New Delhi: Government today notified the Zero Effect Zero Defect (ZED) certification scheme, which will hand-hold MSMEs across the country in Make in India sectors through quality control cells constituted by the government, and rate them after carrying out assessment of their products.

The ZED certification scheme with a total budget of Rs 491 crore (including Government of India contribution of Rs 365 crore) will be implemented during the 12th Five Year Plan.

The ZED scheme which denotes high quality manufacturing with a minimal negative impact on environment. Launched in October by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was first mentioned by him in his Independence Day speech in 2014.

The scheme is an extensive drive to create proper awareness in MSMEs about Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) manufacturing and motivate them for assessment of their enterprise for ZED and support them. After ZED assessment and adoption of proper tools, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, expand their market as lOPs, become vendors to CPSUs, have more IPRs, develop new products and processes etc.

The scheme is aimed at raising quality levels in the unregulated MSME sector.

The assessment model based on quality and environment parameters designed by the Quality Council of India will initially target units belonging to sectors like textiles, apparel, food products and beverages, among others.

Source: indiatoday