Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, New and Renewable Energy, today inaugurated the new building of the National Test House (NTH) in Bengaluru. On this occasion, the Hon’ble Union Minister also launched the 115th foundation year celebrations of the National Test House.

Shri B.L. Verma, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Social Justice and Empowerment; Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and Labour and Employment; Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, along with other dignitaries, were present.

Established in 1912 at Alipore, Kolkata, NTH has evolved into a multi-location national testing and quality assurance institution serving industry, MSMEs, government organisations, consumers and other stakeholders. During the programme, several new testing facilities and initiatives across the National Test House (NTH) network were inaugurated virtually. These included a Coal Testing Facility at Kolkata, Solar Water Heater Testing Facility at Chennai, Utensils Testing Facility at Jaipur, NTH Suvidha mobile application, and the NTH Laboratory at Deendayal Hastkala Sankul (Trade Centre), Varanasi. 

Delivering the inaugural address, Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi said that India has emerged as the 13th official member country of the International Organization of Legal Metrology. As a result, measuring instruments tested domestically, including equipment used at petrol retail outlets, are now receiving full global recognition. The Minister added that under the leadership of Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the vision of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' is coming to reality.

The Minister noted that the government has prioritised the 'Zero Defect, Zero Effect' principle in the manufacturing sector. A new testing agency is being developed to verify both product quality and environmental carbon emissions during the manufacturing process. With electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing growing rapidly in India, EV components entering the market over the next 1 to 15 years must be fully manufactured domestically to compete globally. By providing a major push to domestic production, India aims to solidify its global standing in the EV sector.

Highlighting the financial growth of the National Test House, the Minister stated that its revenue has increased from ₹10–20 crore to over ₹50 crore. Extending its service boundaries, NTH now tests samples not only domestically but also for neighbouring and international countries such as Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bahrain, and Bhutan. Supported by a young workforce, scientists, and a robust startup ecosystem, India aims to become a global manufacturing hub by 2047.

The Minister shared that in 2014, the country had around 300 startups, whereas today that number has grown to over 2,500,000, including several Unicorn entities. Adapting to evolving technology, NTH has implemented drone testing and certification systems, which will help build a safe drone ecosystem for agriculture, surveying, and disaster management sectors. Additionally, the expansion of EV battery testing and chemical testing capabilities is crucial from the perspective of clean transport and public health.

Stating that India is undergoing a massive transformation in manufacturing, the Minister remarked that the country leads in mobile manufacturing and exports. By utilizing indigenous technology and equipment, India has laid the foundation for domestic mobile production to become a major manufacturing destination.

Shri B.L. Verma, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Social Justice and Empowerment, stated that NTH is keeping pace with changing technology by launching drone testing and certification systems to foster a secure ecosystem for agriculture, surveying, and disaster management. The Minister noted that the 'NTH Suvidha' mobile application was introduced to make services transparent and accessible. Alongside this, solar module/meter testing facilities, cookware testing units, and expansion programmes for the Varanasi lab were inaugurated. Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were also signed with various prestigious institutions for technical knowledge sharing and skill development.

Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for MSME, Labour and Employment, said that under Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the country's very first MSME 'Air Technology Centre' has been established in Bengaluru. Built at a cost of approximately ₹200 crore, this new centre marks a milestone in meeting the testing requirements of India's aerospace and defence sectors.

The Minister noted that suppliers to HAL, aerospace, and defence sectors previously faced a shortage of proper facilities for international-grade quality testing, forcing reliance on foreign countries for chemical and rigorous testing. However, three dedicated testing domains have now been set up in Bengaluru, Karnataka, for testing aerospace components and materials—a matter of great pride for the state and the country, making the nation self-reliant in defence production.

Smt. Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, emphasized the importance of a robust and modern testing and quality assurance ecosystem to ensure consumer welfare, strengthen industrial competitiveness, and ultimately fortify domestic manufacturing toward realizing the goal of an Aatmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat 2047. She highlighted the need to continuously modernize NTH facilities, expand its regional reach, and make quality testing services easily accessible to industries, MSMEs, and consumers.

During the event, the Ministers and senior officials honoured outstanding NTH employees with awards, and several MoUs were signed. Smt. Richa Mishra, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Shri Dr. Alok Kumar Srivastava, Director General, NTH, along with other dignitaries, were also present.

 

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