The
American National Standards Institute (ANSI), in cooperation with the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), convened the fifth in a series of workshops held under the
U.S.-India Standards and Conformance Cooperation Program (SCCP). Held in New Delhi, India, on October 27, 2010, the workshop focused on plumbing and mechanical codes, and their application in supporting the expanding construction industries in the U.S. and India. Co-sponsored by ANSI member and accredited standards developer the
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), the event marked the fifth sector-specific workshop carried out under the U.S.-India SCCP. Launched in March 2009, the SCCP is designed to engender cooperation on standards and conformance issues and improve access for U.S. companies to the Indian market. [
see related news item] India's construction industry is growing rapidly and faces the dual challenge of keeping up with a quickly expanding urban infrastructure and emerging green-building practices. As India moves towards the implementation of uniform codes based on international standards, manufacturers in the U.S. and India alike will benefit. At the workshop, approximately 80 participants from U.S. and Indian organizations examined consensus code development; environmentally conscious, internationally recognized codes and standards; and expanding public awareness through education and training programs. Speakers from the Indian Ministry of Urban Development, BIS, the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA), and the Indian Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) emphasized the value of viable, uniform codes in protecting Indian public health and safety. R C Mishra of the Ministry of Urban Development praised the SCCP's focus on public-private partnerships as a means of promoting cross-border trade and supporting the government's mandate to protect citizens. The final agenda from the fifth SCCP workshop is
available here.
For more information on the U.S-India SCCP, visit www.StandardsPortal.org/us-indiasccp or contact Leslie McDermott, ANSI program manager for international development ([email protected]; 202-331-3626).
