Small and medium industrial units should strive to get ZED (zero defect, zero effect) rating to make their products competitive and acceptable in domestic as well as global markets, according to T.M Venkatesan, a trainer and mentor.

He was speaking at a one-day awareness programme conducted by Visakha Autonagar Small-scale Industries' Welfare Association (VASSIWA) here on Tuesday. He said the Union Government had introduced a scheme to subsidise the cost of getting ZED rating for small and medium units and all entrepreneurs should try to make use of the scheme.

He then went on to explain the salient features of ZED rating and how the units should proceed to get the certification. "The Quality Council of India is the certifying agency and there are five grades - bronze, silver, gold, diamond and platinum. No unit in India has crossed the Gold barrier. After ZED rating, and proper adoption of tools, industrial units can reduce wastage, pollution and enhance productivity. They can become vendors to public sector units, have more IPRs and develop new products and processes. The services of experts will be available to them. The Centre has introduced the scheme four years ago, as small and medium units do not have the resources that bigger units have," he explained.

A.K Balaji, the president of the association, said the gains and advantages of ZED rating were many and the Government had introduced it as a part of "Make-in-India" campaign. “It is a fact that many of our products cannot measure up to the stringent standards of the international market, and therefore this scheme is of immense help in upgrading the units," he said.

Ch. Satyanarayana, the secretary, said ZED rating was as essential as ISO certification. TH. Baite, the Joint Director, MSME Development Institute, G.V.R Naidu, the Assistant Director, and others spoke.

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