The Government of India’s ambitious initiative, Make in India seeks to raise the contribution of the manufacturing sector to 25% of the GDP by 2020. The Government, believes and rightly so that this will create an impact in allied sectors leading to job creation and provide an overall boost to the Indian economy. The program is definitely a step in the right direction and with support from all quarters could achieve the desired impact.
There are some aspects which we however need to keep in mind with respect to this initiative. While the program is aimed at transforming India into a design and manufacturing hub, the larger focus seems to be on manufacturing. That offcourse is the stated intent of the program but maybe the other opportunity linked to design and innovation needs to be strongly integrated into the core theme. The thought behind this is simple. While we would definitely want to see a larger part of the global manufacturing pie, it is design, innovation and IP creation that presents itself as a long-term opportunity. We should ideally focus on creating a mindset where the entire value of product creation starting with product concept to design and ultimately manufacturing is completely done out of India. Hence, the need is to build a comprehensive ecosystem of companies and various stakeholders who are working across the manufacturing value chain with capabilities to conceptualize and deliver the final product out of India.
This approach helps us in many ways. For one, the entire product is owned and delivered out of India. So it is a true representation of the Make in India story. Our experience also suggests that companies are looking for this kind of a model. One of the leading manufacturers of medical implants, who has been working with us on diabetes and orthopedic solutions for the last few years is now exploring the possibility of manufacturing in India. Their good experience, having worked with us on design and innovation, is now leading them to think of extending the scope of operations in India and creating manufacturing efficiencies. Certainly a win-win for team India!
One may argue that while creating a manufacturing ecosystem is simpler to create, a design and innovation mindset needs a lot more effort. One aspect which is left unsaid though is that the innovation culture has a long term impact. The transformation of countries such as Japan and South Korea is an example of the same and China seems to now moving in the same direction.
Developing an innovation mindset can be challenging but a start certainly can be made. India’s has a robust education system that produces the largest number of engineers in the world. What should the Government and the industry together do to ensure that this talent is channelized and nurtured to support design and innovation? How can we recognize and reward innovation at an early age so that they are encouraged to move their thinking to the next level. More importantly, how do we get these innovators to build sustainable businesses for the future so that the power of innovation becomes a continuous process? This bridge building between our education system and the industry becomes extremely important and as an industry we are already committed to make this happen.
The innovation culture especially has a long term impact. It helps us create a culture and more importantly grow talent for whom design and innovation becomes second nature. Just imagine, if the Make in India initiative can lead to the creation of the next set of product innovators from India, Indian companies can be at the forefront of technology innovation and high-tech manufacturing over the next decade. This means that the next generation of innovative products across every industry, from automotive to healthcare to defence will be ‘Made in India’. If that happens, the true essence of Make in India will be achieved and help catapult India as a design and innovation powerhouse.
(Disclaimer: This is a guest article contributed on Techstory. All content as well as views expressed are those of the author. Techstory is not responsible or liable for any content in this article.)
About The Author:
This article has been contributed by Sumit Sood, MD, GlobalLogic, India.
(Image Credits; indianembassy.hu)
