Latest News | India Authorised to Certify Measuring and Weighing Instruments as Per Global Standard; Boost for Exports
Get latest articles and stories on Latest News at LatestLY. India has become the 13th country authorised to certify 'measuring and weighing instruments' based on globally accepted standards of the Paris-based IOLM, a development that will boost domestic exports of such products.
New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) India has become the 13th country authorised to certify 'measuring and weighing instruments' based on globally accepted standards of the Paris-based IOLM, a development that will boost domestic exports of such products.
An IOLM-approved certificate is mandatory to sell weighing or measuring instruments in the international market at present.
The International Organization of Legal Metrology (IOLM), established in 1955, is an intergovernmental organization that develops model regulations and standards for use by legal metrology authorities and industry. India became a member in 1956.
"Recently, we were offered to become an IOLM certificate issuing authority. We are now the 13th country in the world to be authorized for issuing OIML approval certificates," Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told reporters.
Other countries are: Australia, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Japan, Netherlands, Sweden, and Slovakia, he said.
The official also mentioned that a separate division in the ministry will be set up to look into IOLM certification. To begin with, a laboratory will also be established at Ahmedabad, Gujarat for testing initially eight sets of instruments like energy meters, water meters, automatic and manual weighting machines, etc., he said.
Gradually, the number of labs will be increased. The certification fee in India will be lesser than in other countries, he added.
Stating that this will help boost domestic exports, the secretary said indigenous manufacturers were facing delays in getting the IOLM certificates from other countries.
"They were facing long queue and delay in visas. These problems will be addressed now as they can get the IOLM certification in India itself at a lesser cost," he said.
Domestic manufacturers can now export their weighing and measuring instruments worldwide without incurring additional testing fees, resulting in significant cost savings.
Singh said the country exported Rs 600 crore worth of measuring instruments in the last three years. The exports will rise further with India becoming an IOLM certificate-issuing nation.
Besides, India can also support foreign manufacturers by issuing IOLM pattern approval certificates from its certified RRSLs, thereby generating forex in terms of fees, etc., he added.
The country follows IOLM recommendations and procedures for testing and calibration of weights and measures. The reports prepared by the Legal Metrology's Regional Reference Standards Laboratories are now acceptable to the IOLM issuing authorities.
Paul Dixon, Executive Secretary, IOLM-CS, who also joined from Paris headquarters, reaffirmed India's role as an IOLM Certificates Issuing Authority and assured continued cooperation.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)