We are making sufficient progress in many areas that affect the quality of life for our people. According to a report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India ranked 132 out of 191 countries in the 2021 human development index with a HDI value of 0.633.
India ranked 136th in the World Happiness Report 2022. 139th in 2021 and 144th in World Happiness Report 2020.
The most important question is whether Indians accept lower quality.
Is our community less concerned about quality?
After all, our milk is contaminated, our air is more polluted, and our manufacturing and pharmaceutical production facilities are well-known for not meeting international quality standards.
Does this imply that we Indians as a whole do not place a value on quality?
The level of one’s financial resources determines whether or not they are quality conscious. Means that no one will intentionally buy a product of lower quality.
What are the reasons?
- Far from International Standards:
When it comes to quality, Indians as a society and as a community lag far behind the global standard of excellence in nearly all spheres, including education, health, industry, services, sports, and other spheres. Take into consideration the high export rejection rate of Indian goods that fail to meet quality standards. In India, shortcuts and adulteration are common practices. Low quality standards will continue so long as the mind set does not shift. Which make India way far away from the International standard of the Quality.
- Quality Matters Less:
Even when it comes to skilled workers who provide high-quality services, there is a severe shortage, highlighting the need for quality consciousness in India.
India’s lack of concern for quality is evidenced by the countries numerous street food chains, weekly markets, and vendors operating brisk businesses on the side of the road. Health and infrastructure, in addition to food and retail, are examples of this tendency.
- Nature of Retail Items are Poor:
A central mark of a country’s prosperity is the nature of its retail items. Milk is tainted, oil is mixed, and food is altered in India. In India, a way of life is a lack of quality consciousness. Because of this, not even Indian-based foreign businesses sell goods that meet international quality standards. For instance, try purchasing wine from abroad in India. The flavors and blends won’t compare to those in a bottle bought in the French Rivera or even the United States.
In India, even vegetables and fruits are grown with chemicals and pose a health risk. Indian consumers’ health suffers as a result of the absence of quality standards.
- Cost Matters the most:
In a nation ridden by destitution and inconsistent turn of events, where ghetto occupants live in similar city as tycoons, cost contemplations become more significant than quality. This explains why Chinese goods are so successful in India. The majority of Chinese imports from India are known for their low prices and poor quality. These products’ rising popularity indicates a mind-set that prioritizes cost over quality.
- Low in Sports and Leaders:
In India, mindfulness about quality execution is absent. People’s requirements are also unknown to leaders. Vote bank politics prevails rather than selecting competent leaders. Movies are routine even in the entertainment industry, and they are copies of more successful foreign films. However, these scenario is changing day by day, after social media and OTT platforms has been introduced.
- Politics and Low level of Governance :
The most significant contribution a politician can make to the nation is ensuring that they remain in power. Subsequently, collecting cash to subsidize races, compromising with alliance accomplices, keeping monetary improvement prisoner, going overboard state cash on giveaway plans and passing the weight to people in the future are all decent. Self-interest is also very important to the other elites.
- Reforms are not for all:
Most of the reforms made by the Government in power take on licenses, clearances, spectrum, or land allocations to the point where only business entrepreneur and Upper level of the country will get benefited which creates a huge social and Economical Gap. Social indicators have not kept up with economic growth because of poor governance and its democratization to the benefit of the majority of Indians.
How India is moving toward quality over quantity.
- To increase product quality and productivity Subsidies has been introduced :
In order to increase product quality and productivity, as well as yield and yield, agriculture and the industry as a whole receive a lot of subsidies. For instance, Indian medical companies are being urged by regulatory pharma bodies to produce high-quality drugs that comply with US FDA regulations.
- Quality of Governance
In the post-liberalization era, since 1992, a number of economic and political reforms, as well as constitutional amendments, have been implemented to improve the quality of governance and civil administration for the benefit of the public or the nation. Steps have been taken to improve the condition of government schools, colleges, and hospitals, support for farmers, and BPL programs have been implemented.
- Consumer Awareness programs:
The recent ASCI bar on misleading advertisements and the rise of awareness programs like Jaago Grahak Jaago indicate a shift in consumer behavior. Indians are more aware of the tricks used by traders and are no longer willing to compromise on quality.
- Quality Standards
The shift in perspective regarding quality can be seen in quality standards like the ISI mark, AGMARK, and BIS, as well as the decision by FSSAI to ban Maggi and Nestle products due to contaminants. The Government of India has adopted a number of standardization marks or hallmarks to guarantee the quality of everyday goods like ghee, agricultural produce, and even precious metals like gold and silver.
Note : Quality standards are defined as documents that provide requirements, specifications, guidelines, or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes, and services are fit for their purpose.
- Focus shifted to health due to Pandemic:
Additionally, the pandemic has altered consumers’ perceptions of their own physical health. People have taken the initiative to seek a more well-balanced lifestyle as a result of the spread of covid-19 and the subsequent emphasis on health and wellness. Consequently People are now increased their awareness of nutrition and health over the previous year.
Besides all this, India as a developing economy doing great it many Sectors:
- According to India Post’s annual report for 2018–19, the country’s postal system includes 1, 55,531 post offices. More than 80% of the branches are in rural areas.
- By purchasing power parity (PPP), it is the third-largest economy in the world and the fifth largest by nominal GDP.
- India is also a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical products.
- The tourism sector has grown significantly in the past few decades. This industry contributes to 2%of the GDP.
- The service sector is an emerging sector in India. IT service sector in India earns almost $191 billion revenue
- It is the fastest-growing economy, and it’s expected to overcome Germany by 2030.
Need of hour
On one level, we have a responsibility to be extremely critical of a reform program that, over the course of two decades, has resulted in worse improvements in key social welfare indicators and increased inequality. We cannot afford an economic pattern that does not address the needs of our nationals, with over half a billion people living below the poverty line. There have children who are malnourished than any other nation in the world, and we are having a low life expectancy. The average Indian lives to 62 years of age.
Education is the Key!
If we don’t educate our youth and teach them how to work, we’ll soon run out of people who can run the growth machine. Additionally, our children will be unable to participate in or contribute to their own or the nation’s development if we fail to provide them with adequate nutrition and education.
Conclusion:
Technology and Awareness is bringing new levels of comfort to our lives, and as a result, India is changing. Quality becomes a matter of choice in this situation. Depending on preferences and budget, one can select a more expensive brand or a more expensive one. The new Indian, who will not settle for anything less than the best, has emerged as Indians increase their earning power and the economy improves. This new India is marked by an increase in quality rather than quantity.