“Make in India, Make for the World” is now a catchphrase. However, while making in India might not be as challenging, selling Indian products around the world definitely is. At a time when traditional manufacturing hubs dump their cheap and low-quality goods around the world, India is out on a mission to disrupt the equation.
For long, countries like China have stratified goods based on the country they are being sold to. Rich, Western nations get products having decent, if not exceptional quality. Nations in the Global South, those still in the early stages of development, on the other hand, have to settle for low-quality imports that are dumped upon them under the garb of them being cheap. India is now stepping up its game to provide quality goods to all, not just a select few who may control the levers at the World Trade Organization.
The Narendra Modi government has been working in “mission mode” to develop a robust quality ecosystem in India. As part of this endeavour, Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are being rapidly introduced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for critical products impacting consumer safety, like Electrical Accessories, Laboratory Glassware, Hinges, Copper Products, and Door Fittings. These QCOs have the right ingredients for strengthening the quality standards of ‘Made in India’ products, without compromising on the range of goods being made available to the Indian consumer.
This focused approach for restricting the circulation of substandard products will be a crucial driver for establishing India as a manufacturing powerhouse synonymous with best-in-class goods. With a view to establishing India as a global leader in providing superior quality and safety-compliant products, a plethora of reforms has been undertaken to ensure that the ‘Made in India’ brand resonates with internationally recognised brands that offer premium quality.
PM Modi’s Vision
India’s focus on overhauling its quality control system is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Indian goods and services to have “supreme” quality. In fact, PM Modi, from the ramparts of the Red Fort last year, said, “If there’s a ‘Made in India’ product on any table in the world, the world should have confidence that there is nothing better than this. This will be ultimate. Be it our produce, our services, our words, our institutions, or our decision-making processes, everything will be supreme. Only then can we carry forward the essence of excellence.”
DPIIT has focused on developing a robust quality ecosystem for products under its purview to provide good quality products and promote exports of Indian products. This has led to the issuance of more than 60 new QCOs covering approximately 300 product standards, which have not only ensured that reliable products are being made available to the consumers but also improved the manufacturing quality standards.
QCOs have been recently notified for ‘Steel Wires/ Strands, Nylon Wire Ropes and Wire Mesh’, ‘Hinges’, ‘Safes, Safe Deposits Locker Cabinets and Key locks’, ‘Laboratory Glassware’, and ‘Electrical Accessories’, among many others. All these products have great usage and applicability in everyday activities, highlighting the criticality of having well-defined standards for them to avoid any unforeseen incidents.
India has also drawn a clear line for voluntary quality compliance of certain products, while also setting up a mandatory compliance regime for others. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS,) which serves as the National Standard Body of India, is harmonised to a great extent with the relevant international standards. While the Standards issued by the BIS for any product or process are for voluntary compliance, those notified by the Central Government through the issuance of Technical Regulations (TR) primarily through Quality Control Order (QCO) under Scheme-I and Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) under Scheme-II are mandatory.
India is working in real-time to put in place a quality control system that is not static, and therefore, is subject to change to emerging global trends and changes in market dynamics. DPIIT conducts regular consultations with industry members, sectoral associations, and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the QCOs being issued are attuned to their needs and requirements.
Why Is India’s ‘Quality Control’ Move Significant?
Implementation of QCOs will help India acquire a greater share of the global manufacturing market while enforcing strong quality standards to enhance consumer product safety, prevent the circulation of substandard products in the Indian market, attract investments, and prevent loss of life or any accidents.
This move is meant to ensure quality standardisation domestically, but it can also be seen as India’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) internationally. Becoming a provider of high-quality goods can become India’s niche. This bodes well with the larger goal of ensuring that India becomes a manufacturing hub for the world.
Since China has a fair sense of expertise in manufacturing substandard products, India can provide an alternative with its quality-conforming goods. QCOs are also essential for making sure that Indians are not forced to settle for less in terms of quality when they buy any product that has been made domestically.
Having quality controls in place is also helping India keep China’s dumping of goods in check. Today, inspections by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) have become crucial. Customs officials make it a point to not allow the entry of products into India that are not compliant with Indian standards.
In December last year, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said quality control orders are important to cut imports of substandard products and promote the safety of consumers. Importantly, Goyal also said the domestic industry should not approach the ministry against these orders, implying that the quality checks are here to stay and will not be tweaked unless it is absolutely crucial to do so.
Earlier in January, India tightened rules to ensure mandatory compliance with good manufacturing practices by pharmaceutical companies. India is a major exporter of medicines to low and middle-income countries which require this WHO GMP certification. Last year, some instances of Indian medicines falling short of quality standards were reported, which have resulted in the government now putting QCOs in place for pharmaceutical companies to comply with.
A number of countries have tried pressuring India into not pursuing its quality control regime, saying it affects their ability to trade with New Delhi. The World Trade Organization has been approached over the same issue; however, India remains steadfast in its commitment to overhaul its quality control ecosystem. Perhaps, some countries are feeling insecure as India gets ready to export quality products around the world, potentially disrupting their existing monopolies.
In a resolute pursuit of excellence, India’s decision to fortify its quality control framework through several Quality Control Orders is a paradigm shift. Championed by the Modi government, this strategic initiative not only ensures rigorous domestic standards but also propels India as a global hub for premium goods. Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, this commitment to quality offers a credible alternative to substandard imports, bolstering consumer safety, and reinforcing India’s standing as a beacon of reliability in the international market.
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