Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (File Photo: PTI)

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday called for transforming the National Test House into a premier global testing and certification organisation and stressed the need to expand its capacity in line with India's growing manufacturing sector.

Addressing the 115th Foundation Day celebration of the National Test House (NTH) after the inauguration of state-of-the-art NTH building here, Joshi said India was moving towards becoming a global manufacturing hub and needed reliable domestic testing facilities.

He also virtually inaugurated several crucial facilities and initiatives across the broader NTH network to expand nationwide testing capabilities and improve accessibility.

Joshi claimed that NTH was on the verge of being closed in 2012 but the institution had survived and was moving forward due to the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a manufacturing ecosystem in the country.

"Quality is the foundation of a strong India," Joshi said, emphasising the importance of domestic testing and certification.

He said state governments should be made aware of the testing capabilities available in India, noting that government tenders still sometimes seek certification from foreign agencies and testing laboratories.

"Our state governments, even now, when they invite some tenders, for certification, they ask for certification from a foreign agency, from a foreign testing laboratory. One thing is that the state government does not even know that there is an institution called NTH. That is their ignorance…We have failed in informing the states. We also have to understand this," Joshi said.

Urging NTH officials to create awareness about its testing facilities, the Minister said, "So, we have to convince our state government first, and other departments also." Joshi said India was the 13th nation in the Organisation of International Legal Metrology where measurements were recognised worldwide, and stressed the need to promote the country's testing capabilities globally.

"Today, the testing is being done in India. Not only that, people are accepting it. Because today, the work we are doing on Atmanirbhar Bharat is the result of this, under the leadership of the Prime Minister," he said.

The minister said the NTH should consider being converted into a company so that it could function with greater responsibility and ensure worldwide acceptance of certificates issued by it.

"We will try to make it a company, where this company which issues the certificate, worldwide its acceptance should be there," he said.

He also called for expanding testing into emerging sectors, including electric vehicles, renewable energy, aerospace, defence and electronics.

Referring to the newly inaugurated EV battery testing facility in Bengaluru, Joshi said, "We see, many times whenever we see EV vehicles catching fire, there is a problem in the battery. To test all these things and also to ensure their safety, we have inaugurated this facility in Bengaluru." He said testing would be increasingly important as India expands manufacturing of products that were earlier largely imported.

Joshi said NTH should also prepare for testing components and products manufactured domestically as India moves towards greater self-reliance.

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