Syama Prasad Mookerjee sowed seeds of Make in India: Goyal

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said seeds of the Centre's flagship 'Make In India' manufacturing programme were sowed by Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who was also the country's first minister of industry and supply.

Speaking at the 'Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit' here, Goyal said these seeds were sown through the industrial policy drafted by Mookerjee in 1948.

"In some sense you are carrying forward the vision of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He had come up with India's first industrial policy way back in 1948, which had sown the seeds of Make in India," Goyal said at the summit attended by delegates from 54 countries.

Mookerjee's leadership of the industrial sector was evident in the policy which acknowledged foreign capital for industrialisation of the country, Goyal said.

Goyal said Mookerjee talked about "marriage between international investment and domestic partnership" with control remaining in Indian hands.

"Over a period of time, business models have evolved. Today, we have a situation where several sectors are open to almost 100 per cent FDI," he added.

Speaking about Goa, he said the Centre and the Pramod Sawant dispensation here were working as "double engines" powering the "train of progress".

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to see Goa as an empowered state, adding that it was an ideal investment destination.

The reduction of Value Added Tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) by the then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had seen huge increase in flights to Goa which in turn increased tourism footfalls, Goyal said.