Reimagining India's quality control mandate as an export enabler

India’s economic ambitions are bold — and rightly so. From a $4 trillion economy today to a targeted $30 trillion by 2047, the journey demands far more than just capital or scale — it demands trust in Indian products. Quality, therefore, must not be seen as an afterthought but as core infrastructure. In this context, the Government of India’s decision to gradually expand mandatory Quality Control Orders (QCOs) across products is both significant and consequential.

 

Yet, the QCO regime today finds itself mired in controversy. A policy instrument designed to assure quality and prevent the inflow of sub-standard goods is increasingly seen as a double-edged sword — welcomed by some, resisted by others, and internally contested within departments of the same government. 

 

As someone who has served as chairman of the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) under the Quality Council of India (QCI), I have witnessed firsthand how quality frameworks — when well-calibrated — can empower both producers and consumers. But for QCOs to be truly transformative, India needs to course-correct. Not to retreat, but to reframe the mission with clarity, capability, and global alignment.

 

India’s quality control framework, administered largely through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), has traditionally been voluntary. However, in recent years, the government has expanded the scope of mandatory QCOs across critical sectors such as steel, polymers, electronics, and toys.

 

As of today, out of approximately 23,000 BIS standards, only 187 QCOs covering 769 products have been notified. This suggests that while the momentum is rising, the journey is far from complete.

 

Importantly, QCOs are not mere administrative notifications — they are enforceable legal instruments requiring producers, including foreign manufacturers, to certify their products through the BIS. Non-compliance can lead to seizure, penalties, or import blocks.

 

The implementation of QCOs has revealed several fault lines:

 

1. Domestic industrial divide: Producers of intermediate goods such as steel and petrochemicals often welcome QCOs as tools to prevent dumping. Their downstream consumers — such as automotive and appliance manufacturers — worry about price escalation and supply disruptions.

 

2. International pushback: Major trade partners like the United States, the European Union, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have flagged India’s QCO regime in their trade barrier reports. A prominent example is the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR’s) concern over polyethylene QCOs, where the US has urged India to accept international lab certifications or self-declarations instead of BIS-exclusive conformity.

 

3. Intra-government dissonance: Even senior government officials have publicly questioned the wisdom of applying QCOs to industrial raw materials, leading to deferments and delays in implementation.

 

QCOs are undeniably effective in curbing the inflow of sub-standard imports, especially from nations with a track record of dumping. But if that becomes their primary lens, we risk forgetting a critical function: Enabling Indian manufacturers to access global markets with confidence.

 

India’s quality aspirations are not new. On August 15, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indian industry to adopt “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” (ZED) manufacturing — products that are flawless and environmentally sustainable.

 

This vision remains deeply relevant. But are we staying true to it? The answer lies in whether QCOs are being designed to encourage conformance through support and guidance — or merely enforced through coercion and penalties.

 

One of the core criticisms of the QCO process lies in conformity assessment. At present, the BIS holds exclusive authority to conduct inspections, process applications, and issue certifications. This creates capacity overload, long processing times, and bottlenecks for both domestic and foreign applicants.

 

A pragmatic alternative exists. India has a robust ecosystem of certification bodies accredited by the NABCB. Allowing these conformity assessment bodies (CABs) to handle low- and medium-risk products could:

 

- Reduce BIS overload;

 

- Improve turnaround time for certifications;

 

- Lower costs for MSMEs;

 

- Enhance the overall ease of doing business.

 

While India faces pushback from developed economies over its non-acceptance of foreign lab results, the irony is not lost: These very countries do not accept Indian certification either, particularly in regulated sectors.

 

Rather than treating this as a reason for unilateral retreat, India should use bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations to push for sector-specific mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) — even if starting with limited scopes. That would bring us one step closer to full integration into global value chains.

 

To reboot the QCO agenda with balance and purpose, I propose a three-pillar road map:

  1. Export promotion : Help Indian products compete globally by incentivising certifications aligned with global standards (example, International Organisation for Standardisation or ISO and Conformité Européenne or CE).

 

2. Dumping prevention: Curb low-quality imports by enforcing QCOs in vulnerable sectors with transition windows.

  3. Consumer safety: Maintain stringent enforcement for public-facing goods to ensure safety.

 

In addition, a product-specific vertical approach is far superior to a one-size-fits-all model. Different sectors need different timetables, standards, and handholding. India’s future as a manufacturing powerhouse hinges on how the world perceives our quality. QCOs are not just regulations — they are statements of intent. But for them to succeed, they must be intelligent, inclusive, and internationally aware.

 

We cannot afford to stall the quality movement—but neither can we rush it blindly. If implemented with foresight, QCOs can be the foundation for “Brand India” — trusted, compliant, and world-class. In that vision, export promotion, import protection, and consumer safety are not trade-offs. They are co-travellers on the same road — leading India towards its rightful place in the global economic order. 

The author is former chairman, NABCB, a constituent board of Quality Council of India