What does PGS group certification cost and how is it cheaper than third party?

PGS is cheap because it removes the most expensive part of certification, the paid outside inspector. In third party NPOP certification an accredited agency sends inspectors, does lab testing and issues documentation, and you pay for all of that, which is why it suits exporters who can recover the cost on volume. In PGS the inspection is done by your own peer group members visiting each other's fields, so there is no large external inspection fee, and the main costs are small registration charges, the group's own running costs, and your time for the peer appraisal visits. For a small farmer in a functioning group the cost per head is very low, which is exactly why PGS exists for domestic small holders. The trade off is that PGS is recognised mainly for the domestic market and not generally accepted for export. So if you sell locally, PGS gives you a recognised organic status at a fraction of the third party cost. Confirm the current PGS registration charges and any group fees with your regional council or on the official PGS-India portal, since these are revised from time to time.