The Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards, the award to recognize and encourage Indian manufacturing and service organizations, for the year 2006 has been awarded to the Mumbai based HiMedia Laboratories Pvt Ltd.

The award, designed on the lines of Malcolm Balridge National Quality Award in USA, Demings Prize in Japan and European Quality Award, is intended to generate interest and involvement of Indian Industry in quality programmes, drive our products and services to higher levels of quality and equip our Industry to meet the challenges of domestic and International markets.

"The quality movement spearheaded by HiMedia has scaled yet another peak with The Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards as recognition to our quality culture and focus," said Dr G M Warke, CEO, HiMedia Laboratories Pvt Ltd.

The company is keen in following quality management systems, customer orientation, human resource management, business processes, customer-focused results, impact on environment and society and business results, he added.

Award winning organization will be reckoned as champions of quality movement in India, and awards will be presented in a ceremony in presence of top ranking personalities from government, professional bodies, industry, and consumer associations.

The award winners may have leverage in business on being recognized as the best, while the small scale organizations winning the award and holding valid BIS certification licence would be given financial incentive in the form of 25 percent concession in the minimum marking fee for all its licences at the same location for the year for which it has won the award, according to the BIS officials.

Established in the year 1976 as Hindustan Dehydrated Media, the company started its operations to provide ready to use Culture Media to Scientists, Researchers and Small companies. HiMedia Laboratories have its focus on products for microbiology, parasitology, immunology, serology and virology for a spectrum of customers including clinical, industrial, research and academic laboratories around the world.