Invest in India to Incredible India to Make in India…
And now we are foisted with another feel good, feel positive vision by Modi Sarkar, “Make in India”… I distinctly remember my association with “India Investment Center” way back in 1990 when a similar thrust was also accorded in the form of “Invest in India”… How can this push be any different when issues in those times and today are not very different; same archaic labour laws still prevail, infrastructure has not improved much, customs not remotely friendly, obtaining work visa still as stringent, and I would not like to comment on ‘Babuism’…
I think the Government should have taken some more time to address some of the above issues before launching such a great and much needed program…
Notwithstanding, the ideology behind ‘Make in India’ is good and if it has any chance to succeed, it can only be under a strong Modi Government with a clear mandate and the PM’s bonhomie with our international allies and non allies. A beginning has already been made when on a recent visit to US, the PM announced lifelong visa for PIO’s, extended stay for all US citizens and also VISA on arrival.
What impressed me in ‘Make in India’ programme is an equal weightage given to Apparel & Textile sector, a position of respectability among all other industry sectors.
No doubt the Textile & Apparel industry is and has always been ideally placed to be the future growth driver for India, only the Government understood it now. The industry employs the second largest manpower after agriculture and it is also a low capital intensive industry, and uneducated youth can be made employable with just 8 days’ training…, which other industry can promise so much!
I am of the firm opinion that many of the Indian states if nurtured rightly can more than equal Bangladesh in garment exports. We recently analyzed and compared Uttar Pradesh to Bangladesh for its employable uneducated youth and the total demographic, Government support, wages… and found that it surely has an edge over Bangladesh on paper. Whereas, Bangladesh does US $ 20 billion exports, Uttar Pradesh does only US $ 1 billion…
I suggest every textile & garment person to visit ‘makeinindia.com’ to get inspired.
Last month was also a busy month for me, I had to chair few sessions and moderate a panel discussion on diverse topics. While I enjoyed the panel discussion, the speaker session was uninspiring… The topic announced to the audience and what the speaker presented had no connection. What purpose do these kinds of seminars serve when invitee speakers are not ready to share the hard facts about what they do and how do they do it, to achieve the set objectives… The audience comes to find solutions and not listen to a lesson from a chapter in an academic book.
I think it is the problem of the knowledge partner who gives the topic but fails to moderate the presentation in the ensuing period before the D-day…
We as a magazine are better equipped to handle such situations. What we do when an author writes an article for us is vet it and ask for changes and additions or at times even push for a change in the whole concept to ensure that what is finally presented is of true value…
