Enhancing the Role of Standards Developing Organisations in India

To ensure a coordinated and harmonised formulation of standards, Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs) shall play a stronger role in India’s standardisation system in the future. Both the Indian National Strategy for Standardization (INSS) of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Standards National Action Plan (SNAP), which was published by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in March 2019, regard this as an important step in the advancement of the Indian quality infrastructure system. Therefore, BIS is introducing a scheme for accreditation and recognition of SDOs and has initiated regular meetings with SDOs in India.

In this context, BIS organised a consultative meeting with more than 60 participants from Indian SDOs and national regulators on 9th August in New Delhi. Participants discussed mechanisms of stronger collaboration between BIS and the more than 48 existing Indian SDOs with the goal of achieving the vision “one country - one standard”.

Within the framework of the meeting, BIS invited the country component India of the Global Project Quality Infrastructure (GPQI) to hold a presentation on the role of SDOs in the German standardisation system. In the presentation, the mechanism of collaboration between the German standardisation bodies DIN and DKE, and external experts such as industry associations like VDMA and VDA was outlined. The presentation highlighted the proactive and highly coordinated industry involvement in the German system.

Collaboration with SDOs and a stronger involvement of stakeholders such as industry associations and SMEs in standardisation are some of the key areas discussed between India and Germany as part of the Indo-German Standardisation Dialogue within the framework of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. Based on the discussions at the meeting, BIS is now preparing a concept note, outlining the role of SDOs and a proposed mechanism of collaboration. Further exchange of information between BIS, DIN and DKE is planned.

The GPQI of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) supports Indo-German cooperation in the areas of standardisation, conformity assessment, accreditation, product safety and market surveillance. As part of the GPQI, GIZ – the German Agency for International Cooperation – has been commissioned by BMWi to support the implementation of the project in India.