

From textiles to smart mobility, govt overhauls standards to meet global norms, ease exports
quality control orders (QCOs) between mid-November and early December, even as it launched over 15 new standards in the same period. The number of new standards notified has risen to close to 50 after Saturday's update.The standards create a pipeline for future regulation as the standards can be converted into mandatory QCOs in future.Experts say the latest standards are designed to be flexibile.
First, they prepare Indian exporters to be competitive in global markets and have product quality match international standards. “Global buyers increasingly expect uniform quality and safety benchmarks and countries that fail to meet them risk losing market access," said Rahul Mehta, chief mentor of the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India.Yet, since these standards are voluntary, manufacturers are not compelled to comply immediately and have the flexibility to upgrade processes and improve quality over time.
"The approach allows Indian manufacturers to prepare for global competition at their own pace, helping them align with international standards without immediate regulatory pressure,” Mehta told Mint.There still are some concerns around how these standards will be implemented on the ground and how easy compliance will be for exporters.“In my view, this move is meant for quality standardisation to safeguard and sustain the image of Indian products. The only caution is that bureaucratic misuse during implementation must be closely monitored,” said Raja M.
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