India to implement mandatory certification for agro exports to Bhutan

Aiming to bring in standardisation in India's agro exports to Bhutan, the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC) is making it mandatory for traders and suppliers of all agro products to obtain EIC certification for the exports to the Himalayan country, an official said Friday.

"We have signed an agreement with Bhutan last year and all (agro) products going to Bhutan will be certified by EIC and they will accept it," EIC director S.K. Saxena told reporters on the sidelines of a national seminar organised by All India Food Processors Association.

The obligatory certification will be in place within the next three months.

According to Saxena, Bhutan had asked India to monitor the agro exporters and hence, the EIC has come up with the mandatory certification process.

"Earlier what used to happen was that after the product went to Bhutan, they used to take a sample (of the product) and send to international market for testing. Now we have an agreement- we will certify it and they (Bhutan) will accept it," Saxena added.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan in June, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh has said Bhutan would be one of the most important strategic partners, signalling an increased set of trade activities with the Himalayan country.

In 1949, India signed the Treaty of Friendship with Bhutan and called for peace between the two nations and also established free trade and extradition protocols.