Lab Conclave – Assuring Steel Quality: Challenges in Testing and Certification – A Roadmap
Jharsuguda: The Eastern Regional Laboratory (ERL) and Bhubaneswar Branch Office (BHBO) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) successfully organized the Lab Conclave – Assuring Steel Quality: Challenges in Testing and Certification – A Roadmap on February 14, 2025, in Jharsuguda, Odisha.
The conclave was graced by distinguished guests, including Anuj Bhatnagar, Deputy Director General, Eastern Region, as the Guest of Honor, and Nishat Sultana Haque, Deputy Director General, Labs, the Chief Guest for the program. Their insightful addresses underscored the critical role of standardization and testing in ensuring the quality of steel products in India’s industrial landscape because of advent of various Quality Control Orders on Steel and other Aluminium products & alloys.
As a mark of recognition for their contributions to BIS activities, Modern Test Centre, JSW (Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd) Sambalpur, Jindal India Limited, Howrah, and NIT Rourkela were felicitated during the event.
The conclave featured two insightful technical sessions that highlighted the latest developments and challenges in steel testing and certification with speakers from some of the major leaders in this sector namely M/s Jindal SteelWorks, M/s Bhushan Power Steel Limited, M/s Hindalco, Jharsuguda,Jindal Stainless, Jajpur, etc. who discussed the evolving methodologies in steel, advancements in the sector &and some of the best practices in the industry which can be integrated in Indian Standards.
The meeting had also speakers from academia namely Archana Mallik from NIT Rourkela and U. Ojha from IIT Bhubaneshwar who provided valuable insights into the issues which impact quality of steel products, corrosion being one of them. Vidisha, Deputy Director, MTD, BIS, discussed the latest updates in the standardization process within the steel sector and elaborated on products being brought under mandatory certification. Deepak Kumar Patra, E/Director, BHBO, provided a comprehensive overview of the effect of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) in steel sector in the region. Tarique Sajjad, C/Deputy Director, ERL, shed light on schemes by BIS for support to educational institutes in the field of standardisation and the support BIS is extending to laboratories of Educational institutes and Industries to be associated with BIS and help the MSME sector in maintaining quality.
This pivotal event brought together industry experts, technical professionals, and stakeholders to discuss advancements, challenges, and the future trajectory of steel testing and certification. The conclave also served as a vital platform for industry professionals to engage in meaningful discussions, exchange knowledge, and explore future innovations in steel testing and certification. It reaffirmed the commitment of BIS and its stakeholders towards ensuring the highest standards in the steel sector, thus contributing to the growth of a robust and sustainable industrial ecosystem.
