India should set standards, not follow others: Sitharaman

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) Underlining the need to bring out a document on a standards strategy for the country, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said India should be setting quality standards for products rather than following global norms in this regard.

"India should be setting standards rather than following the standards which are being set," Sitharaman said, addressing the 4th National Standards Conclave here.

"I hope a standards strategy document is going to be the possible outcome of this conclave," she said.

"Any national strategy for standards should be able to factor in technology to disseminate any change in import requirements in foreign countries so that our exporters are well prepared to overcome those barriers," she added.

The Minister urged the industry to produce quality products at an affordable price so that import of cheaper products can be curbed.

"Quality need not always be expensive. Quality products can also be affordable," she said.

On the occasion, Sitharaman also launched a portal of standards developed jointly by the Commerce Ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), which will provide information relating to standards and conformity assessment.

"But I am also a bit impatient how it (portal) will reach people who will have to follow, conform and implement these standards," she said in this regard

A phone-based alert, adaptable to regional languages, needs to be prepared so that conformity to these standards can become effective, she added.