Make in India, Defence and Innovation Drive India’s Growth

India’s growth story is being supported by manufacturing, defence production, entrepreneurship and innovation, with government initiatives aimed at expanding domestic production and creating opportunities for Indian businesses.

The Make in India initiative has focused on strengthening domestic manufacturing and encouraging companies to produce goods within the country. The programme has also supported efforts to increase India’s manufacturing capacity and expand the participation of Indian companies in industrial activities.

Defence manufacturing has emerged as another important area of domestic production. The government has encouraged Indian companies to manufacture defence equipment and has worked with the armed forces to identify items that can be produced within the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s defence manufacturing had reached an all-time high. Addressing the centenary celebrations of Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, he said India was now producing defence goods worth nearly Rs 2 lakh crore.

He also highlighted the growth in defence exports, saying that exports, which stood at around Rs 600-700 crore in 2013-14, had now reached nearly Rs 40,000 crore.

The Prime Minister also referred to the expansion of Make in India in the mobile phone sector. According to him, India, which imported mobile phones in 2014, is now exporting mobile phones worth more than Rs 2.5 lakh crore.

Start-ups and entrepreneurship were also highlighted during his address. Modi said the younger generation was increasingly talking about start-ups, entrepreneurship and innovation in areas including agriculture.

The government has also been promoting innovation in strategic sectors. Programmes such as iDEX support innovators working on defence-related requirements and technologies.

Modi said India was continuing to work towards major national goals, including developing its own space station and hosting the Olympic Games in the country in the future.

The Prime Minister said these developments reflected India’s growing capabilities in manufacturing, defence production, entrepreneurship and innovation. He also said the country’s recent 7.8 per cent GDP growth had come amid global conflicts and trade-related disruptions.