On February 16, 2022, the 8th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure held virtually which was co-led by Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD), India; and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz – (BMWK)).
Co-Chairs of Meeting:
i.India- Rohit Kumar Singh, Consumer Affairs Secretary
ii.Germany- Dr. Deniela Bronstrup, Director General, Digital and Innovation Policy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)
Work Plan 2022:
The meeting saw the signing of a Work Plan 2022 by both sides to strengthen Quality Infrastructure (QI), reduce technical barriers to trade, enhance product safety and strengthen consumer protection.
i.It includes collaboration in mobility, energy, circular economy, smart farming/ agriculture, medical devices, digitalization (Artificial Intelligence (AI), Industry 4.0 and other new technology areas), machinery safety, medical devices and equipment and market surveillance.
ii.The work plan will involve different ministries, standardization bodies and Industry on different aspects of quality infrastructure.
iii.There will be exchange of information and expertise on issues of mutual interest to support bilateral trade.
Sharing of Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) study, India ranked 10th globally:
The Outcome of the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) study conducted by the German side was also shared in the meeting. As per the GQII report, India ranked at 7th position on standardization aspect, 9th for Accreditation activities and 19th for the Metrology related activities.
- India scored 95.6 out of 100 and is ranked at 10th place in the world for overall QI environment.
Release of publication:
A publication on ‘United in Quality and Safety’ was released providing information about the QI in Germany and the European Union (EU). It will help the policymakers and trade partners in India to understand the QI regime in Europe and in Germany.
Key Points:
i.The German side shared their initiatives at International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and requested support for the German candidate for the position of Director Standards at ITU.
ii.A panel discussion on ‘digitalization and sustainability: key factors for an effective and modern Quality Infrastructure’ and a session on ‘Focus areas for cooperation within the Indo-German Working Group in 2022’ were also held.
iii.Discussions were held on the relevance of QI for digital and green transformation. The support for the same can be provided through Indo-German Cooperation.
About Indo-German Working Group:
The Working Group meets annually since 2013, and identifies areas of cooperation to support and strengthen QI on the basis of the needs and requirements of relevant stakeholders in order to support bilateral trade.
Recent Related News:
On December 17, 2021, the Government of India (GoI) and the Germany Development Bank- KfW (Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau) signed Euro 442.26 million loan for 40.35 km Surat Metro Rail project in Gujarat. The total cost of the project is Euro 1.50 billion, out of which KfW is financing Euro 442.26 million.
About Germany:
Capital– Berlin
Currency– Euro
President– Frank-Walter Steinmeier
