**Exhibit 31.1**

**CERTIFICATION**

I,Jerome E. Ball, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of ForwardIndustries, Inc. ("Forward") certify that:

| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | I have reviewed this quarterlyreport on Form 10‐QSB for the three and six months ended March 31, 2004 ofForward;                                                                                                                                                                                 |
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| 2.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Based on my knowledge, this reportdoes not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state amaterial fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of thecircumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respectto the period covered by this report; |
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| 3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Based on my knowledge, thefinancial statements, and other financial information included in this report,fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results ofoperations and cash flows of Forward as of, and for, the periods presented inthis report;                           |
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| 4.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Forward's other certifying officerand I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls andprocedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a‐14 and 15d‐14) for Forward andwe have:                                                                                    |
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| a)
designed suchdisclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls andprocedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that materialinformation relating to Forward, including its consolidated subsidiaries, ismade known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the periodin which this report is being prepared;
  
b)
evaluated theeffectiveness of Forward's disclosure controls and procedures and presented inthis report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controlsand procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report  basedon such evaluation; and
  
c)
disclosed inthis report any change in Forward's internal control over financial reportingthat occurred during Forward's most recent fiscal quarter (Forward's fourthfiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, oris reasonably likely to materially affect, Forward's internal control overfinancial reporting; and
  5.
Forward's other certifying officerand I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal controlover financial reporting, to Forwards' auditors and the audit committee ofForward's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
  
a)
all significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrols over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect Forward's ability to record, process, summarize and report financialinformation;  and
  
b)
any fraud,whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have asignificant role in Forward's internal controls over financial reporting.

Date: April 21, 2004

/s/JeromeE. BallJerome E. BallChairman of the Boardand Chief Executive Officer(Principal Executive Officer) |