Ř Multilateral MoU Exchange Strengthens
Regulatory Convergence and Integrated Quality Infrastructure
·
First-of-its-kind scheme: NABL, a constituent
board of the Quality Council of India (QCI), launched India’s first Accreditation
Scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories.
·
Scheme launched under: The initiative
was introduced under the Integrated Assessment Programme
during the ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral MoU
Exchange Ceremony’ in New Delhi.
·
Testing closer to communities: The scheme will
enable quality-assured and internationally benchmarked food testing services
to be provided closer to consumers, producers and local communities.
·
Food safety strengthened: Mobile accredited
laboratories are expected to improve food safety surveillance, facilitate
faster testing and support timely regulatory interventions.
·
Consumer confidence: Reliable and
accredited testing is expected to enhance consumer confidence in food quality
and safety.
·
Multilateral MoU exchange: Participating
organisations exchanged MoUs
to strengthen regulatory convergence, coordinated assessments and an integrated
quality infrastructure.
·
Reduced duplication: The Integrated
Assessment Framework aims to reduce duplication in assessment processes,
promote mutual recognition and improve regulatory efficiency.
·
Ease of Doing Business: Greater coordination
and harmonisation of assessments are expected to reduce
compliance-related difficulties while maintaining high quality and safety standards.
·
Quality across value chain: DPIIT Secretary
Amardeep Singh Bhatia stressed the importance of embedding quality throughout
the entire value chain to support India’s development towards 2047.
·
Institutional collaboration: NABL, QCI, regulatory
authorities and commodity boards will work together to strengthen the Integrated
Assessment Framework.
·
Overall significance: The initiative
expands India’s accredited food-testing infrastructure beyond conventional laboratories
and supports faster regulatory action, quality assurance, regulatory harmonisation and stronger stakeholder confidence.
[ABS News Service/11.08.2026]
The National Accreditation Board for Testing
and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), a constituent board of the Quality Council
of India (QCI), launched India’s first-of-its-kind Accreditation Scheme for Mobile
Food Testing Laboratories under the Integrated Assessment Programme at the ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya – A Multilateral MoU Exchange Ceremony’ held
at Hotel Ashoka, New Delhi.
The initiative aims to expand access to
reliable, quality-assured and internationally benchmarked food testing services
closer to communities. The event also witnessed a Multilateral MoU Exchange among
participating organisations, reinforcing efforts towards greater regulatory convergence,
coordinated assessments and a more integrated and efficient quality infrastructure.
Secretary, Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Amardeep Singh Bhatia, along with senior officials
from QCI, NABL, regulatory authorities and commodity boards associated with the
Integrated Assessment Framework (IAF), attended the event.
The Accreditation Scheme, developed by
NABL, establishes a framework for mobile food testing laboratories to provide reliable,
quality-assured and internationally benchmarked testing services closer to communities.
By extending accredited food testing beyond conventional laboratory settings, the
initiative is expected to strengthen food safety surveillance, improve access to
quality testing, support faster regulatory interventions and enhance consumer confidence.
The Multilateral MoU Exchange brought
participating organisations together to reaffirm their commitment towards coordinated
assessments, regulatory harmonisation and strengthening the Integrated Assessment
Framework. The initiative seeks to reduce duplication in assessment processes, promote
mutual recognition, improve regulatory efficiency and facilitate ease of doing business
while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance.
Addressing the gathering, Secretary, DPIIT,
Amardeep Singh Bhatia, underscored the importance of embedding quality across the
entire value chain. He stated that initiatives such as ‘Gunvatta
Samanvaya’ would contribute to India’s growth journey towards 2047 by promoting
quality-led practices.
Chairperson, NABL, Dr Sandip Shah, highlighted
the significance of the accreditation scheme and the Integrated Assessment Framework,
emphasising the role of collaborative assessment processes and credible institutions
in supporting India’s development.
Secretary General, Quality Council of
India (QCI), Chakravarthy T. Kannan, emphasised the importance of collaboration,
convergence and mutual trust in building a strong quality ecosystem. He noted that
the ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya’ initiative, along with the accreditation
scheme for Mobile Food Testing Laboratories, would contribute to strengthening India’s
quality infrastructure and taking quality-assured testing services closer to communities.
The successful organisation of ‘Gunvatta Samanvaya’ reinforces the commitment of QCI and NABL
towards advancing collaborative quality initiatives, promoting regulatory excellence,
enhancing stakeholder confidence and strengthening India’s quality infrastructure.