Finetuning industrial nodes: Intent correct, design requires refinement

The decision to develop select cities as industrial hubs is sound, but revisiting the choice of locations could make it a game-changer

On August 28, the Cabinet approved a proposal to create 12 greenfield industrial nodes/cities along the backbone of the Golden Quadrilateral. These cities span 10 states, aiming for balanced regional development to make India a global manufacturing powerhouse. It’s promising that the government is prioritising a few cities to create agglomerations while recognising the role of large firms as anchor investors.

Agglomerations bring entrepreneurs, labour and capital to a geographically concentrated location, creating competition, resulting in faster growth. According to some estimates, China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) would have been about 20 per cent lower in