The government on Monday announced the launch of a pilot of a digital platform that will be a single window to get certification for exports and imports. Bharat Aayat Niryat Lab Setu will bring testing and inspection agencies across the country on a single platform and connect them to exporters and importers, which will strengthen India’s trade facilitation ecosystem and ensure faster, transparent and paperless certification for export and import commodities.
“The initiative seeks to streamline the process of testing and certification by digitally connecting exporters, importers and accredited testing and inspection agencies through a unified online interface,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said.
This will reduce delays, improve traceability of test results and enhance global trust in India’s quality infrastructure, it said.
The pilot phase of the study will start from November 4 with the onboarding of testing and inspection agencies on the platform. Exporters and importers will be able to submit applications for product and commodity testing through the platform from November 11.
During the run of the pilot, certification through existing modes will continue. To start with, the applications can be submitted only for export and import of commodities where a test report or certificate is required at the port. Use cases involving test certificates issued post-shipment such as health certificates shall be incorporated in subsequent phases.
Initially laboratories operated by tea, coffee and rubber boards will be onboarded. The onboarding of additional laboratories – including those under other commodity boards, export promotion councils and private sector labs – shall follow once the pilot phase goes live.
Testing labs are used in imports and exports to ensure compliance with international and national safety, quality, and regulatory standards, which helps avoid shipment rejection, protects public health, and builds trust with buyers. They verify that products meet specific requirements, such as contaminant levels, nutritional labeling, and specific certifications, which is crucial for successful and legal trade