India Moves Toward Unified Quality Standards for Domestic and Global Markets: Shri Piyush Goyal

In a significant development aligned with India’s growing emphasis on manufacturing excellence and regulatory reforms, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, announced that the country is moving toward adopting a single, high-quality standard for both domestic use and exports. The Minister made these remarks while addressing the 75th anniversary celebration of SGS India, held in Mumbai on July 4, 2025.

Highlighting the evolution of India’s quality ecosystem, Shri Goyal stated,

“India today is focused and rapidly moving towards a nation which will have only one standard, and that will be a high-quality standard. A standard that will work in India and the same standard will be exported to the rest of the world.”

He further elaborated that the government is committed to eliminating dual standards between domestically consumed products and those intended for export. The intent, he noted, is to ensure a uniform level of quality across all sectors, promoting consumer trust and boosting India’s credibility in international markets.

During his address, Shri Goyal reflected on the expansion of the regulatory framework under the Modi government. He pointed out that in 2014, there were only 14 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) covering 106 products. As of July 2025, this has increased to 156 QCOs covering 672 products, demonstrating a focused effort by the government to enhance compliance and safety standards across industries.

The Minister reiterated the government's vision of “Zero Defect, Zero Effect”, an initiative that emphasizes not only the importance of producing high-quality goods but also ensuring that these goods are sustainable and environment-friendly. He said, “With zero defect, the Prime Minister is reflecting on higher quality standards, high quality products, goods and services from India; and with zero effect he is focusing on sustainability.”

In his remarks, Shri Goyal outlined a three-fold approach to strengthen India’s quality infrastructure:

1. Institutional Strengthening: He encouraged the industry to identify specific areas where testing infrastructure is required, affirming that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has sufficient funds to support this initiative.

   
   

2. Support for MSMEs: Recognizing the challenges faced by smaller enterprises, Shri Goyal appealed to larger industry players to assist MSMEs in meeting global quality benchmarks.

   
   

3. Inclusive Participation: He called for increased participation from stakeholders, including academia, startups, and innovators, to help India take a proactive role in setting global standards.

   
   

Stressing the role of trust in certification, the Minister said, “Every test result should carry with it the weight of trust of 140 crore Indians. They trust a certificate of quality.” He emphasized that laboratories across the country must be accredited and function without manual intervention to ensure transparency and credibility in test results.

Shri Goyal also promoted the adoption of third-party certification systems and encouraged both public and private labs to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and reliability. He mentioned the government’s willingness to fully fund testing facility upgrades and expressed the desire to halve fees at BIS and National Test House facilities to make testing more accessible. He appealed to private labs to follow this model to encourage wider adoption.

During the event, the contributions of SGS was acknowledged, which has operated in India since 1950, for its role in supporting India's quality journey. Referring to India’s work on Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with Switzerland and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Shri Goyal said, “These MRAs will stand on the strength of high quality testing, high quality inspection, high quality compliance, and I am sure SGS will continue to serve this partnership.”

This emphasis on harmonized standards also aligns with India’s ongoing efforts to boost cooperation with the European Union and EFTA through trade facilitation and regulatory alignment. The mutual recognition of conformity assessment is a recurring theme in India’s trade dialogues and plays a crucial role in enabling smoother market access and reducing technical barriers to trade.

The event also served as a platform for the Minister to reaffirm the government's openness to engage in constructive dialogue with international partners. He noted that India is ready to explore mutually beneficial arrangements on quality control orders with trusted countries, provided the emphasis remains on upholding rigorous quality standards.

The announcement comes at a time when India is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with EFTA and exploring frameworks for regulatory convergence with the EU. The move to a unified quality regime is expected to enhance India's position as a reliable trading partner, by ensuring that products manufactured for the domestic market adhere to the same standards as those exported to global markets.

Shri Goyal's remarks underline India’s broader strategic intent to evolve as a global quality leader, promoting high standards that are simultaneously accessible, transparent, and scalable across sectors. By integrating domestic policies with international expectations, India seeks to create an efficient, trusted, and inclusive quality ecosystem.

The push toward a single standard system aims to reduce complexity, encourage innovation, and improve global competitiveness while reinforcing the principles of consumer safety and sustainability. As Shri Goyal emphasized, collaboration with stakeholders across the value chain from small manufacturers to certification bodies will be essential in achieving this objective.