New Delhi, Feb 23 (.) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday asserted that quality must become the cornerstone of India’s manufacturing and export strategy, stating that the country’s ambition to become a USD 30–35 trillion economy by 2047 hinges on embedding world-class standards across sectors.
Addressing the first National Quality Conclave organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade in collaboration with the Quality Council of India, Goyal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” must guide India’s industrial transformation.
“Quality must define India’s manufacturing push. If we aspire to become a USD 30–35 trillion economy by 2047, we must ensure that every product made in India meets the highest global standards while causing minimal environmental impact,” Goyal said.
He emphasised that India’s target of achieving USD 2 trillion in exports in the coming years — with a balanced contribution from merchandise and services — would require strict adherence to international benchmarks.
While India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing major economies, its share in global trade remains relatively modest, particularly in labour-intensive and competitive sectors, he noted.
Highlighting the opportunities created by Free Trade Agreements concluded in recent years, Goyal said these agreements have opened access to major developed markets covering a significant share of global GDP and trade.
However, he cautioned that market access alone would not guarantee success unless Indian manufacturers consistently deliver high-quality products.
“Market access gives us opportunity, but quality will determine whether we can sustain and expand our presence globally,” he said.
Calling for a fundamental mindset shift, the Minister said India must move away from the earlier culture where “export quality” was perceived as superior to products sold domestically.
“There cannot be two standards — one for exports and another for domestic consumption. One nation must follow one high standard of quality,” he asserted.
Outlining a structured roadmap to institutionalise quality, Goyal proposed a five-pillar action plan. This includes clear and transparent standard operating procedures across sectors, regular inspection and compliance mechanisms throughout the value chain, continuous skilling and reskilling of the workforce, benchmarking against global best practices, and streamlining testing and certification processes to reduce cost and delays.
He also stressed the importance of building modern shared testing infrastructure across manufacturing clusters and assured industry that financial resources would not be a constraint in strengthening quality ecosystems, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“Quality is not a slogan. It has to become a culture — from promoters and directors to the shop floor worker and laboratory technician,” Goyal said, urging industry stakeholders to shed the “chalta hai” attitude and embrace excellence as a non-negotiable principle.
The Conclave brought together policymakers, industry leaders, MSMEs and quality experts to deliberate on strengthening India’s manufacturing competitiveness and positioning the country as a trusted, high-quality global supplier.
. SAS RSA