Govt to set up EV Battery testing facility in Kolkata & Mumbai: AS Nidhi Khare

NTH is striving to establish world class scientific laboratory system and for ease of users i.e., consumers, NTH has introduced a fully digital Laboratory Management Information System (LIMS).

Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs Ms Nidhi Khare said that National Test House (NTH) is undertaking major initiatives to transform into a future ready organisation that is equipped with proper and adequate testing facilities for the goods and services either manufactured in the country or imported. Briefing Media about the Modernisation activities in testing infrastructure being undertaken by NTH, she stressed that PM Gatishakti portal is being leveraged to identify gaps in testing infrastructure in the country and efforts are to subsequently fill those gaps to promote Ease of Doing Business. 

She further said Government is also reaching out to industry associations, and manufacturing associations to seek their inputs and contribute in making of Atma Nirbhar Bharat by building a robust Testing ecosystem. DG (NTH) Dr Alok Kumar Shrivastava, also made a detailed presentation on the transformation of NTH.  

The following modernisation activities in testing infrastructure have been undertaken:

Chennai branch of NTH has developed a state-of-art testing facility for simulation of Lightning Impulse (upto 1400 KVP), Switching Impulse (upto 1050 KVP) & Current Impulse (upto 10kA). This equipment is used for assessment of the sustainability of Transmission Line Equipments prone to Lightning Strikes and Switching Surges during their operation. The facility will be available for the service to the nation from January, 023. 

NTH is striving to establish world class scientific laboratory system and for ease of users i.e., consumers, NTH has introduced a fully digital Laboratory Management Information System (LIMS). Now, consumers can get their product sample tested from any part of the country by sending samples through courier, booking the required tests online, submitting payment online and get the test results online, even by using mobile phone. By using sample tracking, they may also monitor the testing time and position of their samples. The new MIS used by all Regional laboratories of NTH is enhancing the operational efficiency of the laboratory by automating and streamlining the workflows, eliminating the need for maintaining information manually, which in turn is minimising the testing time and increasing the overall laboratory capacity.

To boost up quality testing of food products in North Eastern states, Guwahati branch of NTH has developed a Microbiology laboratory where testing of drinking water and different type of spices will be conducted. The facility will be available for the service to the nation from January, 2023. 

While inaugurating ‘One Nation, One Fertiliser’ scheme, our Prime Minister said that this scheme will ensure affordable quality fertiliser of Bharat brand to the farmers. NTH will undertake quality testing of fertilisers as third referee analysis with Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India. 67 scientists from all NTH laboratories dealing with testing of fertiliser samples have attended training programme in fertiliser quality control and analysis at Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institute, Faridabad.

To support the PM Gati Shakti Mission, initiated by our Prime Minister in respect of the Technological Development of the Nation, NTH is working on a plan to establish a state-of-art “Transformer testing facility” at Jaipur, Rajasthan. At present, most of the transformer manufacturers that are located in Northern India mostly in Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, have to transport their transformers to ERDA, Vadodara & CPRI Bhopal/Bangalore for Short Circuit & other tests which involve a lot of time and huge transportation cost and which may lead to delay in projects. This test facility is being created at the hub of transformer industry which will cater to the demand of north and western part of the country and will reduce the transportation cost and time taken in getting transformer samples tested. This will reduce the present queuing time in testing of transformers from months to a few days supporting power generation and distribution networks in the country. Also, there was a continuous demand from the manufacturer’s side for setting up of Short Circuit Laboratory at National Test House, Jaipur since a long time which will be met supporting the power generation and distribution ecosystem in North-Western India.

The NTH labs are equipped with full parameter potable water testing. The method is also being extended to river water environmental testing and sampling to support availability of portable drinking water in   most States.

NTH is Registered in the Government e Market (GeM) as a service provider in the category "Testing and Calibration Service" to meet the testing needs of all Government departments, CABs, and PSUs etc.

During this fiscal year (up to November 2022), NTH generated revenue of Rs. 12.0 crores from testing and calibration services, an increase of 18.5% over the previous year's revenue. The total number of samples tested by various regional laboratories (up to November 2022) is 10734, an increase of 17.7% over the sample tested during the corresponding period in the previous year. NTH made every effort to increase both the revenue and the sample tested, and it appears that it will reach revenue generation of Rs. 25.00 crores by the end of this fiscal year.

Future generation EV needs testing & standardisation, for which NTH Kolkata & Mumbai Regions will setup EV Battery & EV Charging Testing facility.

For Business Promotion and to establish close collaboration for testing across the country, interaction with various Heads of Govt./PSUs/ PVt. Industries are initiated in last few months. Few of them are as below:  

Managing Director, DMRC

Chief of Stores, DMRC

Principal Chief Electrical Engineer along with Chief Electrical Engineer (Project), Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation

Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and Chairman, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

CEO, NABL

Top officials of different organisation such as ISRO, BIS, cooperative sugar federation (TN), Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam, Tirupati, Book and Educational Services Corp., Indian Boilers Board, Western Railways, Rajasthan Housing Board Jaipur, IRCTC Secunderabad, CPWD at various NTH Regions, UP Jal Nigam, FICCI New Delhi, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Assam, Nerolac Paints, Mumbai, Shalimar paints and various Central & state PSUs including private companies.

NTH has also introduced various training programmes in last few months for engineering college students as well as professionals across all Regional laboratories of NTH with an objective to empower the youth of the country with adequate skill sets that will enable their employment in relevant sectors, improve productivity and also enhance entrepreneurship among them.

In service of North Eastern states:

Developed a state of the art Microbiology lab for testing of Drinking Water at NTH (NER), Guwahati.

Is in the process of establishing a satellite branch at land port of Tripura state to ensure import and export of quality products.

NTH is supporting the MSME industry and sellers on GeM portal to provide quality, inspected material to the procuring agencies, be it a small item like a pen or a scientific item like a transformer. NTH is committed to serve the people with quality, honestly with transparency in operation.

National Test House (NTH), a premier Scientific Organization engaged in Testing, Calibration and Quality evaluation of raw material and finished product since last 109 years. NTH is functioning as a subordinate office under, Govt. of India, Ministry of Consumers Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Department of Consumer Affairs. NTH originated in the year 1912, as “Government Test House” at Alipore, Calcutta, with the primary objective of assisting and guiding the indigenous manufacturers on the production of Engineering goods with Quality Testing.    Now, during this Amrit Kaal, and with the changing world scenario, as our country moves towards the goal of self-reliance, NTH is contributing by providing dedicated services to various nation building projects.

(With Inputs from PIB)