We Need To Significantly Boost Growth Of Manufacturing Sector: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for boosting growth in the manufacturing sector, saying there is a need to focus on cost, quality, scale, user-friendly products and attractive packaging.

Addressing the country from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi laid out a seven-point reform framework, 'Sapta Dhara', aimed at accelerating India's journey toward becoming a developed nation by 2047, with a focus on manufacturing, agro-food production and food processing, technology and innovation, logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power.

The first strength of the 'Sapta Dhara' is manufacturing power, he said, adding, "We need to significantly boost the manufacturing sector. Along with increasing production, we need to manufacture both small components and large products".

From design to manufacturing, India must become a reliable hub in the global supply chain, Modi said.

"For this, I would like to place special emphasis on three things... For people in the manufacturing sector, this is an opportunity; don't ignore it, and to achieve it, we will have to meet global standards in terms of cost, quality, and scale," he said.

"Our factories should be competitive, our products user-friendly, and our packaging appealing and attractive to people around the world. Zero-defect and precision manufacturing should become our hallmark," the prime minister said.

The identity of the domestic manufacturers, entrepreneurs and MSMEs in the global market must be based on reliability and quality, he said.

"There should be no compromise on quality, and our mantra must be quality, quality, quality," he added.

MSMEs account for about 35.4% of the country's manufacturing, around 48.58% of exports, and 31.1% of GDP.

With India's manufacturing sector positioned for greater global integration, the MSME sector's role is critical in enabling effective supply-chain participation, fostering local value addition, and supporting inclusive regional growth.

The manufacturing sector now contributes about 16-17% of GDP and employs over 27 million workers.