By News365 Times Bureau | New Delhi
India’s march toward regulatory reform is gathering pace. This Saturday, a high-level committee chaired by former Cabinet Secretary and NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba will take up one of the most pressing industry concerns—the cumbersome certification system of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
At issue are Quality Control Orders (QCOs), which make BIS certification mandatory for dozens of product categories before they can be sold or imported. While designed to uphold quality, the rules have become notorious for delays, red tape, and compliance costs that weigh heavily on businesses.
Industry representatives argue that India’s manufacturing ambitions are undermined by these procedural hurdles, slowing down productivity and discouraging smaller firms from scaling up. The Gauba-led panel has been tasked with finding a balance—maintaining standards while making compliance faster and easier.
Part of a Bigger Reform Drive
The panel is one of two reform committees announced on August 19, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech calling for “next-generation reforms.” The second, led by IAS officer K.K. Pathak under Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan, is working on deregulation and cutting compliance across sectors.
Adding political heft, two informal Groups of Ministers (GoMs) have been created. One, led by Home Minister Amit Shah with Ashwini Vaishnaw as convener, will focus on technology, commerce, and economic reforms. Another, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with Mansukh Mandaviya as convener, will tackle social sector reforms in healthcare, education, housing, and welfare.
Expert View
Mohan Shukla, Chairman of the Board of Governors, News365 Times, welcomed the development, noting:
“India’s industries have long faced a paradox: we aspire to be globally competitive, but are often held back by our own compliance machinery. The Rajiv Gauba committee is an opportunity to unlock growth by replacing outdated certification bottlenecks with modern, tech-driven systems that protect quality without penalising efficiency.”
Shukla emphasized that reforming BIS processes would not only improve the ease of doing business but also encourage innovation and attract greater foreign investment.
What’s Next
The Gauba panel is expected to deliver its initial set of recommendations after Saturday’s review. If implemented effectively, these changes could mark a turning point for India’s regulatory ecosystem—transforming BIS from a stumbling block into a symbol of trust, quality, and global competitiveness.
