• Quality Council of India (QCI) has given provisional approval to National Test House (NTH), Ghaziabad, as a certification body for drones.

• NTH, Ghaziabad has been provisionally approved by the Quality Council of India (QCI) as a certification body for type certification of drones.

• This is as part of the certification scheme for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

• This significant milestone aligns with the government of India’s push towards fostering a robust and globally competitive drone ecosystem under the Drone Rules, 2021.

National Test House

• National Test House (NTH), a premier testing and quality assurance institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, has a longstanding history of supporting India's industrial growth.

• Established in 1912, NTH has expanded its services across multiple sectors, providing crucial testing, calibration, and quality evaluation services for both public and private industries. 

• NTH was formerly known as the Government Test House. Initially founded in Calcutta by the Railway Board, its primary objective was to address the needs of the Indian Railways by focusing on import substitution. Over time, the scope of its services expanded significantly.

• NTH is India’s largest multi-location multidisciplinary industrial central government’s testing laboratory dealing with almost all sorts of testing, calibration and quality evaluation related to industry, commerce, trade, etc as per international and national standards.

• At present, NTH is providing facilities like testing, evaluation, and calibration of raw materials as well as finished products to the end users through its branches established at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Varanasi (Satellite Centre).

• NTH technologists represent about 150 forums set up by the Bureau of Indian Standards for the formulation of National Standards.

• It is providing assistance to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in accrediting testing and calibration laboratories across the country.

• NTH’s Ghaziabad branch is playing a vital role in ensuring that Indian-made drones adhere to the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance.

• The NTH is tasked with evaluating drone models to ensure compliance with applicable national and international standards.

• NTH is offering its drone certification services at a highly competitive fee of Rs 1.5 lakh for the certification process, which is the lowest in the industry.

Quality Council of India

• The Quality Council of India (QCI), was set up in 1997 as an autonomous body to establish an accreditation structure in the country, to create a mechanism for independent third-party assessment of products, services and processes and to spread quality movement in India by undertaking a National Quality Campaign.

• It is a non-profit autonomous organisation registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 under the administrative control of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• QCI works as the national accreditation body.

• Besides the role of putting in place the accreditation structure, it also promotes the adoption of quality standards relating to Quality Management Systems (ISO 14001 Series), Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000 Series) and Product Certification and Inspection Bodies through the accreditation services provided by National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). 

• Indian industry is represented in QCI by three premier industry associations namely Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).  

• QCI functions through the governing body and other executive bodies (boards/committees) for implementing the strategy, policy and operational guidelines as set out by its governing council.

• QCI plays a pivotal role in propagating, adoption and adherence to quality standards in all important spheres of activities including education, health care, environment protection, governance, social sectors, infrastructure sector and such other areas of organised activities that have significant bearing in improving the quality of life and well-being of citizens of India.

• It leads nationwide quality movement in the country through National Quality Campaign aimed at creating awareness amongst citizens, empowering them to demand quality in all spheres of activities, and promoting and protecting their well being by encouraging manufacturers and suppliers of goods and service providers for adoption of and adherence to quality standards and tools.

Boards/divisions under QCI:

i) National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL)

ii) National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

iii) National Accreditation Board for Education & Training (NABET)

iv) National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) 

v) National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP).

Every board is functionally independent and works within its area of expertise.

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