March 19, 2015: The Government has launched ‘Make in India’ Programme aimed at developing, promoting and marketing India as a leading manufacturing and investment destination and as a hub for design and innovation. The programme seeks to radically improve the Ease of Doing Business, and boost up the manufacturing sector. Certain important steps taken to gear up manufacturing include (i) creation of an investor facilitation cell (ii) dissemination of information on twenty five priority sectors on ‘Make in India’s web-portal along with details of FDI Policy, National Manufacturing Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and other National Industrial Corridors (iii) issuance of ordinance to make land acquisition easier for important projects (iv) a number of items taken off the licensing requirement from Defence products’ list, etc. A workshop was conducted on 29.12.2014 in which officials of Central Government interacted with the industry representatives. In this workshop sector wise plan of action has been prepared with time lines of one year and three years.
Government has notified the National Manufacturing Policy (NMP) vide Press Note dated November 4, 2011 with the objective of enhancing the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25 per cent and creating 100 million jobs over a decade or so. Sustainable development is integral to the spirit of the policy and technological value addition in manufacturing has received special focus.
No specific targeting of companies has been done. However, an Investor Facilitation Cell has been created to provide assistance to investors and entrepreneurs. In addition, a Special Cell namely, ‘Japan Plus’ has been created to facilitate investments from Japan. A Country Focus Desk on Singapore is also functional under ‘Invest India’.
This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.