Leading industrialists such as Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Mukesh Ambani, and Chairman of Essar Group, Shashi Ruia, will be participating in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious project ‘Make in India’. The campaign is scheduled to launch on Thursday, April 25th at New Delhi.
Reminiscent of the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ campaign that was spearheaded by the then Chief Minister of the state, Narendra Modi himself, this program aims at making India a leading global manufacturing hub. In addition to improving trade and economic growth, the program also intends to create huge employment opportunities within the country.
The official invitation sent by the Government says, “The ‘Make in India’ Campaign is one of the key missions of the Government and companies from India and outside are being welcomed to expand and set up facilities for manufacturing in India – for servicing the domestic and global markets. CEOs of important manufacturing companies in India both domestic and MNCs will be present in the function.”
Other Hig- Profile Attendees
Other high-profile business personalities likely to attend the launch include Cyrus Mistry, Chairman of Tata Group; Anand Mahindra, Chief Managing Director of Mahindra Group; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chief Managing Director of Biocon; and Y C Deveshvar, Chairman of ITC Limited.
In addition to the assembled corporate guests, the list of attendees also includes members of the Prime Minister’s council. These individuals hold key portfolios such as commerce, infrastructure and finance.
Officials said that invitations from the government will also go out to 3,000 of the world’s top companies to consider India for their investments. It is expected that the country’s mission of economic growth will be facilitated through these invitations.
Birth of the ‘Make in India’ Campaign
In his first Independence Day address as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, invited global business communities to set up manufacturing facilities in India, giving birth to the slogan ‘Come, Make in India’.
A senior Commerce Ministry official said, “The idea was floated by the Prime Minister on Aug 15. It is taking shape now. The basic objective is to make India a manufacturing hub with a sustainable long-term growth of 10 percent. Job creation is also a priority.”
He adds, “The campaign also has an implementation angle to it: Specific reforms in areas like tax policies and de-regulation will be identified and set in motion. The states will also be co-opted into this initiative for seamless flow of investments.”
It is believed that in addition to launching the campaign, the event on Thursday will offer a platform for potential investors to raise a number of questions. The queries will be addressed by a panel of top officials. Furthermore, ideas will be invited and provisions will be made to act upon them.
To facilitate reach and ensure success of the campaign, it will be simultaneously launched in different state capitals, including Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. The campaign will also be launched in a few other countries that share the same time zone as India.