IT'S TIME TO MAINTAIN IN INDIA

Maintenance is equally important and at par with 'making' the product, especially in a country where every penny counts.

- MAJOR GEN ASHOK KUMAR (RETD)

India has multiple economic challenges, one of which is related to the sub-optimal capacity utilization of the country's manufacturing potential. Such a situation was prohibiting the nation from developing requisite skillsets, multi-mode transportation infrastructure and desired economic growth. This subdued capacity of manufacturing created a condition where multiple smaller nations forged ahead basing their focus on manufacturing, but not India. In addition to some indigenous capacities, these economically oriented countries created an excellent ecosystem which attracted investors from the world over to establish manufacturing facilities, which resulted in their booming economic growth and generation of substantial local employment. India too needed to bolster its economy as well as employment generation for the local youth.

With this as background, India launched its most ambitious "Make in India" programme on 25 September 2014. It aimed not only to empower the indigenous industries but was also focused on getting foreign investors to establish their manufacturing facilities in India. Government clearances were eased, functioning norms were facilitated and the country moved towards making in India. Though some progress has been made in this direction, India is still far from realising its full potential. As countries scale down their ventures in China, and some shift out altogether, this is the right opportunity for India to fill this void in the supply chain logistics by emerging as the manufacturing hub of the world.