Speech by Her Excellency the President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Plenary Meeting of the Committee on Consumer Policy (Copolco)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to inaugurate the Plenary Meeting of the ISO Committee on Consumer Policies. I am told that this meeting will provide an opportunity for those working for consumer protection to exchange thoughts, views and best practices. This will enable them to strengthen their information and knowledge base to deal more effectively with issues of consumer welfare.

Consumer protection is of special significance to each one of us, as we all are consumers. Even a manufacturer or provider of a service is a consumer of other goods or services and thus, entitled to getting consumer satisfaction from those products and services. The active involvement of all stakeholders, from the stage of formulation of policies to their implementation, is necessary for the success of a consumer movement.

The concept of consumer protection is not new to us in India. In the 'Arthashastra', the well known ancient text written by Kautilya, there are references to the protection of consumer interests against exploitation by trade and industry as well as to underweight, adulteration and punishment for these offences. In more recent times, it has been Mahatma Gandhi who described the consumer as being the focus of all business. These comments are so telling that I quote them - "a consumer is the most important visitor in our premises. He is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him We are not doing him a favour by serving him; he is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so" Unquote.

These words ring true even now as we deal with the current downward trend in the global economy. Stimulating consumer demand and creating confidence in institutions and markets is one of the focal areas for tackling the situation. This requires products that meet standards of quality and services that have an assurance of safety. In India, the impact of the crises has been less intense - one of the reasons is because we have a large number of domestic consumers. Hence, for us consumer protection is of great significance both as part of a sound business approach as well as for achieving the broader goal of national economic growth.

Today, the world is witnessing rapid changes due to advances in technology which is also resulting in the advent of sophisticated goods. Aggressive marketing strategies are being used by manufacturers and service providers. On the one hand, this results in creating wider choices for consumers. At the same time, it makes them vulnerable and, often they are ill-equipped to make rational choices on account of the fact that they do not have full or correct information about new technologies that enter the market. To protect them from trade and business related disinformation, consumers must be made aware about the quality of products and of possible deficiencies in services. This can be done by evolving a network of institutions to safeguard the interest of consumers. A legal system and a strong dispute redressal mechanism must also be in place. This can make consumer protection effective and meaningful, nationally and internationally.

In India, many steps have been taken to strengthen the consumer movement in the country and to protect their interests. Government has involved voluntary organizations and activists in this endeavour. We have a Consumer Protection Act that has enabled the setting up of a three tier structure of consumer courts at the National, State and District levels. These courts have delivered landmark judgments in many spheres and have been a constant source of hope to consumers. There are schemes for creating awareness, in particular the well known Jago Grahak Jago - "awake, consumer, awake" media campaign.

Standards play a key role in consumer protection. For building confidence more meaningful participation by consumer organizations is required for developing standards both at the national and international levels. Moreover, there is also a need to encourage the implementation of standards concerning consumer safety both at the national and international levels.

In a globalised world, companies are producing the same product in more than one country or have a process of production, where various components are produced in different countries and, thereafter, these parts are assembled in a country not involved in the manufacturing of parts. In such a scenario, countries should look at a coordinated approach to meet the needs of the consumer satisfactorily by developing standards that take into account their concerns. In an interlinked world, it is equally important to expeditiously conclude mutual recognition agreements of standards between countries to promote international trade and to enable faster movement of goods. A common set of accepted standards will avoid unnecessary trade disputes and will be a guide to exporters for supplying standard goods overseas.

I am happy to note that the Committee on Consumer Policies, one of the important bodies of ISO and having 104 member countries, is dealing with issues related to enhancing consumer participation in standardization processes. I am also informed that the Committee is indeed, playing a key role in developing guides for consumer concerns. These should be used by National Governments to disseminate the information and thus, empower consumers.

I am happy that this Committee meeting is taking place in India and that ISO has also chosen India, as a venue for its Annual General Meeting in November, 2011. I convey my good wishes for the success of this meeting and wish participants from overseas, a pleasant stay in India. With these words, I inaugurate the 2009 COPOLCO Plenary.

Thank You.  
Jai Hind.