Indian manufacturers must make quality consciousness central to their operations to compete in global markets, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Tuesday, even as industry body PHDCCI demanded that BIS certification gain international equivalence to ease export hurdles.
Addressing virtually a national conference organised by PHDCCI here, Khare said India today has a historic opportunity to emerge as a trusted global manufacturing hub under the vision of Make in India.
"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 said.
Khare said Quality Control Orders have become an important instrument for strengthening India's manufacturing ecosystem, describing them as catalysts for promoting quality-conscious manufacturing rather than merely regulatory measures.
She said QCOs contribute to consumer safety, improve product reliability, facilitate fair trade practices and help prevent the import of substandard goods, thereby strengthening India's overall quality ecosystem and contributing to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
As on date, 723 products have been notified for compulsory BIS certification, she added.
On the sidelines of the conference, PHDCCI Manufacturing Committee Chair and Haryana Wires Managing Director Sunil Mangla told PTI that the government must work to make BIS standards globally recognised to spare exporters the burden of seeking separate country-specific approvals.
"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.
"Currently, exporters face these hurdles, so we are asking the government to build BIS into a globally acknowledged standard," he added.
Mangla also flagged lengthy product testing timelines as a major barrier, noting that certification currently takes three to four months.
"The solution is to expand the testing labs quickly or evaluate and certify reliable private labs to handle testing," he said.
Khare responded positively to the demand and directed her office to prepare a list of certifiable private labs within 15 days.
Mangla further called for better alignment between college education and industry realities, and a sustained infrastructure push to drive manufacturing excellence.
JK Tyre and Industries Managing Director and PHDCCI Manufacturing Committee Co-Chair Anshuman Singhania said technology adoption in manufacturing varied by organisation and sector, and was often need-based.
"At JK Tyre, we have embraced Industry 4.0 -- machines communicate, boosting productivity, slashing scrap, adding sharpness, transparency and global competitiveness," he said, adding that the company now exports worldwide.
Khare said BIS was actively modernising its systems to address smart manufacturing, sustainable production, cybersecurity standards for connected devices and emerging technologies.
She underlined that manufacturing excellence could not rest on technology alone, calling human capital, institutional capacity, quality ecosystems and ethical business practices equally critical.
"As we look ahead, India has the potential not only to become a major manufacturing economy but also to emerge as a trusted global supplier of high-quality, safe and innovative products," Khare said.
The secretary added that the journey from Make in India to Make in India for the World would be driven by quality, standards, innovation, ethics and consumer-centricity.
Published on May 12, 2026