A nations strength ultimately consists in what it can do on it’s own, and not in what it can borrow from others.
India is a country where science meets spirituality and it is known for having rich culture and heritage which it has preserved since time immemorial and now the time has come to revive our traditional routes alongwith spearheading our efforts towards technological advancement and innovation which will not only make us self reliant but it will also lead to overall development in true sense.
THE ROADMAP AHEAD-
As the whole world is passing through the tough phase because of the Covid-19 Pandemic , the very concept of “Self – Reliance” has come to the forefront. In this context our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his address to the nation talked about ” Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and gave a exquisite concept of “Vocal for Local”.
The most important lesson of Covid-19 pandemic is not just that we need to be self reliant as a country but that we have to diversify risks and become self reliant at the very local level.
Agriculture-( Organic Farming)
More focus on organic farming as there is a huge demand for maize and corn, as well as making ethanol, which can be used to blend with oil,to cut India’s oil import bill.
Revival of Handicraft and Handloom Industry –
The revival of both handloom and handicraft industries is quite important as it provides employment to the people from economically disadvantaged groups especially to the women.
There are many regions in India where we find some unique handicrafts which needs to be promoted on a large scale so that it can make a big mark on a global scale . For instance-
1- Kachchh is world renowned for it’s mirrored embroidery, the Sindh- Kachchh regional styles of suf, khaarek and paako, the ethnic styles of rabari, Jat and mutava.
2- Rajasthan Handicraft- Blue pottery, lac bangles, puppets, miniature paintings etc.
3- The world famous terracotta handicraft of Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
4- Madhya Pradesh is famous for it’s Chanderi, Maheshwari saari, Bagh prints, Batto bai dolls etc.
5- Promotion of Khadi- the Gandhian legacy on a large scale.
Dedicated focus on the MSME Sector-
We should not rely on MNCs to invest, instead, the government should focus on making policies that encourage local SMEs and MSMEs to ramp up investments. The government must incentivise large scale Indian private companies to work with domestic MSMEs who build globally competitive products and promote a local ecosystem.
Investment in innovation and Research and Development – The need of the hour-
Make in India which was launched by government few years back needs to be promoted but for that to happen it is equally important that we focus on domestic innovation apart from just setting up of factories and manufacturing units.
Reduced dependence on China- Telecom and Electronic Industry –
China is an important player in global supply chains , more so in the telecom and electronic equipment industry.
For example-Most of the people in India prefer to buy Chinese mobile phones as it is available at a reasonable price and moreover there is no alternative to it. Whereas India’s contribution to the global telecom supply chain is miniscule while being the 2nd largest telecom market in the world.
Now is the time that the focus should shift towards the supply side from the demand side and for that to happen, Government must develop policies to encourage Indian private sector companies to also invest and also provide them with funds for Research and Development.
Data being the ‘new oil’ must be generated, consumed and monetized within the country.
Manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients(API) in India itself-
India helped over 150 countries with medical supplies during the coronacrisis but it is still dependent on China for API which is a primary ingredient required in manufacturing of medicines . So manufacturing center of API should be established in India itself so that India can emerge as major exporter of medical assistance to the whole world.
Defence-
Government has of late experimented with hackathons and in rare instances given a tentative support to build an ecosystem around NAVIC technology. These small tentative step needs to be scaled up to far more ambitious level.
Increased Expenditure on education-
Education plays a major role in shaping the future of the country but a mearge expenditure of education is a road block in the developmental process which needs to be reviewed as soon as possible so that the young talented lot of our country can be utilised in a better and efficient manner.
Focusing on Comparative Advantage-
1- The next big thing for India can be 3D/ additive manufacturing, robotics and automation.
2- As these technologies are the confluence of manufacturing and IT, India’s leading edge on IT, provides a platform to become a leader in it’s space globally.
Conclusion-
I believe that with some reassessment, restructuring and radical action, the future could indeed bode well for India.
India was known as” Sone ki Chidiya” and now the time has come to prove our mettle and work on the slogan of “Indigenous India, Incredible India”.