Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Chennai Branch Office, organised a Stakeholder Conclave on the theme “Shared Vision for a Better World — SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals” in Puducherry on September 26, 2025. The Conclave brought together government officials, industry leaders, academicians, civil-society representatives and environmental experts to deliberate on strengthening partnerships for sustainable development and the role of standards in delivering inclusive growth.
The programme commenced with invocation and lighting of the lamp. Shri Arun Pucchakayala, Scientist-E / Director, BIS Chennai, delivered the Welcome Address and highlighted BIS’s role in building bridges of partnership through standards emphasizing focus on progress by sustainable means and coordinated efforts.
Shri S.D. Dayanand, Scientist-F / Senior Director & Head, BIS Chennai Branch Office, outlined the Programme Objectives and the context for the Conclave. He emphasised the need to Bridge Knowledge and Application and cultivate bridges of understanding mutual challenges, and jointly formulating strategies to enhance quality, safety, and sustainability across sectors. He sensitized the audience that future BIS initiatives would be truly responsive to the ground realities and evolving needs of our stakeholders, thereby making our standards truly effective instruments of progress.
The presidential address was delivered by the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Shri K. Kailashnathan,. He underscored that Standards are the common medium for the exchange of resources, maintaining quality and ensuring that products are safe and acceptable across the globe. He emphasized on prioritizing partnerships and using standards as common language so that we can move to a truly unified vision to meet the targets set for SDGs. In addition, he highlighted the Indian government's missions and schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, National Solar Mission and Green India Mission and their crucial role in achieving sustainability goals.
The technical sessions featured addresses by subject-matter experts and practitioners in the order indicated in the programme. Dr. Sendhil Kumar Natarajan, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Puducherry, delivered alternative energy for sustainable means with focus on solar energy for various applications. Shri Arun Pucchakayala also delivered a presentation on regulatory convergence and the facilitative role of standards in simplifying compliance and accelerating market access for industry
Dr. G. Srinivasan, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Puducherry Technological University mapped SDGs with issues of Puducherry and vouched for needful actions to overcome the challenges.
Dr. V. Venkatesh M.S., Senior Administrative Grade, Specialist Surgery, IGGGH & PGI, Puducherry, addressed the public-health interface of standards, stressing the importance of medical device quality, infection-control norms and patient-safety standards for resilient health systems.
The Conclave also provided a platform for interactive deliberations, bringing together local industry representatives, environmental regulators and civil-society actors for focused discussions on partnerships for sustainable development and quality assurance. The programme was formally concluded by Shri Gowththam B.J., Scientist-D / Joint Director, BIS Chennai Branch Office. Participants shared positive feedback on the utility of the programme, noting that such engagements enhance awareness of standards, encourage collaboration and build confidence in adopting quality practices for inclusive and sustainable growth.
BIS reaffirmed its commitment to continue organising region-level engagements that promote standards awareness and partnership building across sectors, following similar conclaves held recently in Thiruvallur and with further events planned at various locations in Tamil Nadu.