ISO Registration Process in Puducherry (Pondicherry)

Technological advancements and globalization have led the businesses to face more competition and constantly improve their products to engage and gain customers in the market in Puducherry (Pondicherry). Most generally, consumer trust and loyalty are of crucial importance for a business as it not only helps to keep hold of the existing consumers but also to earn passively more consumers and consequently better sale revenues and a successful business. No doubt, better processes of manufacture of consumer goods and adequate legal certifications are top on the list for that purpose that also includes “the ISO certification”. ISO certification is an internationally recognized system of certification that certifies that the product being manufactured or the legal entity manufacturing the products follows standard practices required to be followed in the industry along with assurance of quality. The ISO certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry) is not only limited to products and services, but also covers procedures such as management system, manufacturing process, or documentation procedures etc. satisfy all the requirements of a standardized system.

Situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, as high as 90% of the total land is used for agriculture in Puducherry. Rice, bajra , ragi and pulses are the major food crops that are grown in Puducherry along with various cash crops such as cotton, sugarcane and groundnuts.

Puducherry, being a former French colony, witnesses a prominent presence of French culture. Puducherry is located about 135 km from Chennai and has a minor port between two major ports of Chennai and Tuticorin. Pennaiyar and Gingee are the major rivers in the region. A lighthouse has been identified by Ministry of Shipping to be developed for its initiative on Lighthouse Tourism. Tourism and Agriculture are major sectors contributing to the GDP of Puducherry. More than 35% of the population the UT of Puducherry depends on agriculture and allied activities. In terms of tourism figures, nearly 1.8 Mn tourist visited Puducherry in 2018

Puducherry also has mineral deposits of clay, limestone, phosphate rocks, lignite laterite and canker. Chemicals, leather, textiles, light engineering, electronics, metals, food processing and tourism and food processing are some of the major industries in Puducherry. Puducherry has the presence of over 1,700 industrial units producing chemicals and chemical-based products. Leather products are the largest exported item from the region. 61,700 MT of untapped marine resources offer a huge investment opportunity for marine products processing plants and packaged marine products.

Not only this, as per the latest report by World Bank, Puducherry ranked 27th out of 36 states in terms of ease of doing business. 

But, what is ISO? ISO means the International Organization for Standardization that is formed with the membership of total 163 national standards bodies of various countries and is primarily responsible for laying and setting different standards with the primary objective to introduce and lay down a large variety of proprietary, industrial, and commercial standards for manufacture and procurement of various goods and services with global recognition. Thus, the certification system has the benefit of building credibility as well as consistency among the business stakeholders, managerial committees, business clients as well as consumers in Puducherry (Pondicherry).

In Puducherry (Pondicherry), ISO certification exists in many areas such as power & energy management, medical products and devices, energy consumption and management etc. For creating a unique identity for each standard, each class of products/services or procedures have been divided into various classes.

• Who can apply for ISO certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry)? Who grants it?

As far as the eligibility for the individual or business organization is concerned, there is no particular criteria to be fulfilled for making an application for ISO certification. Any business organization in Puducherry (Pondicherry) may make an application for ISO certification on the basis of the size and/or the number of employees employed by the business entity, which shall be established on the basis of certain documents required to be submitted at the time of the registration.

Also, it is possible for a business entity to apply for one or more ISO certifications for each business activity in which the entity is involved, that will allow better market recognition and credibility for gaining consumer trust and lesser compliance costs.

As far as the authority which grants the ISO certification is concerned, the ISO is not the appropriate body for making application and doesn’t issue any of them. It is granted by the certification/registration bodies (also known as Registrars or Certification Bodies), which have their separate existence from ISO and are required to be accredited by an (International Accreditation Forum) member to hold internationally recognition. Therefore, it is advised to thoroughly check the accreditation of the Certification Bodies before making an application for ISO.

• What are the Documents Required for making an application in Puducherry (Pondicherry)?

Provided below is the comprehensive list of documents required to be attached with the application-

1. Proof of identification of the applicant or authorized officer of the business organization ;( Aadhaar Card /PAN Etc.)
2. Scanned Copy of the PAN identity of the business organization;
3. Passport sized photographs of the applicant or authorized officer of the business organization
4. Copy of the utility bills of the business organization (i.e. Electricity Bills)
5. Ownership of the property where the office of the business entity is located (i.e. Sale Deed in case of own property or rent agreement in case of rented property);
6. Documents for constitution of the business i.e. (MOA & AOA in case of Company, Partnership Deed in case of Partnership Firm, LLP Deed in case of LLP) etc.
7. Certificate of Incorporation or Registration of the business organization;
8. Any other document as requested;

• How to Register an ISO Certificate Online in Puducherry (Pondicherry)?

The process of obtaining ISO certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry) is a long comprehensive process that involves multiple steps and the time involved varies for each business organization depending upon the size of the organization. Provided below is the step-by-step process of ISO certification-

• Selection of the type of certification and Certification Bodies (ISO Registrar)

Before getting into the process of obtaining ISO certification, it is necessary to understand and choose the type of certification that covers the requirement of the product, services or process for which ISO certification is intended to be obtained and to further decide for the certification authority which holds international accreditation. Some of the popular classes of ISO certifications include- ISO 9001:2015 for General Quality management systems, ISO 22301 for continuity of business, ISO 31000 for risk management etc.

• Drafting of ISO Agreement & Appointment of ISO auditor

In the next step, the applicant shall be required to draft an ISO Agreement that defines the terms and conditions between the ISO applicant and ISO registrar for the issue of certification. The applicant shall be required to appoint an ISO Auditor having knowledge and experience in conducting ISO audits.

The Auditor will undertake a preliminary ISO Audit to check whether the business organization follows all standard rules and procedures. He will require the applicant to submit a list of documents and attachments to be reviewed by him along with the manuals and procedures to be followed by the applicant organization to assess whether there are gaps in the standard processes required to be followed as per ISO standards by the organization and may communicate the same to the applicant business organization with a direction to eliminate the gaps and take appropriate steps within a timeline.

• Rectifications and Final Audit

After such gaps have been filled by follow of proper ISO standards, the ISO Auditor will observe such changes and will undertake final audit of the organization. If he finds that all the necessary corrections and rectifications have been made, he will prepare and sign a Final audit report that will be forwarded to the ISO registrar.

• Issue of ISO certification

On satisfaction of the fact that the concerned business organization follows all ISO standards for the production of goods/ provision of services or for management procedures. The registrar may accept the application and grant ISO certification that comes with a unique identification number required to be displayed in the manufactured goods or services.

• Time Involved for Process Completion

As said before, the process of ISO certification depends from person to person depending upon the number of employees, size of the business or any other criteria. Usually the time involved for each organization is between-

• 1. 6-8 months for smaller business entities;
  2. 8-12 months for medium business entities;
  3. 12-15 months for larger businesses.

• Validity of ISO Certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry)

Once the applicant successfully receives ISO certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry), it shall be valid for the total time-period of three years and subject to renewal of the certification from time to time thereafter.

• What are the advantages of holding an ISO certification for the business in Puducherry (Pondicherry)?

The benefits linked with the ISO certification for a business organization are manifold. Provided below are some of the advantages of obtaining ISO certification-

• Better Credibility & Goodwill

ISO certification doesn’t hold good within the country only, it is internationally recognized which means, the business organization enjoys global recognition as well as credibility for the standard goods/services/procedures or all of them.

• Consistency

ISO certification such as ISO 9001 provided for general quality management systems in the business organization which helps in the better control and follow of standard procedures in the business organization. Thus, better control over business assures better quality to the goods or services to the prospective consumers and stakeholders of the business organization.

• Successful business & Growth

With quality and safety assurance, better and professional management, it becomes easier for the business to earn reputation in the national as well as in the international market and therefore better revenues and higher growth avenues for the businesses.

• Customer Retention & New Customers

Where standard procedures are used in the production of goods or provision of services or for the management procedures, it becomes easier to establish genuineness of offered products and services. Thus, it will help the business organization to keep hold of the existing customers due to brand loyalty as well as getting new customers in Puducherry (Pondicherry).

• Easy marketing technique

Once the business organization gets ISO certification in Puducherry (Pondicherry), it can use the unique ISO certification number in its products which will help to gain the attention of customers as well as investors in Puducherry (Pondicherry).

• Motivation for Employees

Having standard ISO procedures in the management of the business organization in Puducherry (Pondicherry) will definitely act as a source of motivation for employees as it will help in better team organization, better communication between management and staff and more than everything, a systematic flow of work. For instance ISO 9001 provides for the employee training and development standards in the organization, which helps them to enhance their knowledge, adopt professionalism at work and complete their jobs with efficiency.

• Guaranteed Safety & Quality Assurance

ISO certification is one of the indicator of the fact that the products or goods manufactured by the organization are prepared using standard methods using quality raw materials with responsibility naturally acting as an assurance of quality and safety of products.

• Standardized business operations

It could be obviously understood that a business entity holding an ISO certification regarding management procedures one or other indicates that the procedures undertaken by the business entity shall be simple as well as standardized for each and every employee of the company and due to which the time involved in completion of tasks will be shorter as well as efficient naturally reducing complications and disagreements among employees.

Conclusion

Therefore, ISO certification is a beneficiary certification system for the business entity in Puducherry (Pondicherry) as it comes with its whole lot of benefits such as business credibility, national as well as international recognition, growth prospects as well as ensuring a healthy & professional working environment for the business entity. However, the process becomes a little complex in absence of the right guidance and knowledge. Thus, it is always advised to take assistance of some reliable source having years of professional knowledge and experience in undertaking and successful completion of the same.