The National Test House, Northern Region, Ghaziabad, is set to unveil a state-of-the-art Shoe Testing Laboratory to strengthen India’s footwear quality testing infrastructure and support manufacturers, exporters, MSMEs, consumers and regulatory authorities, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said in a statement on Sunday, 17 May.
The laboratory is expected to provide comprehensive, reliable and high-precision footwear testing services at comparatively affordable testing charges, making quality assessment more accessible for MSMEs and small-scale manufacturers.
The ministry said the facility marks an important step towards strengthening India’s quality assurance infrastructure for the rapidly growing footwear sector and improving the country’s manufacturing competitiveness.
Footwear quality testing is important because consumers increasingly expect shoes and other footwear products to be durable, comfortable, safe and suitable for long hours of use across different environmental conditions.
“Ensuring such quality requires rigorous testing and evaluation to verify parameters such as slip resistance, durability, material strength, and the absence of harmful chemicals and dyes,” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, the upgraded facility is equipped with modern testing instruments and advanced infrastructure to evaluate a wide range of footwear products in line with relevant Indian Standards.
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The laboratory will be able to test safety and industrial shoes, school and leather footwear, PVC footwear, sandals and chappals, children’s footwear, sports footwear and specialised protective boots used in industrial and hazardous environments.
The facility has been designed to provide accurate, dependable and timely testing services. Its location in Ghaziabad is also expected to help the footwear industry in northern India, as the laboratory is close to major manufacturing clusters such as Delhi-NCR, Kanpur and Agra.
This proximity is expected to support faster sample testing, lower logistics costs and easier access for industry stakeholders.
The ministry said the laboratory will help manufacturers meet domestic and international quality requirements, improve product reliability, strengthen consumer safety, support export competitiveness and improve market acceptance.
The facility will also support regulatory agencies by improving access to quality compliance testing and helping Indian footwear products meet stringent standards.
The ministry said the initiative is expected to strengthen testing and certification infrastructure, improve product quality, enhance consumer confidence and support India’s vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub for quality products.
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