THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

NEW DELHI, JULY 9, 2026

In a major step towards strengthening India's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a collaborative ecosystem focused on enhancing quality, competitiveness and market access for MSMEs across the country.

The five-year partnership brings together QCI's expertise in quality, accreditation and certification with NSIC's extensive MSME support network to accelerate the adoption of globally recognised quality standards and enable Indian enterprises to scale up their domestic and international presence.

The collaboration will integrate key national initiatives, including the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme, MSME Global Mart, the TEAM Initiative and the Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS), offering MSMEs a unified support framework that promotes quality excellence, digital commerce and institutional capacity building.

As part of the initiative, ZED-certified MSMEs will gain enhanced access to digital commerce opportunities through MSME Global Mart, onboarding on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) under the TEAM Initiative, AI-enabled product cataloguing and dedicated export promotion platforms. The partnership 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 customised capacity-building programmes for NSIC training centres and laboratories.

To ensure effective implementation, QCI and NSIC will establish a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from both organisations. The committee will meet every quarter to identify new areas of collaboration, monitor progress and guide the execution of joint initiatives throughout the tenure of the MoU.

The partnership underscores the shared commitment of both organisations to fostering a culture of quality, innovation and continuous improvement across India's MSME sector. By strengthening quality infrastructure, expanding market access and enhancing institutional capabilities, the initiative is expected to support the emergence of globally competitive enterprises while contributing to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

The MoU was signed at the QCI Office, World Trade Centre, New Delhi, in the presence of Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NSIC, Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya; Senior Director and Head, National Division for Industry Excellence (NDIE), QCI, Dr. A. Raj; Chief Executive Officer, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), Dr. Ramanand N. Shukla; Chief Executive Officer, National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), Dr. Varinder S. Kanwar; and senior officials from both organisations.

Chairman-cum-Managing Director, NSIC, Dr. Subhransu Sekhar Acharya said that MSMEs are central to India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. He said the partnership with QCI brings together quality, market access and institutional support to create greater opportunities for MSMEs to enhance their competitiveness, expand into new markets and achieve sustainable growth. He added that the collaboration would help build a stronger ecosystem that empowers enterprises to compete confidently in both domestic and global markets.

Senior Director and Head, National Division for Industry Excellence (NDIE), and Chief Executive Officer, National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP), QCI, Dr. A. Raj said the collaboration harnesses the complementary strengths of QCI and NSIC to accelerate the adoption of quality across India's MSME ecosystem. He said that by integrating ZED Certification with QCI's quality infrastructure, including NABL, NABET and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), while leveraging NSIC's outreach and support mechanisms, the partnership would enhance MSME competitiveness, strengthen quality consciousness and further advance QCI's National Quality Campaign.