Ficci stodgy; needs to prepare for GenNext: Mittal

Industry body Ficci looked a bit "stodgy" and the organisation needed to gear itself for the next generation, the chamber's new President Rajan Mittal said today.

"Yes, I agree that Ficci looks like more of a stodgy organisation. It needs to be created for the next generation, next Indian wave, which is not us, which is the youth.

"We need to bring in that mindset change in our organisation, both internally as well as externally," he said and quipped, "More internally, than externally."

Asked what was today's mindset of Ficci, he said it was "only to talk of and look at the economic position of the country or policy changes. Well that is a great objective, but I think the forum has to step beyond that (and look at things that are) about the nation, about development".

Strongly pitching for changing the face of Ficci, he said it was high time that the chamber looked beyond policies which impact the industry and extend a hand of cooperation to other chambers for a larger objective. 

He debunked the suggestion that Ficci was an old 'Marwari' (a trading community from Rajasthan) club and that this class controlled the association compared to the youth who commandeered rival CII, saying, "Nobody can control anyone if you don't want to be controlled. Ficci has changed. Last 5-6 presidents were younger presidents."