External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday invited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the 'Make in India' campaign, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly stated that the government's utmost priority of making India an investment and manufacturing destination.
"The "Make in India" programme lays emphasis on 25 manufacturing sectors with focus on job creation and skill enhancement. These sectors include automobiles, auto components, design manufacturing, renewable energy, mining, textiles, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, electronics and ports," Swaraj said, while interacting with captains of industry of the UAE here.
"Our focus is growth with good governance and transparency with an eye on manufacturing, infrastructure and trade. On August 15, our Prime Minister spelt out his government's utmost priority of making India an investment and manufacturing destination. He launched the 'Make in India' campaign, inviting foreign entrepreneurs to come and set up manufacturing bases in India. This will make India an important partner in the global value chain," she added.
Speaking of the plans for the future with regards to the 'Make in India' campaign, Swaraj said that skills development was on the top-most agenda for the government.
"We plan to embark on massive programme for developing skills of our youth in consonance with the requirement of the industry. Most importantly, I am confident that our 'Make in India' campaign represent an attitudinal shift in the way India relates to its investors. We hope to form dedicated teams that will guide and assist first time investors, from time of their arrival," she said.
Swaraj further stated that the time is ripe for the UAE to invest in India, adding that Dubai is an important point for India's role in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
"I feel that there is no better time than now for the UAE business community to join our hands as partners in India's growth story. There are immense possibilities to enhance trade and investment cooperation. Indian investors are already one of the largest groups in the UAE," she said.
"In turn, UAE can also become a substantial source for meeting our investment requirements. Moreover, the UAE and, especially Dubai, can become our gateway to the larger MENA region and, indeed, to Africa as a whole," Swaraj added.
The objective of the 'Make in India' initiative is to make India a manufacturing hub by attracting foreign companies to set up their manufacturing units. Prime Minister Modi, while launching the campaign in September, said 'FDI' should be understood as 'First Develop India' along with 'Foreign Direct Investment'.
India and the UAE enjoy strong bonds of friendship based on age-old cultural, religious and economic ties between the two nations. Economic and commercial cooperation with the UAE is a key aspect of overall bilateral relationship, with Indians emerging as important investors within the UAE and India as an important export destination for goods manufactured in the UAE.
