Government to introduce quality controls for electrical goods, says Piyush Goyal

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

The government is looking at introducing quality controls for electrical equipment like switches and bulbs, minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal said on February 21.

“I will be urging the industry and my own department to introduce quality control orders across the sector in the electrical industry,” the minister said at ELECRAMA, the flagship event of the Indian electrical & allied electronics industry ecosystem as well as the power sector.

The move would bring quality in products while helping smaller players grow and get bigger markets, better pricing, he said, adding these quality control orders will help save the industry from unfair competition from non-transparent economies.

“This is one industry where we have local domestic quality strength. These orders will help us save the industry from unfair competition, non-transparent economy, dumping low-quality, sub-optimal goods into the country,” the minister said while addressing the gathering at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.

“Very often, the substandard goods are so cheap that people end up buying them. But this is not hurting only your but India's interest.”

The minister also sought support from Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) to insist on state governments, too, to make quality an important parameter and turn “whistle-blowers” against making or supplying poor quality products to state distribution companies.

He urged IEEMA to run campaigns to help people understand the importance of quality products, sustainability and energy efficiency.

The Minister applauded the electrical industry for having achieved USD 10 billion worth of exports and their target of achieving exports worth USD 25 billion dollars in next five years. ‘But we have to achieve more’, he said. He asked IEEMA to strive to make ELECRAMA an unbeatable exhibition.

Goyal said that the electrical industry has made India proud globally. He asked that we conduct exhibitions not only in developing countries but also in the developed part of the world. He said that FTAs with UAE and Australia must be leveraged to take such exhibitions to these nations and suggested that exhibitions also be held in Europe and US.