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Business Economy


India needs to develop rigid standards to check unwanted imports: Sitharaman

New Delhi, Jun 23 (UNI) Reiterating its commitment for minimum intervention, the government today said in order to enhance the quality of products for domestic consumers and check sub-standard imports, there is a need to develop its own rigid standards.
“Right now we don't have any legitimate way to stop imports of poor quality products except through higher tariffs and quantitative restrictions, which has its limitations. We have to put in black and white the standards we want in each sector,” said Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the 'standards conclave' organised by the CII in partnership with the Centre for WTO Studies and BIS.
“I want pressure to be on us to come up with a listed set of norms,” she added.
The Minister added that India is capable of setting standards and internationalise them. India has achieved highest standards in healthcare, IT & ITeS, higher education and outer space at frugal price.
She reiterated that the Bureau of Indian Standards will have to do a lot of catching up as standards development is a dynamic process. It will also need to step up coordination with the various ministries.
Rita Teaotia, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, “India needs to set up a standards ecosystem. There is need for a single set of standards for the international and domestic markets.”
The commerce secretary added that the standards infrastructure such as testing, certification and labelling needs to be further improved in India.
The 'Make in India' initiative has provided a sharp focus on quality through the Zero Defect, Zero Effect initiative. By amending the BIS Act, the government has now been empowered to develop global standards, she added.
In her address, Alka Panda, Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, said that standards enable substantial transfer of technology and raise the ability of various countries to compete globally.
It is important that India now contributes to the development of international standards.
She called for the need to create synergy between the various standard formulating agencies in India and create a single Standard Development Agency.
UNI ASH AE 1836
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