NSF and the Indian Plumbing Skills Council (IPSC) Sign Agreement

ANN ARBOR, Mich., USA and GURUGRAM, India – Global public health organization NSF and the Indian Plumbing Skills Council (IPSC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to provide local testing and certification services for the plumbing industry in India. This MOU will help improve the quality of Indian plumbing products and the skills of Indian plumbers through IPSC’s skill development initiatives under the aegis of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) and India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

Under the MOU, NSF and IPSC will work cooperatively to develop a joint facility where IPSC will offer training to plumbers and NSF will operate a testing and certification laboratory. This agreement provides the Indian plumbing industry with local access to NSF certification, improving the quality of Indian plumbing products and subsequently creating opportunities for the export of Indian plumbing products. This agreement also demonstrates NSF’s investment in India’s plumbing certification industry and skilled plumbers.

“NSF is committed to the continued advancement of public health and safety in India’s plumbing industry,” said Mr. Dave Purkiss, General Manager, Plumbing Products, NSF. “With the training expertise of the Indian Plumbing Skills Council and NSF’s testing and certification leadership, we will work together to advance education, public health and sustainability initiatives in design, specifications, installation, inspection and regulation for the Indian plumbing industry.”

The agreement also expands NSF’s presence in India, which currently provides independent, third-party services to the water, food, consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries. Located in Gurugram, in the capital city region of Delhi, NSF’s India office focuses on water and food safety including certification of drinking water treatment chemicals and distribution systems, water filters, piping and plumbing components.

“IPSC is dedicated to developing excellence in plumbing skills,” said Mr. Vinay Gupta, Vice Chairman, IPSC. “IPSC believes this excellence will be further enhanced by the agreement with NSF, a global leader in the water industry. Our commitment is to train and up-skill plumbers in India on the importance of public health and safety practices for the water and sanitation industries. Locating our training facility on the same site as an NSF testing laboratory demonstrates a true commitment by IPSC and NSF to improve the quality of the plumbing sector throughout India.”

IPSC is committed to skill identification, development and training for India’s plumbers. It is creating a skill development system that includes competency standards and qualifications as well as a standard for certification of plumbers. The new facility will provide skilled training and promote academic excellence and international standards in the plumbing trade.

Editor’s Note: For information on water industry services offered in India, please contact Mr. B.B. (Bhajan) Singh, Business Development Manager, Water Systems, NSF at bsingh@nsf.org or +91-124-4820102.

For media interested in more information or to schedule an interview with Mr. Dave Purkiss, General Manager, Plumbing Products, NSF, please contact media@nsf.org or call +1 734 214 6242.

About NSF: NSF (nsf.org) is a global independent organization that writes standards, and tests and certifies products for the water, food, health sciences and consumer goods industries to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. Operating in more than 170 countries, NSF is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment.

NSF’s global water services include testing, certification and auditing for municipal water treatment components and chemicals, plastic piping systems, plumbing fixtures and fittings, point-of-use and point-of-entry water systems and filters.

About the Indian Plumbing Skills Council (IPSC): The Indian Plumbing Skills Council (ipssc.in) is the apex Sector Skill Council for the plumbing industry, operating under the aegis of the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), an initiative of the Government of India (Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship or MSDE) to transform India as a hub for skilled manpower as envisioned by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. It is primarily engaged in the domain of skill development for the plumbing sector in the areas of research related to skill development, training course curriculum development and training module development, as well as training, assessment and certification of trainers and students. This is all conducted in consultation with the experts in the plumbing and sanitation industries.