Launched in April 2022, around 67 thousand registrations have been done under the MSME ZED certification scheme, MSME Minister Narayan Rane said.
Quality Certification for MSMEs: Over 20,000 Zed certificates have been issued under the MSME Sustainable (Zed) Certification scheme till August, Union Minister of MSMEs Narayan Rane shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The scheme aims to improve the competitiveness and productivity of MSMEs by helping them reduce wastage in their manufacturing process, enhance their environmental consciousness, save energy, and expand their markets. Launched in April last year, the scheme had completed 10,000 certifications till July this year.
“ZED certification scheme is becoming the identity of a successful enterprise. MSME ZED certification scheme has crossed the mark of 20,000+ certifications. In which certification of more than 10,000 enterprises has been successfully done in less than 2 months. Launched in April 2022, around 67 thousand registrations have been done under the MSME ZED certification scheme. Enterprises are successfully achieving the goal of Zero Defect and Zero Effect manufacturing on the environment under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji.”
According to the tweet, over 10,000 MSMEs were certified in less than two months.
Meanwhile, according to the latest data available on the ZED portal, 70,622 MSMEs have registered for certification, of which 22161 have been certified. While 21,799 units were Bronze certified, 175 MSMEs were Silver certified and 187 MSMEs were Gold certified.
The ZED certification has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. These levels are classified according to 20 performance-based parameters such as quality management, timely delivery, process control, waste management, etc. The bronze certification is provided after meeting five parameters, followed by Silver at 14, and Gold at 20. The scheme has provided support of Rs 31.54 crore to these certified MSMEs.
The rationale behind the launch of the zero defect-zero effect was expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address on the 68th Independence Day. PM Modi appealed to the MSMEs of the country to manufacture goods with ‘zero defects,’ which have zero effects on the environment. The Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is the implementing body for the Zed Scheme.
In terms of the certification cost, MSMEs are charged Rs 10,000 for bronze certification, Rs 40,000 for silver certification, and Rs 90,000 for gold certification. The certificate is valid for three years and MSMEs have to re-apply for the certificate as per the validity of the scheme. Currently, the scheme is applicable for manufacturing MSMEs only. The government hasn’t announced the scheme’s model for services MSMEs yet.
