“MSMEs need to maintain Standards and should not suffer due to issues relating to conformity assessment and standards compliance, if they have to compete globally, said Mr. Prafulla Samal, Minister of SSPED, Women &Child Development, and MSME Government of Odisha while addressing the 12th Regional Standards Conclave, that took place on the 4th day of the trade fair. It was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, Government of India, the MSME Department of the Government of Odisha, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), National Accreditation Board of Certification Bodies (NABCB), the Export Inspection Council (EIC), and Centre for Research in International Trade (CRIT).
Addressing the Inaugural Session, Ms. Surina Rajan, Director General, BIS, said, “The BIS Act 2016 lays down very firmly, the framework for Standards development and delivery in India. The products, process, the service, delivered in the country, should be of high quality and meet the expectation of both consumers and producers. As the national standards body, BIS is committed to delivering quality assurance and standards’ solutions not just for exports but also the consumers within the country. What is imported into the country should also be safe for Indian consumers. Standardization is a movement, it should not be stuck in islands of quality. For standards, sustainability and smart services are the next dimension which BIS is trying to map out for future standardization and conformity assessment.”
Mr. L.N. Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department, Government of Odisha, while delivering the state address said, “Quality and Standards are very important for businesses. Out of Quality and Standards would result an enterprise to be out of business. MSMEs need to adopt standards. We have almost 3.7 lakhs MSME’s, 300 exporters and 356 startups, who need to be made aware of following the right standards to boost their turnover and profits. Following quality standards creates win-win situation for MSMEs as well as consumers, he said.”
Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India, Mr. Sudhanshu Pandey said, “Global trade in Goods is valued at US$18 trillion and Services trade is worth US$5 trillion. We are a US$ 2.6 trillion economy. To increase our share, we must vigorously follow the standards. The new Consumer Act allows for product recalls. It is a welcome move. Product liability law which puts greater responsibility on manufacturer now needs to come into place. Each stakeholder has a different interest, standards allow these interests to communicate and combine”.
Mr. Santosh Sarangi, Chairperson EIC and Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India, observed that, “In the changing scenario of world trade, quality infrastructure should be a thrust area. Consumers have been demanding more and more information at their disposal. Today, no one can ignore the issues of human health and safety and hence, following standards is all the more important.
Mr. Shyamsundar Bang, Chairman NABCB, said Industry in India is steadily growing. Consumer expectation of quality has increased, as has global integration of markets, which has also improved the compliance attitude in Indian industry increase. It is important to demonstrate compliance to standards in internationally accepted ways. We must start third party certification and create a robust infrastructure for conformity assessment.”
