilitates complaints against sub-standard products and misuse of BIS marks, with new features aimed at increasing transparency and accessibility for stakeholders.

Joshi also introduced a film on BIS’s Standards Promotion Activities, along with the launch of a Quality Quest Game to enhance consumer knowledge of product quality. As part of the World Standards Day celebrations, he released Reference Handbooks on national standards and comic books developed by BIS, which will be distributed to Standards Clubs across the country.

The event was attended by Union Minister of State, B.L. Verma, along with Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare, and BIS Director General, Pramod Kumar Tiwari, among other key stakeholders from the government, industry, and academia.