The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is harping on creating awareness at the ground level than just penal action to check misuse of its certification in the market place.
The agency is associating with industry bodies, Non Government Organisations (NGO) and educational institutions to conduct awareness sessions about BIS certification and quality standards.
BIS is an autonomous body under the union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution and its primary functions include standardisation and quality certification of products/services.
“We prefer voluntary initiative by manufacturing units to adhere to standard certification regulations, which explains why BIS is creating awareness in the market place and among consumers,” BIS director and head, Lucknow Desh Deepak told Business Standard. BIS on Monday held a seminar on ‘International Standards Creating Confidence Globally’ to mark the World Standards Day.
Commenting on the Uttar Pradesh market, he said the industries, which were more prone to certification offences, included plywood, cement, power threshers, diesel engine, packaged drinking water and Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) pipes. “Since, UP is a large hub of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), BIS is been collaborating with industry bodies on the basis of the cluster development programme of the central government,” he informed.
In his address Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow director said standardisation ought not impede innovation, but set a benchmark for excellence and further improvement. “International standards benefit consumers, manufacturers and service providers alike. This accelerates the deployment of new products and services in developing countries and encourages economic development,” he noted.