M N Vidyashankar, Secretary IT and BT on Monday stressed the need for harnessing technology to ensure quality in the products manufactured in India.

Speaking at the World Standards Day Celebration and seminar on ‘ Standards and the Citizens’, he said “If we have to ensure standards for people to adhere to, then the solution lies in technology which alone can help maintain quality,” he said.

He also added that the evolution of technology over the years makes it ideal to help us find solution to our present and future problems.

"Today the Indian economy is scorching at 9.4 per cent growth rate per annum, there are about million mobile subscribers being added every month. The total codified knowledge of mankind which used to double once three decades in the last century will double every 11 months by 2010 at the rate at which it is growing today.

Therefore the solution lies in technology alone,” he said.

Sector leaders

Citing an example of how technology has made India a leading producer of cotton in the world he said, “ We have the highest number of bio technology cotton farmers today in India and last year we became a net exporter in cotton. Similarly in the global IT market Bangalore is on the forefront with 76 per cent of chips being manufactured here,” he said. 

Speaking on the occasion B S Sudhir Chandra, Director( Project and Planning) Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) explained the measures taken by it to maintain standard norms at the metro rail stations regarding fire safety, emergency evacuations, passenger safety etc which adhere to international standards.

M D N Simha, Chief Environmental Officer, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KPSC) said that it would soon be adopting ISO 17025 standards for its Central lab and also be extending ISO 9000 standard to all its offices.