The National Test House (NTH), Northern Region, under the Department of Consumer Affairs has established a state-of-the-art Shoe Testing Laboratory. This significantly enhances its capability to provide comprehensive, reliable and high-precision footwear testing services for MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters, consumers and regulatory authorities across the country.

“The establishment of this advanced facility will mark an important step towards strengthening India’s quality assurance infrastructure for the rapidly growing footwear sector and reinforcing India’s manufacturing competitiveness,” an official statement noted.

“Footwear forms an essential part of everyday life, and consumers increasingly expect products that are durable, comfortable, safe, and suitable for long hours of use and varying environmental conditions. Ensuring such quality requires rigorous testing and evaluation to verify parameters such as slip resistance, durability, material strength, and the absence of harmful chemicals and dyes,” it added.

NTH Ghaziabad’s upgraded Shoe Testing Laboratory is equipped with modern testing instruments and advanced infrastructure to evaluate a wide range of footwear products in accordance with relevant Indian Standards (IS). The laboratory is capable of conducting quality testing for products across categories including safety and industrial shoes, school and leather footwear, PVC footwear, sandals and chappals, and sports footwear.

“The laboratory will undertake a comprehensive range of critical performance and quality tests to ensure high standards of safety, durability, comfort, and performance. The facility has been designed to provide accurate, dependable, and timely testing services at comparatively affordable testing charges, thereby making quality assessment more accessible, particularly for MSMEs and small-scale manufacturers,” the statement added.

The testing centre is strategically located in Ghaziabad near major footwear manufacturing clusters such as Delhi-NCR, Kanpur, and Agra. This will facilitate faster sample testing, reduce logistics costs, and improve ease of access for the footwear industry in northern India.

“The establishment of the Shoe Testing Laboratory represents a significant strategic initiative towards supporting India’s expanding footwear manufacturing ecosystem and strengthening the national quality infrastructure. The facility will assist manufacturers in meeting stringent domestic and international quality requirements, thereby enhancing product reliability, consumer safety, export competitiveness, and market acceptance,” it added.

Published on May 17, 2026