The Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to establish a collaborative ecosystem aimed at strengthening quality, competitiveness, and market access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across India. The partnership brings together QCI's expertise in quality, accreditation, and certification with NSIC's extensive MSME support ecosystem to accelerate the adoption of globally recognized quality standards.
The collaboration integrates key national initiatives including the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme, MSME Global Mart, the TEAM Initiative, and the Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS) under a unified support framework. This integration will facilitate wider adoption of Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification, improve digital market access, strengthen testing and accreditation infrastructure, and expand capacity-building opportunities for MSMEs and training institutions.
Under the partnership, ZED-certified MSMEs will receive enhanced opportunities for digital commerce through MSME Global Mart, onboarding on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) under the TEAM Initiative, AI-enabled product cataloguing, and export promotion through dedicated digital platforms. The collaboration will also strengthen convergence between ZED Certification and NSIC's Single Point Registration Scheme, support NABL accreditation for NSIC testing facilities, and enable NABET-led assessment, accreditation, and customized capacity-building programs for NSIC training centers and laboratories.
To ensure effective implementation, QCI and NSIC will constitute a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from both organizations. The committee will meet every quarter to identify new areas of collaboration, monitor progress, and guide the implementation of joint initiatives during the five-year tenure of the MoU. The partnership was signed at the QCI Office, World Trade Centre, New Delhi, with senior officials from both organizations present.