India becomes the 13th nation to issue OIML certificates

2023-09-14 16:13:48

India has become the Internationally Accepted OIML (International Organization of Legal Metrology) Certificates Issuing Authority, Consumer Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday.

Indiais the 13th country in the world that can issue the OIML approval certificates.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said, “Domestic manufacturers can now get their weighing & measuring instrument tested in India and sell in international market. It will create facility for international manufacturers to get their equipment tested in here and this, in turn, will generate revenue and employment”.

Cost cutting

Paul Dixon, Executive Secretary, OIML-CS, also joined from OIML’s Paris Headquarters for the briefing, re-affirming India’s role as an OIML Certificates Issuing Authority and assuring continued cooperation.

Established in 1955, OIML is an intergovernmental organisation and its certificate is internationally accepted for selling weights & measures anywhere in the world. Singh said that at present a lab in Ahmedabad will do the testing for certification. There is a plan to start similar labs in other cities. “The Ministry will have a dedicated cell for issuance of the certificate,” Singh said.

The domestic manufacturers can now export their weighing and measuring instrument worldwide without incurring additional testing fees, resulting in significant cost savings.

An official statement said that India may now influence the OIML’s policies and provide input to the OIML Strategy. This system allows OIML Certificates issued by OIML Issuing Authorities in OIML Member States to be accepted by other participants as the basis for issuing national or regional type approvals for measuring instrument. The other OIML Members can thus issue national type approval certificates without the need for expensive test facilities by relying on these certificates, it said.

India now joins an exclusive group of nations, including Australia, Switzerland, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, France, UK, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and Slovakia authorised to issue OIML approval certificates.