Firms rush to acquire certification as focus on quality grows

So far, the companies have largely depended on their own internal assessment or a foreign certifying body

It is a subject that is slowly but steadily gaining prominence in corporate boardrooms. India Inc especially those in consumer-facing businesses such as fast moving consumer goods, auto, electronics, durables etc, have long devoted their attention to how a product looks since it is the first thing that draws the attention of a prospective customer on the shop floor. Increasingly, however, in their quest for quality, companies are now looking at the prospect of getting their designs certified by a competent authority. While the practice is not unusual abroad, in India, thanks to the lack of a domestic certifying authority, companies have largely depended on their own internal assessment or a foreign certifying body.

 

To fill the gap the Union Commerce Ministry launched the India Design Mark or I-mark last year under the aegis of the India Design Council, a special cell set up with the objective of promoting design standards in the country. The first phase saw 31 products out of 70 applications from various companies including names such as Maruti Suzuki, Godrej & Boyce, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, Honda Motorcycle & Scooters (HMSI), and even capital goods major Crompton Greaves, receiving the certification. The second leg, applications for which are being invited now, is likely to see the number of submissions double to 150. "Our assessement is based on the number of online registrations we've received so far," says Hrridaysh Deshpande, administrator, India Design Mark.

This number is around 400 at the moment, higher than the online registrations received last year, which were over 300. The India Design Council also charges a fee for usage of the I-mark logo, but this kicks in a year after the certification, Deshpande says.

Why are online registrations important? Because without it the company cannot apply for a design certification in the first place, he says. "It is an absolute must giving us a sense of how serious the company is in terms of benchmarking their products," he adds.

The companies that have applied this year span sectors such as manufacturing, automobiles, consumer durables and furniture among others. Deshpande declines to specify who they are. But firms such as Godrej & Boyce and Wipro Consumer Care have applied this year too and say they are keen to build on the momentum achieved with last year's certification. "The parameters include not only the aesthetics of the product, but also metrics such as whether the product was designed in-house, is it eco-friendly or not and so on. This is useful because it helps you raise the bar when designing your products. You will obviously keep these factors in mind," says Parag Kulkarni, senior vice-president & business head, commercial lighting & furniture business, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting.

Anil Mathur, chief operating officer, Godrej Interio, a division of Godrej & Boyce, which received the I-mark for three of their products last year, says, "As acceptability of the standard grows especially in foreign markets, companies will gain the confidence to consider such products for export markets too," he says.

Currently most companies tend to bank on foreign standards when considering their products for export markets. Experts say this practice may not change, but having domestic yardsticks is useful. Commerce Ministry sources say that the India Design Council is looking to benchmark the I-mark with the norms followed by countries such as Japan. Currently the Council is working with a like-minded body called the Japan Institute of Design Promotion to set the standards and judging criteria for the second leg of the certification.