The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has intensified its engagement with African and Latin American nations to enhance collaboration in standardization. A high-level roundtable discussion was hosted by BIS, bringing together ambassadors, high commissioners, and representatives from over 25 countries. Officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Consumer Affairs also participated in the event.
Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, and Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General of BIS, led the discussions along with senior BIS officials. The discussions centered on India’s commitment to strengthening international trade and quality infrastructure through standardization.
Khare emphasized that BIS plays a vital role in facilitating international trade by setting standards that ensure compatibility, safety, and quality. She highlighted India’s active participation in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) at both technical and governance levels. With seven decades of experience, BIS remains a global leader in the domain of standardization.
BIS has been conducting capacity-building programs for developing nations under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. So far, 30 African countries and 10 Latin American nations have benefited from these initiatives. Additionally, BIS has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several nations to foster knowledge-sharing and the exchange of best practices.
Khare reiterated BIS’s willingness to extend support to any interested country on standardization principles and sector-specific issues. BIS has also developed comprehensive codes, including the National Building Code (NBC) and the National Electrical Code (NEC), contributing to the development of safe and sustainable infrastructure.
For developing nations with limited resources and expertise, she stressed that rather than creating standards from scratch, they could harmonize their frameworks with Indian standards, benefiting from BIS’s extensive experience.
Dignitaries present at the event commended BIS’s efforts and expressed strong interest in furthering collaboration with India. Representatives from African and Latin American countries encouraged more such initiatives in partnership with their respective National Standards Bodies, reinforcing global standardization efforts.
