India becomes 13th country in world that can issue OIML certificates

Domestic manufacturers of weighing and measuring equipment, like BP meters and cloth scales, can now get the instruments tested in India itself before selling them in the international market

India has become the 13th internationally accepted authority for issuing International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML) certificates.

Domestic manufacturers of weighing and measuring equipment, like BP meters, oximeters and cloth scales, can now get the instruments tested in India itself before selling them in the international market.

An OIML Pattern Approval certificate is mandatory to sell a weight or measure in the international market, which the Department of Consumer Affairs can now issue. Domestic manufacturers can now export their weighing and measuring instruments worldwide without incurring additional testing fees, resulting in significant cost savings.

"India has exported measurement equipment worth approximately Rs 600 crore in the last three years and we expect this to go up with this certification," said Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh.

"This will also help increase foreign exchange earnings as neighbouring nations can now get their certificates in India itself," he added.

Twelve other countries, including Australia, Switzerland, China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France and the United Kingdom, are authorised to issue these certificates.