Dr. Kotnala became chairman of the National Accreditation Board of Laboratories (NABL) in 2020 based on his expertise in the quality system. NABL is an accreditation body complying to ISO 17011. During COVID-19 pandemic situation in India, NABL being the national accreditation body of India ensured that competent laboratories tested the RT-PCR (SARS-CoV-2) for virus detection. Prof R K Kotnala as Chairman of NABL played a leading role (during Oct 2020 till today) in getting the Coronavirus testing adopted through the NABL accredited 1400 Labs in huge numbers across the country. The labs could test RT-PCR in millions, simultaneously ensuring the quality and adherence to requirements of other products such as ventilators, PPE, UV-sanitizers, masks and various medical equipment.
Legal Metrology: In 2021 GATC approval sought from the Department of Legal Metrology Gazette of India permitted private Labs to test weight, length, and volume. Dr. Kotnala led such a strategic move through NABL QCI to abolish Inspector Raj across the nation to enhance inclusivity and to improve quality for the common citizen. It has been accomplished by NABL with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs & Food Distribution by getting published in the Gazette of India on Feb 1, 2021. Soon NABL accredited Labs on weights & measures will be considered as Government Approved Test Centers all over India to facilitate quality infrastructure for the common man.
Dr Kotnala is one of the ISO 17025 founders certificated assessor from NAMAS, UK in 1996. He has carried out a few NABL assessments as an assessor and later became Lead Assessor of NABL. He has enriched experience in energy, magnetic measurements, electronic devices/materials, environmental pollution and Indian Reference materials like gold, coal, water etc.
Dr. Kotnala has provided industrial support for Magnetic Materials, Measurements and Power Loss in Electrical Steel used as core material for Transformer: IEC 404-2
More than 120 industries have been catered for their quality system based on ISO-17025. Industrial consultancy service rendered to nine big industrial houses and PSUs for solving magnetic materials and measurements associated with complex problems of industries. His lab has been internationally recognized for 10 magnetic measurement parameters in the preview of ISO-17025 by the International Bureau of Weights and Measure, (BIPM) France.
Quality-system developed for industries in addition to industrial metrology facilities. Consultancy service is also rendered to big industrial houses and PSUs for solving magnetic materials and measurements associated with complex problems as a Lead Assessor of NABL for ISO- 17025 certification.
Dr. Kotnala strategically coordinated World’s 5th Super Technical building project to maintain seven SI base units according to ISO: 17025 (12500 Sqm), 2010-14.
Established primary standards in Magnetics and Materials Lab in NPL, as a divisional head of Environmental and Biomedical Equipment Metrology at CSIR-NPL. He initiated calibration for the first time in India for Biomedical Equipments, Primary Standard for Defibrillator Analyzer and MRI field calibration. Besides, Prof Kotnala led the team to establish some of Indian Certified Reference Materials (Bharatiya Nirdeshak Draviya) in the area of chemical, environment and agriculture. A few of them are high purity Gold Reference material (BND 4201); Coal (BND 5091), Breath Alcohol Analyser, Water quality and Basmati Rice reference for the first time India, which saved several crores of money for the country !