India ventured into unshackling its economy in the year 1991 and became a part of globalisation. As a country, India needed to put in place robust system of quality infrastructure which included an accreditation system for ensuring conformity assessment as per the international benchmark of quality. Accordingly, an expert group was constituted and after studying the best available models in the world it was decided by the government to create Quality Council of India as an independent autonomous organisation to become the national accreditation body. Quality Council of India was set up in 1997, jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), with Mr. Ratan Tata as its first Chairman.
Over the past 25 years, QCI has created various boards viz- NABL, NABH, NABCB, NABET and NBQP to take over the functions of accreditation and quality promotion. As per the mandate given to it by the government, QCI started venturing out into the global scenario and established memberships with forums and organisations that decided about how the business and trade was to be conducted in a globalised environment. QCI and NABL became members of IAF and ILAC respectively and subsequently to the regional bodies like APAC and APLAC. This ensured global equivalence of outcomes of quality assurance related economic activities in India.
The real growth in the third-party assessment across schemes promulgated by the government came after the year 2015, when government increasingly started relying on organisations like QCI to provide a layer of independent feedback without any fear or favour through organisations accredited under the ambit of QCI. Many government departments have now created regulations which provide for testing, inspection, and certification to be done by NABL and NABCB accredited organisations. This has been a major shift in the policy of country where third party agencies are given the responsibilities to collect and analyse data and fill the gaps in implementation of various schemes for the welfare of common people and quality of life of the citizens
Since its establishment, QCI has played a pivotal role in India’s economic growth. Speaking fondly about the journey of QCI in the last 25 years, Shri Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson, QCI says, “QCI is proud to have played a part in making this happen through its various accreditation boards and through its assessment and measurement of services delivered to the citizens of India, enabling them to lead quality lives.” QCI hopes to play an even bigger role in the growth of India by leading it to become a developed economy by 2047.
To commemorate QCI’s silver jubilee, a special event will be held on 6th October 2022 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi to share India’s journey of growth accelerated by the enhancement of quality. Stalwarts in policy making, governance, and quality will come together on one platform to applaud and celebrate India’s tryst with excellence rooted in quality and consistency. The celebration will be chaired by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Hon. Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles as the Chief Guest. Other eminent personalities include Sh. Suresh Prabhu, Former Commerce & Industry Minister, Government of India, Sh. Amitabh Kant, India’s Sherpa to G20, Sh. Anurag Jain, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Sh. B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CMD, India Trade Promotion Organization and Former Commerce Secretary, Sh. Parameswaran Iyer, CEO, NITI Aayog, Sh. Ram Sewak Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority, Sh. Sanjeev Sanyal, Member, PM-Economic Advisory Council & Former Principal Economic Adviser to Government of India, Sh. Vipin Sondhi, Former MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland and JCB India, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Former Director, AIIMS, Sh. Emanuele Riva, Chair, International Accreditation Forum, Sh. Matt Gantley, CEO, UK Accreditation Services, Dr Rene Van Berkel, UN Industrial Development Organization, Representative & Head, Regional Office, India, Ms. Siti Rubiah Lambert, UNCTAD, and many others will be present to mark this occasion.
The event will comprise of panel discussions on the quality ecosystem being an enabler for ‘Make in India‘, achieving India’s growth vision for 2047 through speed, scale, digitalization & quality, and discussion on the ‘Heal in India-Heal by India‘ initiative. Excellent contributors to India’s quality ecosystem will also be recognised through several awards instituted by QCI with its partners.
Dr. R. P. Singh, Secretary General, QCI comments, “We take pride in the character that we have fostered here at QCI – of fearlessness, of vision, of leadership and of making a difference for a better tomorrow. We have inculcated technology in our work for faster, higher and better credibility. We want to remove the distinction between national and international quality, and make India a forerunner in quality.”
To celebrate the journey of quality and excellence that India stands for, QCI has launched a marquee campaign – Gunvatta Se Atmanirbharta: India’s quality movement. The campaign aims to celebrate India’s quality hubs, create awareness about India’s landmark achievements and inform people about the many initiatives that India is embracing with an aim to enhance the quality of lives of all our citizens.