Piyush Goyal holds meeting with electronics industry stakeholders on implementation of Quality Control Orders

The meeting aimed at strengthening consumer safety by ensuring better quality standards for electrical appliances across the country.

In a social media post, the minister described the interaction as "productive" and highlighted that discussions focused on the rollout of horizontal QCOs for electrical products.

Goyal said, "Had a productive interaction with key stakeholders from the electronics industry today. Discussions centred on the implementation of horizontal Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to further enhance the safety of electrical appliances in the interest of consumers. Also, explored opportunities for enhancing the industry's growth and global competitiveness".

Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are legal instruments issued by the government under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, which make it compulsory for certain goods to conform to specific Indian standards.

Once a QCO is in effect, manufacturers must obtain a BIS certification and mark their products accordingly. The objective is to ensure that products sold in the Indian market meet defined benchmarks of safety, reliability, and performance.

Non-compliance can attract legal penalties and a ban on sale of uncertified products.

The term "horizontal QCOs" refers to orders that apply across various categories of products within a sector, rather than being specific to just one type.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India is engaged in the activities of Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Quality Assurance of goods, articles, processes, systems and services.

The Indian Standards established by BIS forms the basis for the Product Certification Schemes, which provides Third Party Assurance of Quality, Safety and Reliability of products to consumers.

For the electronics industry, this means a broader implementation of quality norms to cover multiple electrical and electronic appliances under a uniform framework.

During the meeting, Minister Goyal also discussed growth opportunities for the electronics industry, focusing on making Indian manufacturers more globally competitive. The deliberations included exploring policy support and industry collaboration to improve innovation, quality, and exports in the sector.