 "Making India a major product nation, employment boost top list of vows")
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pledged to transform India into a global manufacturing hub and boost employment in crucial sectors such as electronics, defence, mobile, and automotive. The aim is to leverage this strength to establish India as a major product nation by integrating design services with manufacturing.
The party aims to establish India as a global electronics manufacturing hub by 2030, intending to treble electronics production to become a major player in the global value chain and capitalise on India’s design capabilities to foster indigenous brands.
Additionally, it seeks to significantly expand domestic defence manufacturing and increase exports of ‘Made in Bharat’ defence equipment by accelerating indigenisation in major air and land equipment platforms.
“We will further harness the potential of manufacturing to create employment opportunities and stimulate economic activity. We believe that our research and design talent can be best complemented by expanding the manufacturing sector. We also recognise the importance of self-reliance and resilience in global value chains. Therefore, we will make every effort to develop Bharat as a global manufacturing hub," the BJP stated in its manifesto.
Since 2014, the government has launched initiatives such as Make in India and a production-linked incentive scheme, aiming not only to position India as a global manufacturing hub but also to increase the manufacturing sector’s contribution to gross domestic product to 25 per cent.
Furthermore, there are plans to strengthen India’s position as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ by enhancing the manufacturing and research capacities of the pharmaceutical sector, particularly in active pharmaceutical ingredients.
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“We will expand research-linked incentive schemes, encouraging companies to invest in research for new drugs, chemical entities, and new biological entities,” the manifesto stated.
Building upon the success of the $100 billion electronics manufacturing industry in the country, the party plans to deepen the component ecosystem and elevate semiconductor design and manufacturing to become a global leader in chip production.
In addition to supporting the growth of the automotive industry and its transition to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, the party aims to invest in establishing a nationwide EV charger infrastructure to promote EV adoption.
Another focus area is textiles, garments, and apparel, which is also a labour-intensive industry. The plan includes operationalising PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) parks, investing in research and development of new products, simplifying legal and compliance regimes, investing in common amenities, and infrastructure for the textile industry, and launching special skilling programmes focused on employment.
“We will support exploration for rare earths and strategic minerals and develop partnerships with countries possessing reserves of these minerals to secure our supply chain. We will also support processing industries and the manufacture of final products using rare earths and strategic minerals,” the manifesto added, aiming to make India the largest producer of lab-grown diamonds and establish a leading position in the international market.
Additionally, the party will focus on building a globally competitive food processing industry by establishing smart food processing hubs with advanced technologies to monitor the entire food supply chain, ensuring quality, traceability, and operational efficiency.
“We will position Bharat as a major player in value chains of processed fruit, vegetables, fish, seafood, and dairy, among others,” it said.
A strategy will be devised to boost manufacturing and research in the railway sector, aiming to make India a leading global railway manufacturing hub.
“We will focus on the technological and sustainable transition in steel, cement, metals, and engineering goods industries, supporting these industries in adopting greener manufacturing processes,” the BJP emphasised.
The party also pledged to establish a commercial aircraft manufacturing ecosystem, with plans to devise a policy for aerospace manufacturing and develop passenger aircraft within India.
“We will strengthen the civil aviation ecosystem by encouraging maintenance, repairs, and overhaul activities as well as aircraft financing and leasing activities institutions through comprehensive government support programmes under the Make in India initiative,” it added.
‘Global manufacturing hub by 2030’- Enhancing employment in ‘crucial sectors’ such as electronics, defence, mobile, and automotive
- Making India a global electronics manufacturing hub by 2030
- Expanding domestic defence manufacturing and exports of Made-in-India defence gear
- Strengthening India’s position as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ by boosting manufacturing and research capacities of pharma sector
- Investing in nationwide EV charger infra
- Formulating a policy for aerospace manufacturing