Indian manufacturers urged to embrace quality to lead global markets, realise vision of 'Make in India'

New Delhi: Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Tuesday called on Indian manufacturers to place quality at the core of their operations, saying it is essential to compete effectively in global markets and realise the vision of 'Make in India'.

Addressing a national conference organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) virtually, Khare said that India is at a historic juncture to emerge as a trusted global manufacturing hub.

“In the modern global economy, competitiveness is no longer determined only by cost or scale, but increasingly by quality, safety, reliability and standards compliance,” she emphasised.

Khare highlighted Quality Control Orders (QCOs) as a vital tool for strengthening the manufacturing ecosystem.

The orders, she said, enhance consumer safety, improve product reliability, ensure fair trade, and check the influx of substandard imports — all of which support the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

As of now, 723 products have been brought under compulsory BIS certification, Khare added.

Sunil Mangla, Chairman of the PHDCCI Manufacturing Committee and Managing Director of Haryana Wires, stressed the need for global acceptance of BIS standards to reduce the compliance burden on Indian exporters.

“The US generally requires UL or NRTL-type certification for many products, Europe uses CE and related standards, while Japan uses JIS. BIS certification does not automatically replace UL, CE, or JIS in these markets today,” Mangla said.

He urged the government to work towards making BIS a globally acknowledged standard.Mangla also pointed out lengthy product testing timelines as a major challenge, noting that certification currently takes three to four months. 

He suggested the government rapidly expand testing laboratories or recognise reliable private labs for the purpose.

Responding to the suggestion, Secretary Khare directed her office to prepare a list of eligible private laboratories within 15 days.

Khare informed the gathering that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is actively modernising its framework to cover smart manufacturing, sustainable production, cybersecurity for connected devices, and other emerging technologies.