UL to offer safety certification to Indian industry

Bangalore, Mar 5 (UNI) With the entry of global majors in the retail sector in the country, the safety standards for electronic and electrical products in India will undergo a sea change, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) President and CEO Keith Williams said today.

UL had global relationship with key retailers like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target, and was now in talks with large Indian retailers to set up product safety processes for them. ''For the booming retail sector and the electronics and home appliance industry in India, UL comes in as a knowledge leader -- with a team of experts who play an active role in multiple international standards and technical committees,'' he told newspersons here.

UL, an US-based non-profit-organisation offering third party verification, would offer comprehensive portfolio for certification of electrical and electronic equipment to the Indian industry. Based in Bangalore, the company would act as a one-stop-shop for certifying appliances, IT and industrial equipment, telecom and lighting products, he said.

Mr Williams said that in India alone, UL had a 1,200-strong customer base. It also worked closely with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and trade associations. It had established testing facilities in Delhi and Mumbai, apart from the city.

''The surging Indian industry has made us turn our focus towards Small and Medium enerprises, as they have a great prospect to grow as major exporters. The certification that UL provides for their products will help SMEs in India foray into the global market with confidence,'' he said.

UL India Managing Director R A Venkitachalam said the company had launched a campaign in the city involving school children from 15 schools to teach them mainly about safety of electric and electronic equipment at home and how to avoid LPG leaks. The two factors had contributed to more than 80 per cent of domestic mishaps in the country. ''We would extend this programme to other cities as well and bring out a CD to educate people about safety,'' he added.

UNI