Introduction:
An ISO certification is a seal of approval from an independent body that the business runs to one of the internationally recognised ISO management systems. The certification can be used by businesses as a proof of a its credibility and also gives customers the confidence that their service provider takes reliable quality of service as a serious matter. Often government agencies and large enterprises require their suppliers to have a certain ISO accreditation and insist on doing business with only ISO certified vendors. Below is a selection of the most popular ISO certification standards: ISO 5001 ISO 9001 ISO 27001 ISO 14001. Just as in the private sector, many government agencies in India seek to get ISO certified for which they seek to hire professional firms to guide them in getting the certification. This articles analyses the ISO tenders advertised by the government agencies in India during the last year.
Annual Analysis of ISO Certification Tenders:
During the last year, a total number of 992 ISO certification tenders were published by the governmental agencies in India. Among these, the highest number of tenders was published in the state of Maharashtra at 105 tenders. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh ranked second and third respectively in the list by advertising 95 and 91 tenders. The Indian Oil Corporation Limited advertised 139 tenders and became the top ranked agency in advertising the most number of tenders for ISO certification during the last year. The North Central Railway and the Department of Defence Production published 28 and 26 tenders respectively.
Certification for Energy Management:
One of the most popular among ISO certification standards is ISO 50001, which helps industries in optimizing their energy management system by introducing a globally acknowledged framework in place. This certificate enables the documentation and reporting of energy used and consumed. Last year the government organizations floated as many as sixty-six tenders requesting for the ISO 50001 certification. The West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited issued two tenders last year to select a qualified firm to provide expert consultancy services for certification of ISO 50001 certificate energy management system. The National Fertilizers Limited invited tenders for re-certification of Energy Management System (ISO 50001-2018) twice in the Haryana State
Certification for Quality Management (ISO 9001):
The ISO 9001 was the most sought ISO certification among the government agencies in India. In 2023, a total of 197 ISO 9001 tenders were published for ISO 9001 certification.. The Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited published a tender to engage an agency to advise them in integrated management system (ISO 9001-2015) certification. Also, HPCL published a similar tender for ISO 9001 re-certification in Madhya Pradesh. Besides seeking the support of a consultant in getting the certification, HPCL required the consulting firm to create awareness among its employees about the certification requirements. Out of the 197 tenders, 27 are for recertification of ISO 9001. This shows that government agencies take efforts to verify and confirm that they continue to comply with the laid down standards. Transformers and Electricals Kerala Ltd published a tender for recertification of Quality Management System of TELK in line with ISO 9001:2015.
Certification for Information Security Management (ISO 27001):
ISO 27001 is an Information Security standard. In the recent years, the use of IT systems is all pervasive within the government. A total of 47 tenders were published for ISO 27001 certification during the last year. In Madhya Pradesh, MP Poorva Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited advertised two tenders for the appointment of an agency as a consultant for readiness and to acquire ISO 27001-2013 certification. The data shows that the defence sector in the government actively engaged in ISO 27001 certification. The Department of Defence Production published 4 tenders for hiring an agency for ISO certification service – ISO 27001 – Information Security Management System (ISMS). Other than this, APTRANSCO Works in Andhra Pradesh, Agriculture Department of Bihar, Indian Oil Corporation Limited in Maharashtra sought to hire professional consulting firms to certify their compliance to ISO 27001 certifications.
Contract Value of ISO Certification Tenders:
Most government agencies did not publish the estimate value of the tenders. However, a few did which is analyzed herein to provide an idea on the size of these opportunities. The estimated value of the projects widely varied depending up on the subjects and the requirements. The advertised budget was mostly in the 10-20 Lakh budget range but there were a few tenders in crores of rupees as well. Western Railway advertised a tender in Maharashtra with the estimated budget of Rs. 1.31 thousand for the re-certification of GreenCo Rating System of EMU Workshop. Apart from these, there were many projects with estimated budget of more than Rs. 1 crore. Such as, the 2 tenders published by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited had the estimated budget of Rs. 2.99 crores.
Live Tender Analysis:
As of April 7, 2024, there were 45 live tenders for ISO certification services. Among those, Maharashtra was ranked at the top with 14 live tenders.. Delhi and Madhya Pradesh were ranked second with 7 live tenders each. West Bengal ranked just below them with 5 live tenders, as shown in the graph below.
Conclusion:
This analysis shows that government agencies in India in an effort to provide quality service take the initiative to get their operations ISO certified. Though ISO 9001 certification is actively pursued, government agencies seek to comply with many other ISO standards as well. A case in example is ISO 27001, which is an Information security standard. Other ISO standards which government agencies sought to comply with are ISO 14001 – Environmental Management ISO 22008 – Food safety Management, green building certification, ISO 14001 pertaining to environment management and SA 8000 related to social accountability. The demand for such certification will only increase in the coming years as the country develops. The agencies with the expertise in providing these services are advised to actively monitor these opportunities and participate in them. Thus, the government agencies and the consulting experts can work together to provide the best quality service to the citizens.
