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Flickr to align quality with global standards.
He also called for a government, industry and academia
partnership with the quality control regulators working to
solve difficulties manufacturers have in adopting good quality

standards.
Shri Goyal asked the participants to develop a sense
of duty towards Viksit Bharat and said that the country’s
export competitiveness will not come from subsidies rather
an Atmanirbhar Bharat will come from a self-reliant India.
“Quality is not our job, it is our duty,” he said.
Set India on a path to become a net exporter of teak
In a working paper (EAC-PM/WP/32/2024) the Economic
developed nation. Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) calls for

He stressed that the sustainable manufacturing practices de-regulating timber cultivation in order to make India a net
moving towards a green economy will be the defining catalyst timber exporter.
towards the journey of becoming a Viksit Bharat (Developed The authors say, “a complex regulatory system that limits
India). the felling and transit of high-value native species combined
On the Rs 1 lakh crore Anusandhan National Research with an increased demand for furniture, plywood, and timber
Foundation (ANRF), he said that through this fund the for construction has increased India's dependence on imports
Government will be supporting innovation for the industry to of these species from high-risk sources.”

make it a prerequisite alongside quality for a Viksit Bharat. “The policy change proposed below will put India on the
Shri Goyal mentioned that till 2014 there were only 14 path to going from a teak importer to a leading exporter,
Quality Control Orders (QCOs) covering 106 products, while enhancing farmers’ income and improving the carbon content
in the last decade the Government has expanded to 174 of the soil.”
QCOs covering 732 products. “In India, tracking of log and processed wood products
Emphasising on the effect quality can have on toy is regulated under the Forest Produce Transit Rules, which
manufacturing, the Minister stated that introducing quality were developed to support the 1927 Forest Act.”
control has led to an increase in exports. “The Transit Rules deal with the storage, movement and
He also said that for India to be recognised as a brand at import or export of a broad range of materials defined in the

the world stage, quality has to be given foremost importance. Act as ‘forest produce’, which incidentally include wildflowers
If it is coming from India it has to have an imprint of quality, and fruits. An elaborate system of passes, licenses, hammer
that should be our aspirational goal. marks and permits is laid down requiring multiple inspections
The Union Minister invited industry leaders to partner with and the decisions of higher officers before a pass can be
the Government and take quality to the MSME sector through issued.”
the QCO ecosystem. “The procedures are essentially the same for privately
He further urged the industry captains to share their best owned timber as for government timber. Passes authorising

practices and persuade companies with technical manpower the transport of the material are required at each stage of
for aiding the Government’s technical standards committees transactions.”