Quality Council of India (QCI)

The Quality Council of India (QCI) is the national body established by the Government of India to build and operate national accreditation infrastructure. QCI's constituent accreditation boards, particularly NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) and NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies), are the source of accreditation for the testing laboratories and certification bodies whose reports government procurement accepts as authoritative.

What is QCI in government procurement?

QCI itself does not test products or certify companies. It accredits the bodies that do. The QCI ecosystem operates through three main boards:

NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories): NABL accredits testing and calibration laboratories across India against ISO/IEC 17025 standards. Government procurement specifications commonly require that quality testing be performed by NABL-accredited laboratories. A concrete cube test result from a NABL-accredited lab carries official weight; the same test from a non-accredited lab may be rejected.

NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies): Accredits bodies that certify management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) and product certifications. Government tenders that require ISO 9001 certification implicitly require it from a NABCB-accredited certification body; certificates from non-accredited bodies may not be accepted.

NABET (National Accreditation Board for Education and Training): Accredits training and education providers; less directly relevant to procurement eligibility.

The significance of QCI in procurement is that it provides the quality architecture underlying multiple eligibility criteria. When a tender requires:

• Laboratory test reports for materials (aggregate, bitumen, cement, steel), the specified lab must be NABL-accredited.
• ISO 9001 Quality Management System certification, must be from a NABCB-accredited body.
• Inspection reports for pre-shipment goods verification, from a NABL-accredited inspection body.

QCI maintains a publicly searchable directory of all accredited entities on its website, allowing procurement officers and contractors to verify accreditation status quickly.

Why it matters for bidders

Bidders should verify that the laboratories and certification bodies they use for government work are QCI-accredited. Using a non-accredited lab for mandatory testing, or holding an ISO certificate from a non-NABCB-accredited body, can result in rejection of test reports or certificates during technical evaluation.

For companies maintaining ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or ISO 45001 certifications, often required in government tenders for large works and services, the certification body's NABCB accreditation status must be checked at the time of renewal. The certification body's accreditation may lapse while your certificate remains formally valid. If the certifying body's NABCB accreditation has lapsed, your certificate may not be accepted in a government tender even if the certificate itself has not expired.

Example

A construction firm is bidding on a NHAI EPC contract that requires ISO 9001:2015 certification from the firm. The firm holds a certificate issued by a certification body that recently lost its NABCB accreditation due to non-renewal. During technical evaluation, the TEC checks NABCB's online directory and finds the certifying body's accreditation is not current. The firm's ISO certificate is rejected, resulting in disqualification. The firm was unaware because their certificate renewal notice did not mention the certifying body's accreditation status. Regular monitoring of the certifying body's NABCB status would have provided warning to switch to an accredited body before bid submission.

Key rules / thresholds

• NABL accreditation of testing laboratories is required for government-mandated quality testing reports.
• NABCB accreditation of certification bodies is implied when tenders specify ISO 9001/14001/45001 certification.
• QCI maintains publicly searchable accreditation directories at qcin.org.
• Accreditation is typically valid for two to three years with periodic surveillance assessments, lapsed accreditation makes the accredited body's reports ineligible for government use.
• India is a signatory to ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and IAF (International Accreditation Forum) mutual recognition arrangements through QCI, meaning NABL-accredited reports are accepted internationally in many contexts.