System-wide quality reforms to drive transformation across healthcare, laboratories, MSMEs and manufacturing

QCI unveils Q Mark – Desh ka Haq to strengthen transparency, trust and citizen awareness in the quality ecosystem

The Quality Council of India (QCI) today announced a comprehensive set of next-generation quality reforms on the eve of Sushasan Divas 2025, aimed at strengthening India’s quality ecosystem and advancing the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Inspired by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and honouring the legacy of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the reforms are being implemented under the guidance of the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal.

Drawing from operational experience and evolving stakeholder needs, the reforms are aimed at having a transformative impact across sectors such as healthcare, laboratories, MSMEs and manufacturing.

System-wide reforms to power the quality ecosystem include the unveiling of the Q Mark – Desh ka Haq, a QR-coded Mark of Quality to enable citizens to know their laboratory, hospital and MSME, ensuring full disclosure and eliminating fake certificates.

The reforms mark a shift from inspection to trust through reduced paperwork, shorter timelines, fewer inspections and a low-friction ecosystem based on higher trust. The assessor pool will be expanded across boards and divisions by lowering entry barriers to bring in young experts and strengthen last-mile reach.

QCI is also launching Quality Setu, a secure ticket-based system for time-bound grievance redressal and feedback resolution. A single, paperless, modular one-stop accreditation platform will be launched to replace multiple accreditation portals.

For industry and MSMEs, the reforms focus on empowering India’s economic backbone of over six crore MSMEs. Under the QCI–Industry partnership, QCI will mentor and support Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers to achieve ZED and Lean certification, making Indian products ready for global standards. One lakh MSMEs and Self-Help Groups under the ODOP initiative will be trained in quality, packaging and branding in 2026. A Shop Floor Best Practices Playbook for MSMEs will be introduced to familiarise small businesses with global quality practices and strengthen day-to-day shop floor performance. Fees for ZED and Lean certification will be reduced to ensure affordability, access, quality and recognition for last-mile entrepreneurs.

Under NABL reforms for industry and laboratories, QCI aims to position India as the testing capital of the world. A model scope for medical testing laboratories will be introduced to ensure uniformity in accredited scopes. Technical skilling initiatives will train 5,000 laboratory personnel in 2026 to strengthen the national testing ecosystem. Self-declaration for authorised signatories will enable approval of proposed signatories for NABL assessors within 48 hours. Laboratories will be allowed 48-hour scope extensions for similar products, methods, tests or analytes under existing scopes, removing long waiting periods. Additional fees for product-based accreditation will be eliminated where test parameters are already covered.

Under NABH reforms for healthcare, the focus is on driving patient safety in every hospital and every pincode. Direct and trusted guidance will be provided through NABH’s MITRA programme, with trained and verified mentors officially empanelled to guide hospitals, particularly in smaller towns. Accreditation norms will be relaxed by allowing hospitals with 20 per cent occupancy to apply. The penalty framework will shift from blanket bans to graded penalties with guidance and course correction. Gunvatta Pathshala will provide role-based skilling for doctors, nurses and technicians in patient safety and accreditation. Desktop surveillance, including AI-assisted form filling and desk-based monitoring, will be introduced for consistently performing hospitals to reduce on-site inspections.

Under NABCB reforms for certification bodies, measures will be taken to ensure that local products reach global markets. Accredited certification for indigenously manufactured products will be introduced to enable seamless acceptance of Indian products across global supply chains. A Quality Passport for Indian products and services will be launched through globally aligned NABCB-accredited certifications for faster market access. Fast-track accreditation of certification bodies will be undertaken for new-age technology areas such as drones and cybersecurity.

Speaking on the reforms, the Chairman, QCI, Shri Jaxay Shah, stated that aligned with the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for Viksit Bharat 2047 and India’s aspiration to emerge as a Vishwaguru, the next-generation reforms build on QCI’s sustained efforts in recent years to simplify accreditation systems, reduce procedural friction and strengthen trust in India’s quality ecosystem. He said the reforms aim to accelerate processes, reduce turnaround times and leverage technology-driven systems to make quality assurance faster, more transparent and more accessible for enterprises, institutions and citizens across the country.

Over the years, QCI has consistently undertaken structural and process-driven reforms to modernise India’s quality ecosystem and strengthen trust-based governance. These efforts have focused on simplifying accreditation frameworks, reducing procedural complexity, leveraging digital technologies, rationalising inspections and expanding institutional capacity to improve ease of compliance and transparency.

As India advances towards the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, these reforms reflect QCI’s commitment to strengthening India’s quality architecture as an enabler of transparent governance, simplified compliance and globally competitive enterprises, positioning quality as a catalyst for sustainable growth, citizen trust and national progress.

QCI quality reforms introduce a QR-coded Q Mark, streamlined paperless accreditation, faster lab and hospital approvals. The reforms introduce the Q Mark QR-coded verification, a single paperless modular accreditation platform, and Quality Setu for time-bound grievance redressal; expand assessor pools and reduce inspections through shorter timelines and AI-assisted desktop surveillance. NABL changes create a model scope for medical testing, allow 48-hour signatory approvals and scope extensions, and remove duplicate product-based fees. NABH and NABCB reforms relax hospital eligibility, move to graded penalties with guidance, provide role-based skilling, enable accredited pathways for indigenous products, and fast-track accreditation for new technology areas.