Govt working in mission mode to foster culture of quality: Min
Union Minister Piyush Goyal emphasizes India's mission for quality and sustainability, stating that quality reduces costs and enhances competitiveness.
The Centre is working in mission mode to foster a culture of quality and sustainability, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday, adding that quality does not add to the cost.
“Originally, we focused more on creating standards and allowing voluntary implementation. Over a period of time, our experience taught us that we will need to have much stricter focus on these standards. Of late, we have started introducing quality control orders [QCOs], more as a measure to bring awareness that quality matters, quality is important if we have to become a developed nation,” he said.
Addressing the 89th International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) general meeting organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi, Goyal said: “We believe quality does not add to cost. If at all, quality reduces cost, reduces wastage, [and] brings efficiency in operations. Quality helps ensure safety. It helps ensure that people get good goods and services of high quality for their day-to-day life. And we see these standards as a strategic lever for consumer satisfaction, consumer safety, higher competitiveness, and ultimately also for meeting our climate challenges.”
He said the Union government is working “on mission mode” to build quality culture in the nation. “I’m happy to share with all of you that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is somebody very, very committed both to quality and to sustainability,” he said.
Recalling PM’s first Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort 11 years ago, the commerce minister said that the PM laid out his vision for the country “in a very beautiful way, when he said that the nation will strive for ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’. “Our effort should be high quality with zero defect, equally focused on sustainability with zero effect on the planet — lower pollution, a sustainable future for the nation, and a fight against climate change where every citizen of the world will have to play his part.”
Sustainability is non-negotiable in India’s growth journey, Goyal said, adding that India is very focused on sustainability as the pillar of growth because every Indian intrinsically believes in respecting nature, being born into a culture and tradition where harmony with the environment is a way of life.
The minister said harmonising global standards not only enhances product quality but also facilitates free trade, opens markets, and promotes wider international collaboration. Such initiatives will help expand open markets, encourage free and fair trade, and provide a level playing field for businesses, Goyal added.
