Harmonization of product standards to be key element of India-US joint policy
30/08/2016 12:40
The roundtable held on the sidelines of the ongoing India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue was organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).
Speaking at the conference, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said that CII is focusing on four key initiatives related to standards for promoting India’s trade competitiveness. These include technical inputs from experts and industry members, training and counselling for conformity assessment bodies in India and the SAARC region, the Standards Conclave that is organized in association with India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the soon-to-be-launched Standards online portal.
“Indian industry needs to adapt to meet increasingly stringent standards to boost its export competitiveness, or we will be left behind in the global trade race,” he said.
Heather Lanigan, Country Manager – South Asia, US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), emphasized the importance of standards across different sectors like energy, telecommunications and infrastructure. The USTDA has particularly focused on power, infrastructure and smart cities. For example, they have worked on automation and standards implementation with TATA Power, which has resulted in the automation of 34 power grids that ensure reliable electricity supply for more than 7 million customers.
