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It's a real shame that several food shipments from the country have been sent back by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And this is not the first instance that they have been rejected. In a span of six months, 1,763 food shipments have been rejected with products ranging from spices and seeds to shrimps and drugs.
Earlier too, India's export image took a dent when the EU had rejected several consignments amid alleged reports of dead insects in cashew nuts, salmonella in minced dehydrated white onions which took everyone by surprise.
This is not funny at all. India should pull up its socks to enforce necessary quality standards for upholding the brand image of the country on the export front. It is high time that the government enforced quality norms at all levels to ensure that the consignments are not rejected. The quality enforcing authorities and export houses should be made accountable.
On one hand we are trying to push food exports as a thrust sector, and on the other, we have no effective standards in place. Forget about exports, shockingly, India today doesn't even have an effective mechanism to check compliance to food standards for domestic requirements.
I feel the ongoing rejections is not only a setback to the nation's inspection process, it also brings to fore a number of questions on the standards followed by the country.
The formation of a strong and independent regulatory body that can oversee the implementation of the laws and information dissemination amongst exporters about sanitary measures have to be undertaken on a war-footing. Moreover, the inspecting bodies should be well equipped to understand the finer points of conformity to global standards.
I fear that if such rejections continue, it will impact the Indian economy that has a large dependence on exports. Overhauling of the regulatory framework is the only way out of this impending crisis.
Mr. Khosla,
You are absolutely right in mentioning stringent quality control for export items. In past India always had that issue when it came to export of any items, but with foreign companies in India producing lot of different items, quality control has improved but to an extend our food industry is still dominated by locals and thus lack of standard and quality control which needs to be addressed and urgently to bring India back in lime light.
Thank you.
S. Vaghani
Mega Trading & Services Limited
Northwood, United Kingdom
Free Member, Joined :10/22/2003
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 1
Dear Mr. Khosla,
I do not know what to say. The Govt of India should take action, like the Chinese govt. did a month ago. Let me tell you Mr. Khosla, the Indian importers are the garbage of the Indian Society here in the USA even your dog would not like to eat such Indian food stuff. I tell all my American friends that the Indian spices that are sold here in the USA are may be third or may be lowest quality of Indian spices. I will be informing FDA in the USA to ban all food stuff coming from India, until they meet the standard. Our spice should be recognized as a standard in the world.
Free Member, Joined :04/22/2007
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 1
India is very well-known for their rubbish exports. It's me and my wallet talking.
India has to understand that there are no shortcuts for profits, only a lot of work and investment.
When in Rome do what the Romans do.
Next week I will be India ordering granite and I'm in a position to make a dent. Let see what will come of this. Every body! Trust me, I'm not looking forward to it.
One of my clients put in the rubbish 2/3 of a container.
Well, good luck let honesty prevail
Phillip
Free Member, Joined :07/07/2007
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 1
Now we must establish the management system for the quality of products,so that other countries can believe in us, and our products. We can establish long-term cooperative relations with each other.
Shanghai Aobel Enterprise Developement Co., Ltd.
Shanghai, China
Free Member, Joined :11/09/2006
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 1
Yes, Sir, Now we should consider more about the product quality when we export goods to other countries not just the cheap price tag. This is the only and lasting way to improve our economy.
Free Member, Joined :05/16/2007
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 1
It not only damages the Indian image, it is a loss to the customer too. The rejected goods are repacked and sold at very less price and unaware customers purchase it. I know of an incident when papad of very good name in India, when rejected was sold at 25000/- per ton. The purchaser distributed it in the brand name of the company cheaper than other companies. So others also had to suffer.
To avoid this pre-inspection by non governmental bodies who can pre-inspect fast should be developed. Or some sort of penalty should be levied or the goods should be destroyed by Indian govt.
Free Member, Joined :04/26/2006
No of Topics Posted : 1
Reply/Comments : 5
Bikky
You are right.
"Chal jaye ga" attitude MUST be immediately corrected. These are just a few drops in vast ocean of exports which have been rejected.
How many others have been missed and shamed the entire Indian export industry?
Raj Vyas
BURNABY
BC Canada
Free Member, Joined :10/17/2001
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 2
I agree "what a shame". What is required a change of mindset amongst us.
Today whatever quality is being produced it is because of regulations or market demands. Quality per se is not a part of our manufacturing ethos.
Secondly the buyers ethos also does not insist on quality products. We are so price sensitive that we forget what is cheaply available is cheaply made.
We talk of Chinese products being of questionable quality. If that was the case all the major brands of Europe and America would not have set up shop in China. One trader in electrical goods, who regularly imports from China told me, we can get goods at any price range.
So in the first instance I think we as people need to become more aware of quality requirements and demand better quality of goods and services. Accept that good quality goods and services mean slightly higher price bands. We need to accept it. But at the same time there is an enormous skepticism in the minds of the consumer regarding the attitude of the trader. A feeling that the trader is ripping them off and overcharging them for the service or the produce.
If we look at this as the two sides of a coin then the problems that we have with in regard to making quality products comes to the fore. We are not tuned to quality at the mental level.
We need like you said better enforcement of quality by the statutory authorities. That is only a part of the solution. What is most important is that we need to bring about a change in the way we think about the manufacturing and the service sector. Until then we are going to lose enormous amounts of business. On the global level there are many people chasing the same pie. If we cannot provide the right kind of product someone else will. A casual approach to quality standards will harm us in the short run and also in the long run. Not only that the generalisation of Indian suppliers being dishonest, and as people who supply bad quality will not make it easy for fresh entrants into the export market.
Free Member, Joined :10/14/2006
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 7
US has rejected several shipments of DRUGS and food-items and EU has been very critical of INDIAN PRODUCTS. But who is responsible for our industry, our babus who are running the departments or several EXPORT PROMOTION COUNCILS OR EXPORT INSPECTION AGENCIES OR OUR SO CALLED LALLAS, THE PSEUDO INDUSTRIALISTS, who take pride in receiving EXPORTS AWARDS by hook or crook, or UNDERPAID STAFF, running such organisations.
The problem prevails everywhere, and instead of going down to the root of the problem, we are trimming the tree, instead of nourishing the growth.
It's disgusting. As a matter of fact, the whole export community and government should hire real experts to teach them about quality, and other related aspects and likewise, the government should open its eyes and find ways to solve the problem. Sadly for them it's a way to go abroad, come back after wining and dining and singing songs of a country. They should use the talent to upgrade product development, and create standard framework and on such exports IEC SHOULD BE REVOKED AND THEY BE BLACKLISTED.
RAJESH SHARMA
CEO SPEEDCONSULTING
Free Member, Joined :12/22/2006
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 3
Dear Mr. Bikky Khosla
Indian businessmen (especially the traditional ones coming from ages) are always the types to think of getting rich quickly. Most of the times, the samples submitted for the export customer are the best and when it comes to production, they mostly seem to cut corners to make either profits or more profits than they initially wanted to have.
Quality, seems not to have got ingrained in to the DNA of the Indian business psyche. No amount of governmental control and policies can overcome greed. After all no government can ensure 100% quality check by their inspectors.
So the ultimate onus lies on the factory making the products, whether for domestic market or for export. Most of our business and commercial associations are mostly platforms to boost the individuals' ego and status in the community/ society / among the peers.
It is not just the government which has to bring in legislation, even the ethics of all the businessmen should be reinforced either by external motivation or by self-motivation to excel in the product being given to the public at large.
Compounding to all these, is the lax attitude of the officials and their corrupt practices which also contribute to the problems of quality.
Instead of having seminars and business meetings / get-togethers and parties in the evenings by the large business houses / big industrialists, it may be better they have classes regularly on ethical practices of business and being satisfied by the profits they had built into the contracts of exports or domestic sales.
The issue cannot be resolved in a day or a year. It will take few years for the mindset of the businessmen to synchronise to the idea of "quality is better" and it only pays on the long run.
With Regards
R. Ravi Shankar
Managing Director
Rupanagudi Power Systems Pvt Ltd
RUPANAGUDI POWER SYSTEMS PVT. LTD.
Hyderabad, India
Free Member, Joined :10/13/2004
No of Topics Posted : 0
Reply/Comments : 2
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