Overview of India's Quality Infrastructure

Quality infrastructure fulfils essential tasks in a country’s economy. It enhances the competitiveness of industry and facilitates international trade, contributes to ensuring the safety of products, and the protection of consumers.

India and Germany have come together to support the development of each other’s national quality infrastructures, and to grow closer together as economic partners. In 2013, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy initiated a bilateral Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. The Working Group aims to reduce technical barriers to trade, strengthen product safety, and ensure consumer protection. The political and technical dialogue involves relevant ministries – including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways,and Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises – as well as regulators, industry associations, companies, and technical and scientific institutions.

An important step in collaboration is understanding one another’s approaches. This study provides an overview of the quality infrastructure landscape in India, covering standards development, technical regulation, conformity assessment and accreditation, and market surveillance.