Govt sets up panel to draft plan for new National Manufacturing Mission

This mission was first announced in the Budget on February 1 to boost the Make in India initiative

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The government has formed an inter-ministerial committee to design the main plan for new national manufacturing mission, an official said. The mission was first announced in the Budget on February 1 to boost the Make in India initiative.

 

The committee is led by Niti Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam and is holding several meetings with important stakeholders. “Stakeholders’ consultations are on, including with states and domestic industry. The committee will look at the framework of the mission,” an official said.

 

The mission will focus on five key areas: making it easier and cheaper to do business, preparing a future-ready workforce, strengthening the MSME sector, providing better technology, and ensuring high-quality products. It will cover small, medium, and large industries. 

 

Currently, manufacturing makes up about 16-17 per cent of India’s GDP. The government wants to raise this share through the new mission. The mission will also offer policy support and create a governance and monitoring system for both central ministries and state governments.

 

An industry expert said the mission is expected to "enhance competitiveness, increase efficiency, foster innovation, integrate domestic manufacturing into global value chains and make India a globally competitive manufacturing hub."

 

India’s ambitious Make in India project 

 

‘Make in India’ is a government programme started in 2014 to encourage companies to manufacture their products in India and boost investment in the country. Its goals were to create more jobs, raise the share of manufacturing in India’s economy, and make India a global manufacturing hub.  

 

The programme focuses on important sectors like automobiles, electronics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. It also aims to improve ease of doing business, attract foreign investment, and support innovation and skill development through projects like Skill India and Startup India. Many reforms have been made to simplify rules, develop better infrastructure, and offer incentives for manufacturing.

 

Since its launch, India has seen a rise in foreign investments, and sectors like mobile phone manufacturing have grown strongly. However, challenges like regulatory issues, infrastructure gaps, and the need for a more skilled workforce still exist. 

 

To support 'Make in India' further, the government has launched new initiatives like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, which focus on strengthening local industries and making India more self-reliant. Overall, Make in India has helped build India’s reputation as a rising manufacturing and investment destination.

 

[With inputs from PTI]