Digital Product Passports: Powering the Next Phase of Indo-German Trade Cooperation

On 12 January 2026, the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure (WG QI) successfully convened the Indo-German Exchange on Digital Product Passports (DPP) in New Delhi and virtual format, bringing together policymakers, standards organisations, and industry stakeholders from India and Germany. The exchange provided a timely platform to discuss the evolving role of DPPs in international trade and their implications for globally connected value chains.

Key Outcomes of the Exchange

• A shared understanding of the implications of Digital Product Passports for international trade, including both opportunities and emerging risks for globally integrated value chains  
• Stronger alignment on standardisation efforts, with insights into ongoing work in India and Germany and the role of international standardisation, including new ISO/IEC initiatives
• A focused discussion on DPP adoption in the textile sector, highlighting regulatory expectations, industry challenges, and pathways to compliance and innovation
• Identification of priority areas for bilateral cooperation, including future collaboration on DPP technologies and DPP 4.0 concepts
  
  The exchange brought together representatives from:
• German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
• Indian public authorities, including the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  Standards organisations, such as the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), DKE – German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies, and DIN  
• Industry and institutional stakeholders, including Siemens, VDMA, Quality Council of India (QCI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), FICCI, SAP and Infineon Technologies
  
  Strengthening Indo-German Cooperation
  The exchange reaffirmed the importance of Indo-German cooperation in shaping interoperable, trade-enabling Digital Product Passports and also contributed to advancing a more transparent, sustainable, and standards-based global market.