National Test House

The National Test House [NTH], formerly known as Government Test House was established a long way back in 1912 in Calcutta by the then Railway Board to cater to the needs of the Indian Railways by import substitution. During 1916-1918 the Indian Industrial Commission recommended an Indian Stores Department and the same was formed which absorbed NTH for regular testing of the general stores required by the Government Departments including the Defense Department for a long period. In 1934 the Industrial Intelligence and Research Bureau later re-designated as Industrial Research Bureau, the genesis of modern CSIR, was formed by the Government of India and was housed and nurtured in NTH for conducting research on problems directly connected with the indigenous development of raw materials. Thus NTH has travelled a long way and has established its importance in the panorama of the Indian industry. Since independence, the responsibilities of NTH have increased manifold. It has been actively involved in all aspects of technology connected with industry, commerce, trade, import substitution, export promotion, and standardization. NTH has been an active partner in the standardization and formulation of National Standards and has the proud privilege of assisting the Indian Standards Institution presently known as the Bureau of Indian Standards since its very inception in 1947. NTH is also actively involved in rendering assistance to NABL in the accreditation of Testing and Calibration Laboratories in the country. To serve the long-felt necessities of the Indian industry spreading over this vast subcontinent, it was envisaged to open Regional Test Houses in various parts of the country. The NTH has now six regional Laboratories located in the Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, North West, and North East of the country. The chronological events leading to the development of NTH to its present stature are enumerated below: