New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) The Quality Council of India (QCI), the national custodian of accreditation in the country, commemorated World Accreditation Day 2025 here on Monday with the launch of revamped portal of the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), aimed at streamlining the accreditation process and enhancing digital accessibility, particularly for laboratories and MSMEs.

The QCI, through its constituent boards – the NABL and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) – partners with global bodies such as the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to align India’s quality and conformance infrastructure with international benchmarks.

This year’s theme, “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”, underscored the strategic role accreditation plays in enhancing competitiveness, market access, and credibility for MSMEs. The event opened with key messages from leadership and the release of a thematic video, setting the stage for dialogue on quality, innovation, and sustainable growth in the MSME sector.

Reinforcing industry-wide commitment to quality, the event also featured ‘Gunvatta Samarpan’ – a unique initiative that encourages organisations to publicly pledge adherence to accredited standards across sectors.

Addressing the gathering, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Amardeep Singh Bhatia, underlined the importance of accreditation in enabling Indian SMEs to access both domestic and global markets. He noted that certification and assessment bodies are crucial to the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat @2047, by upholding quality, supporting exports, and promoting inclusive and sustainable growth.

Quality Council of India (QCI) Chairperson, Jaxay Shah, in his keynote address, stated that accreditation is a gateway to global trust. He emphasised its role in helping MSMEs align with international standards, reduce rejection rates, boost productivity, and access new markets.

Following the inaugural session, a Technical Session and concurrent CEO Forum featured expert-led discussions on how accreditation can drive MSME growth across sectors. Panellists shared insights on accreditation’s role in improving diagnostic infrastructure, enabling international trade, supporting certified management systems and products, promoting third-party inspections, advancing sustainable manufacturing, and contributing to net-zero goals.

Observed globally every year on June 9, World Accreditation Day highlights the role of accreditation in strengthening quality infrastructure, enabling global trade, and fostering economic development. This year’s celebration by QCI reaffirmed accreditation as a vital enabler of innovation, competitiveness, and growth for India’s small businesses in an increasingly globalised economy.

–IANS

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