The Department of Consumer Affairs, under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, is expanding the network of Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs) to strengthen India's Legal Metrology verification infrastructure.

Following amendments to the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013, the scope of GATCs has been expanded to cover 23 categories of weighing and measuring instruments across sectors such as healthcare, energy, transport, retail, manufacturing and infrastructure.

The latest round of applications for GATC recognition has received responses from industries, laboratories and technical institutions. Applications are currently being examined in coordination with State Legal Metrology Departments, including checks on documentation, verification infrastructure, technical personnel and site inspections.

As many as 51 GATCs have already been recognised, with additional applications under consideration. Several states have also finalised and notified their own GATC rules in alignment with the amended central framework.

The expanded network will cover instruments including water, gas and energy meters, breath analysers, vehicle speedometers, weighing instruments and fuel dispensers for petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG and hydrogen.

The department said the initiative will supplement the verification capacity of State Legal Metrology Departments, allowing their officers to focus more on market surveillance, risk-based inspections, enforcement and consumer grievance redressal, while supporting ease of doing business and strengthening consumer protection.