Merchandise & services exports would touch $ 750 bn this year : Piyush Goyal

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Highlighting the government’s efforts in bringing quality consciousness, he informed that the number of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) have grown by over four times and now stands at about 440 products. He said that it will grow upto 2000 in next two years and help the country in achieving its Zero Defect, Zero Affect aspiration.

Appreciating the country’s business ecosystem as stable and investor-friendly, the Minister informed that many many companies are in talks with India for investing in the semiconductor chain.

Responding to a question on India achieving the highest export figure in the past year, the Minister said that it was the result of a deep-dive analysis and extensive planning where India’s capabilities were thoroughly assessed, new markets were sought out, districts, especially remote ones were empowered to become export hubs and all Indian Missions abroad were effectively leveraged to promote trade, technology and tourism.

The Minister noted that last year, the merchandise and service trade had crossed USD 650 billion. Goyal noted that the transformational initiatives undertaken by the Government over the last decade, such as the Swachh Bharat Mission, electrification of around 35 million homes in rural India, creation of a robust power grid, housing for all, free healthcare for over 500 million people had held India in good stead to overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic.

On semi-conductor production in India, the Minister said many companies were already in dialogue for investing in India because of India’s stability and investor-friendly business ecosystem.

Quality control : Govt to issue measures to stop imports of sub-standard goods

NEW DELHI : The Government will come up with as many as 58 quality control orders (QCOs) for products such as aluminium, copper items and household electrical appliances in the next six months, in a move aimed at containing import of the sub-standard goods and boost domestic industry, a senior government official said. The department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) is working hard to promote manufacturing of high quality products in the country.

"Since 1987, only 34 QCOs have been issued. But now we are coming up with 58 QCOs in the next six months. The main objective is to stop import of sub-standard goods. These mandatory norms will be for domestic and foreign players," Joint Secretary in the DPIIT Sanjiv told PTI.

There will be 315 product standards under these orders. The items, under these orders, cannot be produced, sold/traded, imported and stocked unless they bear the BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) mark.

"These QCOs will be notified within a year after following due process," he added.

He said that the move would also help in providing global markets for domestic goods. In order to facilitate smooth implementation of these orders, particularly for micro and small industries, provisions for additional time periods to get BIS licences and upgrade their testing facilities are being contemplated, he added.

Similarly, exemption to very micro units (investment in plant and machinery up to Rs 25 lakh) is being contemplated on a case to case basis.

"With the notification of CCOs, manufacturing, storing and sale of non-BIS certified products are prohibited as per the BIS Act 2016," the official said.

The violation of the law can attract a penalty of up to two years of imprisonment or with fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for the first offence which increases to Rs 5 lakh minimum for the second and subsequent offences.