The Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Small Industries Corporation Limited (NSIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 9 July in Kolkata, establishing a five-year collaborative framework aimed at strengthening quality standards, competitiveness, and market access for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across India. The partnership is particularly significant for West Bengal, which hosts the largest number of MSME manufacturing units in the country and leads all states in women-led MSMEs.

What the MoU Covers

The agreement integrates several flagship national initiatives under a unified support structure. These include the MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme, MSME Global Mart, the TEAM Initiative, and the Single Point Registration Scheme (SPRS). Together, they are designed to let MSMEs draw on the combined strengths of both organisations through a single access point.

The collaboration will also deepen the convergence between ZED Certification and NSIC's SPRS, support NABL accreditation for NSIC testing facilities, and enable NABET-led assessment, accreditation, and customised capacity-building programmes for NSIC training centres and laboratories.

Digital Market Access and AI Tools

ZED-certified MSMEs will gain enhanced access to 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 via dedicated digital platforms. The push toward digital channels reflects a broader policy thrust to internationalise Indian small enterprises.

Scale of India's MSME Sector

India's approximately 6.5 crore MSMEs employ around 28 crore people, accounting for roughly 30% of the country's GDP, 35.4% of manufacturing output, and nearly 45.73% of total exports, according to available data. The sector's scale makes any systemic quality or market-access intervention consequential at a macroeconomic level.

What Officials Said

Subhransu Sekhar Acharya, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NSIC, said MSMEs are central to India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. '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,' Acharya said, adding that the collaboration would help build a stronger ecosystem empowering enterprises to compete in both domestic and global markets.

A. Raj, Senior Director and Head of the National Division for Industry Excellence (NDIE) and Chief Executive Officer of the National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP), said the integration of ZED Certification with QCI's quality infrastructure — including NABL, NABET, and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) — alongside NSIC's outreach mechanisms, would enhance MSME competitiveness and strengthen quality consciousness nationally.

Governance and Next Steps

QCI and NSIC will constitute a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) comprising representatives from both organisations. The committee will convene every quarter to identify new collaboration areas, monitor progress, and guide implementation over the five-year tenure of the MoU. The partnership is aligned with the broader national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.