WBI (Quality Control) Order, 2023: Why to Unnecessary Fear and Panic by Industry

The Wood Based (Quality Control) Order 2023, was published by DPIIT, GoI, during August 2023. The order comes into effect from February 2024 for Corporates & Large industries, from the month of May 2024 for Small industries, and from the month of August 2024 for micro industries under the MSME sector.

Recent times have seen enormous amounts of panic, fear and noise from the micro and small industries sector, about the ‘practicalities’ in implementing the said QCO. However, during recent interactions, discussions and debates, it is coming out very clearly that many of the small & micro industries do not want to improve themselves, or upgrade themselves for the better. They always want to float around in the market by producing and selling sub-standard and misleading products. There also seem to be in existence, 100s of factories without basic licenses to operate even. All these negative thought processes and activities are against the very fabric of Bharat, our conscience, our sustainability, our character & consciousness.

Why the QCO?

• We are all aware that the Indian plywood & panel market is flooded with sub-standard, misrepresented, and misleading products – both domestically produced and imported in bulk quantities. This amounts to abuse of natural resources, misuse of synthetic chemical resources, wasted manpower, misuse & abuse of the environment, and misled consumers, year after year. All these are criminal offenses socio-economically. This cannot continue forever.
• Plywood is an engineered wood product. Due to the above negativities, consumer trust on plywood has been deeply eroded over the past few decades.
• Unsustainable similar product alternatives such as WPCs, PVC Foam boards, acrylic boards and such other synthetic alternatives are challenging, penetrating, invading, and replacing a sustainable natural-based product. Interestingly, many of these products are wrongly marketed in the name and style of wood & timber – such as BestWud, DenWud, TruWud etc., which is entirely misleading and a socio-economic crime.
• On the contrary and positive side of impending implementation, small & micro industries should realise that it is a great opportunity for them to upgrade towards quality and ensure better sales &peaceful profits.

Why the Resistance?

Let us finally face the truth and realities of our industry sector.

The QCO is most likely resisted by those factories that-

• do not want to upgrade themselves, or provide quality.
• are run/managed with the help of technical quacks, in the name of ‘practical experience’.
• do not even have licenses to run.
• want to run unprofessionally and under the darkness of ‘kacha-pakka’.
• are indirectly run by dealers/dealer networks which sell goods unethically in large/bulk quantities.

Focus on SOPs instead, & stop Technical Quackery

• Technical quacks and process tinkerers will not help you switch to quality.
• Quality is simple and requires only strict, consistent following of a few parameters.
• Stop the crazy method of spoiling the raw materials and resins, and trying to work your way with technical quacks to ‘patch-up’ the mistakes. You will enter a never-ending mistake cycle.
• Be active learner and consistency-seeker.
• Follow Standard Operations Procedures (SOPs) of clean, dry core veneer, well-cooked resin (engineered viscosity is totally different from cooked viscosity), proper extender (maida is the emperor), and consistency-maintaining staff.
• Never try to ‘stick veneers with a glue’ to look like a plywood. We dig our own grave.
• Grow up in the mind, not in street smartness. Its old school.

Opportunities brought in by the QCO

• Standardisation is the key to development and innovations.
• 100% quality plywood products in India.
• Manufacturers can look into export markets with pride and confidence.
• Better respect for Indian plywood overseas.
• Consumers can choose well-informed quality options for their hard-earned savings and for durable home interiors.
• End to dumping of sub-standard imports as well as domestic products.
• End to misleading practices.
• Consolidation and transparency in the markets.

Plywood making is not nuclear science or space science.

Dry the veneers before it catches fungus,

Buy dried veneers if there is no captive peeling, dryer

Compose jabda/fali core veneers well (critical area of focus – use your street smartness for this),

Use well formulated & cooked resin,

Use good extender (I repeat, maida is the emperor),

Focus on well mixed glue with right thickness & viscosity,

Make sure glue spread is precise and uniform,

Maintain hot press parameters consistently.

If you cannot get these basic tasks done, please exit plywood industry so that consumers can retain trust in plywood and India can save on resources and people by allotting it elsewhere to more useful works.

Jai Hind!

‘Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached’ – Swami Vivekananda