Lucknow: In a significant step towards strengthening India’s scientific quality infrastructure and advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has expanded its indigenous Certified Reference Materials (CRM) ecosystem through the development and release of 22 phytochemical reference standards under the Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya (BND®) initiative.
Certified Reference Materials play a critical role in ensuring measurement accuracy, traceability, quality assurance and regulatory compliance across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food safety, environmental monitoring, biotechnology, agriculture and industrial testing. With increasing regulatory requirements and a growing number of laboratories adopting international standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, demand for reliable reference materials has risen sharply worldwide.
India has emerged as one of the major consumers of certified reference materials, particularly in analytical testing and quality assurance applications. To reduce dependence on imports and establish a robust domestic ecosystem, government-supported initiatives are encouraging the development of indigenous reference standards.
Responding to this national need, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants has developed a series of indigenous Certified Reference Materials under the BND® programme. These materials are designed to support quality control, authentication, standardization and regulatory compliance for herbal formulations, medicinal plant-derived products, AYUSH medicines and functional foods.
A major milestone was achieved with the release of 22 indigenous CRMs developed jointly by CSIR-CIMAP and CSIR-National Physical Laboratory. The portfolio includes 14 CRMs released on January 5, 2026, and an additional eight released on June 16, 2026. The formal launch was carried out at CSIR Headquarters in New Delhi by N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR, and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Speaking on the occasion, Prabodh Kumar Trivedi said that the development of indigenous BND® Certified Reference Materials marks an important step in strengthening India’s quality ecosystem. He noted that the standards will help ensure product quality, facilitate regulatory compliance and enhance the global credibility of Indian herbal and AYUSH products.
The newly launched reference materials are intended for method validation, instrument calibration, quality assurance and regulatory testing. Their adoption is expected to benefit pharmaceutical companies, herbal and AYUSH manufacturers, nutraceutical firms, testing laboratories, research organizations and academic institutions.
The BND® programme aligns with the national visions of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047. By promoting indigenous measurement science, quality assurance systems and technological self-reliance, the initiative is expected to enhance global acceptance of Indian herbal, AYUSH and medicinal plant-based products while reducing dependence on imported reference standards and strengthening the country’s scientific and industrial capabilities.
