NEW DELHI (PTI): The department of defence production has waived quality assurance (QA) charges on various equipment produced by defence manufacturers for exports.

Various QA agencies levy charges for their services.

"In a significant move to promote reforms and bring ease of doing business, the department of defence production has waived off quality assurance charges levied by the QA agencies under its administrative control for the stores meant for the exports," the ministry said.

It said this industry-friendly initiative would make the defence products cost competitive in global market.

"The ministry of defence provides proof/testing facility to the industry for their products through its various proof/testing establishments to make the Indian defence products more competitive in the international market," it said in a statement.

The ministry said charges are levied by the QA agencies according to the fixed rates and the industry adds this charge to the cost of the products which adversely affect its cost competitiveness.

"But now these charges have been scrapped," it added.