India to Implement AI-Based Machine-Readable Standards for Consumer Affairs: Secretary Highlights Key Initiatives

Government to Leverage AI for Streamlined Compliance Standards

The Consumer Affairs Ministry is planning to develop machine-readable standards using artificial intelligence tools to reduce the compliance burden on industry. According to a senior official, the move is aimed at streamlining regulatory requirements and enabling automatic compliance verification without manual intervention.

Machine-readable standards translate regulatory requirements into structured digital rules that computer systems can process directly. This enables companies to automate their compliance processes, reducing the administrative burden and increasing efficiency. The SMART (Standard Machine Accessable, Readable and Transferable) formats go a step further by being dynamic, constantly updated, and integrated into software and manufacturing lifecycles.

Addressing a FICCI-organised event, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said that the department is looking at ways to leverage emerging technologies, particularly AI, to modernise the country's standards ecosystem. She noted that while emerging technologies like AI may create disruption and challenges, they can also be used to the country's advantage.

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India is at a "transformative moment" in its economic journey, with quality playing a central role in achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Khare highlighted the importance of quality, stating that it is not just a pathway to development, but also a destination in itself.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is evolving from a regulator to a facilitator, with the government promoting private sector testing infrastructure to support industrial expansion while maintaining consumer trust. The secretary called on industry to actively participate in standards formulation and said that the government is in the process of replacing obsolete testing methods with quicker and more accurate processes.

Note: The above table represents the expected improvements in compliance time and accuracy with the introduction of AI-powered testing methods.

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