India opens advanced lab in NCR to boost footwear testing infra

India’s National Test House (NTH) of the Northern Region in Ghaziabad, operating under the Country’s Department of Consumer Affairs, has established a state-of-the-art Shoe Testing Laboratory. According to India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the facility will significantly enhance NTH’s capability to provide comprehensive, reliable, and high-precision footwear testing services for MSMEs, manufacturers, exporters, consumers, and regulatory authorities across the country.

The establishment of this advanced laboratory marks an important step toward strengthening India’s quality assurance infrastructure for the rapidly growing footwear sector. Equipped with modern instruments and advanced infrastructure, the upgraded facility is designed to evaluate a wide range of footwear products in accordance with relevant Indian Standards. The laboratory is capable of conducting quality testing for diverse categories of footwear, including safety and industrial shoes, school shoes, and leather footwear.

Strategically located in Ghaziabad near major footwear manufacturing clusters such as Delhi-NCR, Kanpur, and Agra, the laboratory will facilitate faster sample testing, reduce logistics costs, and improve ease of access for the footwear industry in northern India.

The ministry stated that the initiative aligns closely with the vision of Viksit Bharat and the objectives of the Make in India mission. By strengthening manufacturing competitiveness, promoting self-reliance, and fostering a robust quality assurance ecosystem, the facility aims to support the long-term growth of the Indian footwear industry.