Place thrust on job creation, regional development: President

Trade liberalisation and economic cooperation will not fully serve the purpose till they result in tangible benefits for the people through job creation and regional development, President Pranab Mukherjee said today.
"Increased trade liberalisation and economic cooperation will not count for much unless they result in tangible benefits for our people. Hence, thrust should also be placed on meeting objectives like employment generation and regional development," he said while inaugurating the India International Trade Fair (IITF) here.
The last decade has marked a paradigm shift in development approach towards improving quality of life of people, Mukherjee said, adding that empowerment through entitlements backed by legal guarantees such as NREGA, RTE and Food Security Act have fostered the process of inclusive growth of India.

He said: "In order to keep pace with the rapid global changes, we need to constantly fine-tune the skills of our work force. There is an urgent need to incorporate skill development and vocational training in the process of our economic growth."
The vision of inclusiveness is not just the removal of poverty but encompasses equality of opportunity as well as economic and social mobility for all sections of society, Mukherjee added.
Empowerment of the disadvantaged and marginalised groups is an essential part of inclusive growth, he said, adding that the vision must also include a clear commitment to pursue a development process which is environmentally sustainable.

Mukherjee said the country's financial integration with the world has also been as rapid as its trade globalisation. Exports have a very important role to play in the economic growth of our country and have the potential to drive the socio-economic development of our country.
"The contribution that this sector makes to employment is of utmost importance to our vision of equitable and inclusive growth," he said.