Quality and Standards in India
Testing Labs and Certification
How accredited testing and calibration laboratories underpin standards, why India needs more of them, and how NABL accreditation works.
Standards only work if products can be tested.
Conformity assessment
The system of testing, inspection and certification that checks products meet standards.
Accreditation
- The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredits labs.
- Accreditation shows a lab is competent and follows international standards (ISO/IEC 17025).
- NABL is part of international agreements, so its accredited results can be recognised abroad.
Why labs matter
- Exports: buyers abroad need trusted test reports.
- Domestic QCOs require testing capacity.
- Food and medicine safety.
Capacity gaps
- When many QCOs were introduced, testing labs were overwhelmed, causing delays.
- Labs are concentrated in big cities, making testing costly for small firms elsewhere.
Quality Council of India
The Quality Council of India (QCI), set up in 1997, oversees accreditation bodies like NABL and promotes quality.
Investment
Governments and private firms have expanded lab networks, but demand keeps growing.
A spice exporter sends samples to an NABL-accredited lab. Its pesticide residue report is accepted by European buyers, allowing the shipment.
Testing labs and accreditation are needed to check compliance.
- Conformity assessment includes testing and certification.
- NABL accredits labs to international standards.
- Lab capacity limits enforcement and exports.
- QCI oversees India's accreditation system.
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