Shiban Khaibri
The innovative “Make in India” week from 13th to 18th instant has just concluded. Though the week was celebrated symbolically at Bandra- Kurla complex in Mumbai, it was, nevertheless, a campaign throughout the country to showcase by Indian businessmen their enviable potential of innovation, design and sustainability so far as manufacturing sectors were concerned. They did it and the world saw it , the only thing to be assessed is as to how much investments we could attract vis-à-vis the targets fixed at Rs. 40,000 crore. Make in India , in brief, is an initiative by the present Government to encourage multi nationals and also domestic business entities to manufacture their products in India. The main reason, if not the ultimate one, is to create job opportunities, avenues of employment and skill enhancement for the Indian youth, focus being on 25 sectors of the economy. Some of these sectors are vital, like Railways, Oil and Gas, Defence, Aviation, Pharmaceuticals, Space, Roads and Highways, Renewable Energy, Tourism and hospitality, Automobiles etc. The focus is, besides capital, on technological investment. How much levels of high quality standards and taking care of very minimum impact on environment are the hallmarks of “Make in India” scheme, calling it a movement would only fit into the things. The broader aim of this movement of economic thought, in practical interpretation is the global recognition to Indian economy and to place India on the world map as a manufacturing hub.
This innovative scheme was thought of by the present government immediately on assuming office but formally it was launched on Sept.25, 2014 by the PM Modi. The success of the scheme was tasted within one year as the Government received Rs. 1.20 lac crore worth of proposals of investments. That our country would emerge as a top destination globally for FDI surpassing China and even the United States seems not far away on perpetual basis.
Many reforms and changes in policy culture took place well before the formal launch as delays, deferments, sitting over on files, shifting of decisions taking etc were given a farewell and application for licences was made available on line and clearance effected at one point to save time and to cut red tape. Various steps were taken and more are in the pipeline to improve ease of doing business to attract foreign direct investment. Not only that, the validity of licences was increased to three years. In addition to that, foreign equity caps too were relaxed in various sectors like FDI in defence sector at 49% and in Railways infrastructure raised to 100%. Multiple companies could hold a stake of 51%. The other most important aspect of this ambitious scheme is reducing imports and increasing exports leading gradually to zero imports, though that was not easy to achieve but not impossible. In this “economic resurrection festival ” week, as many as 25000 international and 8000 domestic companies were scheduled to participate and as many as 68 countries were to be represented by their designated groups and as many as 72 countries with their business teams . The thrust, in short, is to boost manufacturing as that area is seen with a great promise for a turnaround of our economy as also to foster innovation. The aim also is to develop technological depth, attract investment and more importantly facilitate skill development and create jobs. The present dispensation is criticized, for the sake of criticism, that jobs were promised but on ground, jobs not seen forthcoming and to that a reply in simple words could be not to think in terms of narrower view like receipt of letter of appointment for Government departments and that also for each one of those waiting for jobs followed by those in millions each year added to the list. Instead, apart from very limited scope and inelastic nature of government jobs , the same could be created in various economic schemes like the one under reference. The Prime minister has stressed upon the adherence of “Zero defect with Zero effect” in our manufacturing itinerary which means that our product should have no defect so as to be not rejected in markets, both national and importantly international, and the process of manufacturing should have no adverse effect on environment or on ecology. We are internationally committed for lowest emission levels as Modi Ji has taken a lead in World forums for preventing global warming.
Nations move forward due to various factors, topping them is what a type of a leader they choose to govern the country and by coincidence or the vagaries of political maneuverability, a leader of vision and an ardent believer in taking bold initiative does not appear on the scene except rarely perhaps when it would be catastrophic if more delay took place in such a change. Modi Ji was chosen by the people at the right time though again by coincidence, belatedly. What if such a dynamic leader would have been there at least 10 years before, the shape and the strength of this country in the world would have been that of an economic power of reckoning with an early smooth economic take off. The steady revival of our economy just within a year of his taking over as the country’s PM has resulted in , among other things, denying China through fair means, the coveted status of being not only Asia’s economic giant but the one fast occupying commercial world market as India has left her far behind in achieving annual rate of growth Communist leaders like Sitaram Yuchuri dishing out a certificate as Modi government “failed on all fronts , mainly on economic” notwithstanding. May be the same is a policy matter of allegiance or a sympathy for that country as Karl Marx is the common factor. The IMF and the World Bank have predicted India to grow at a robust pace of over 7.5% during this fiscal and even more during the next fiscal. We should note it very carefully that we are rising and progressing at a time when the world economy is undergoing a slowdown in growth and as said in the foregoing lines, China is slowing down considerably and we have to see it in terms of when China was serving as the world’s growth engine. There must , however, be a proper climate in the country both politically and at levels where important legislative support was needed by this government to go in for much needed reforms, be it in taxation regime, labour and Banking laws. Let us build on and make the best of the opportunity so that impetus is got to employment generation which is the solution to most of the problems in the society.
The Week of “Make in India ” was “greeted” by elements like we saw in JNU followed by Jadavpur university and hats off to the Government, a massive conspiracy across 18 universities in India was got known and preemptive measures taken. Let the opposition cooperate instead of “discover and invent” issues and hunt from wilderness like Delhi CM Kejriwal daring Modi Ji his ability to “catch” the wanted JNU students as he “failed” to “catch” Pathankot terrorists and cautioning him that the issue of students could cost him heavily. Again, Rahul Ji finds that “Modi is stifling the voice of the students” in context of the raising of seditious, highly objectionable and provocatively anti national and communal slogans by some of the students in the JNU followed by Jadavpur and supported by the so called liberal Left Marxists. Let India not be under conspiracy of “Tukday Tukday” all under right to freedom of speech and “dissent”. When HRD Ministry recently issued directions for hoisting of National flag in all central universities, curiously and shockingly there are “democratic” voices to oppose even it and a Professor from Jadavpur university on a leading TV Channel on 18th instant opposed it as it “violated the autonomy “of the university and as “they had their own varsity flag” and other questionable remarks made a retired army General bitterly cry in full view of millions as he could not tolerate insult to our flag for the honour of which numerous brave hearts of our forces have given supreme sacrifices.
The anchor too became emotional . The HRD Minister watching the heart touching scene on the TV debate telephonically spoke to and comforted the General still in tears. Have our countrymen still to be motivated for the love of the country? Have , with Modi Ji’s taking over skies fallen so much and intolerance grown to this extent that those of tomorrow’s intellectuals, cream of brains, bureaucrats, policy planners, Educationists, Economists, Political scientists and what not, even if a few of them, expected to be rolled out from institutions like the JNU and Jadavpur plan to break India into pieces . If India is broken and “barbadi tak jung jari rahegee” , then who wins ? None, I suppose, not in the least.
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