Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal highlighted the substantial growth in India’s Quality Control Orders (QCOs), which have increased from 14 orders covering 106 products in 2014 to 156 covering 672 products over the last decade. Speaking at the 75th anniversary celebration of SGS in India, held in New Delhi, he noted the government’s ongoing efforts to introduce broader horizontal and product-specific standards to ensure that goods and services made in India meet global benchmarks.

Reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Zero Defect, Zero Effect,” Shri Goyal explained that “zero defect” reflects the focus on higher-quality products and services, while “zero effect” highlights sustainability efforts.

He outlined three main priorities for India’s quality journey: identifying areas needing testing with support from BIS funds; encouraging larger industries to help MSMEs upgrade to global quality standards; and increasing stakeholder consultations involving innovators, academia and startups to position India as a pioneer in global standards.

Shri Goyal emphasised the government’s commitment to a unified quality regime for domestic and international markets, aiming to eliminate dual standards for local and export products. He noted India’s past dependence on foreign standards but stated that going forward, Indian standards will shape the country’s progress. Agencies such as BIS, FSSAI, and various ministries are working to harmonise Indian standards with global norms.

On testing and certification, the Minister invited industries to demand world-class modern testing facilities, pledging that BIS will fund 100 per cent of such requirements. He stressed the importance of trust, saying every test result must carry the confidence of 140 crore Indians. Laboratories are urged to modernise and secure full accreditation from the Quality Council of India to ensure credible outcomes.

He also called for increased adoption of third-party certification, warning testing agencies to uphold the highest standards as the nation’s trust depends on their integrity. To make certification more accessible, testing fees by BIS and National Test House labs are being reduced by half, with hopes that private labs will follow suit, leveraging economies of scale for competitive costs.

Shri Goyal praised SGS’s longstanding contribution to India’s manufacturing sector since 1950 and acknowledged its continuing role amid India’s entering Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) with Switzerland and other EFTA countries. He highlighted the government’s partnership with EFTA nations—including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland—and noted the Free Trade Agreement’s imminent implementation. These MRAs rely on high-quality testing, inspection and compliance, areas where SGS is expected to play a key role.