KOCHI:Compliance with global standards and quality parameters is the key to sustaining growth in domestic and international trade, said Coconut Development Board (CDB) chairman T K Jose.
Speaking at the industry awareness workshop on ‘International Equivalence of Accreditation and its Benefits to Industry’, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here on Friday, Jose pointed out that exporters would severely burn their fingers in the long run if international quality standards are not maintained.
“There is also a need to maintain quality in exports. Countries that have compromised on quality standards for making easy profit have suffered badly over a period of time. In Kerala, consistent accreditation by regulatory agencies is vital for the growth of local brands globally,” he said.
The industry awareness programme was jointly organised by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), Quality Council Of India (QCI) and the FICCI to propagate the concepts of quality standards, quality tools and best practices among suppliers of products and services,
“The NABCB focuses on excellence. It has been conducting a series of industry awareness programmes and consumer awareness programmes in different states, so as to create ‘world-class quality’ and ‘world-class quality aware people’, said NABCB director Sashi Rekha.
NABCB joint director Rajesh Maheswari conducted technical sessions on ‘Voluntary Standards and Regulations’ and ‘International Equivalence of Accreditation and its Benefit to Industry. NABCB assessor Annie Alex Jones led a session on ‘Systems Certification, Guidance on Selection of Certification Bodies.
FICCI-Kerala state council co-chair Deepak L Aswani, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Raj Kumar Gupta, Gopal Shenoy and Savio Mathew also spoke.