🇮🇳 Make in India: A Bold Vision, Mixed Reality, and the Road Ahead 🚀
- telishital14
- Apr 12, 2025
- 4 min read
“Come, Make in India. Sell anywhere, but manufacture here.” – Narendra Modi
Launched in September 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Make in India initiative was a bold and visionary call to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. This campaign aimed to attract foreign investments, boost domestic manufacturing, create millions of jobs, and strengthen India’s self-reliance under the larger umbrella of Atmanirbhar Bharat. 💪🌏
While the program has made notable strides and created optimism, it has also faced significant challenges in meeting its ambitious targets.
Let’s take a comprehensive look at the journey of Make in India – its objectives, sectors, achievements, limitations, and the path ahead. 🌟
🧠 What is "Make in India"?
Make in India is a government-led initiative that aims to:
Encourage domestic and foreign companies to manufacture their products in India 🔧
Create a favorable environment for investments 📊
Build modern infrastructure and open new sectors to foreign capital 🏗️
Boost employment, innovation, and skills in the Indian workforce 👷♂️
Initially, it focused on 25 core sectors ranging from automobiles to biotechnology, and from defense manufacturing to food processing.
🎯 Key Objectives
Increase the manufacturing sector’s growth rate to 12–14% per annum
Create 100 million manufacturing jobs by 2022
Raise manufacturing’s contribution to 25% of GDP by 2022 (later revised to 2025)
These goals were designed to reduce India's dependence on imports and place it at the forefront of global industrial competitiveness.
📉 Performance vs. Promise: A Mixed Report Card
Despite a strong start, Make in India has fallen short of achieving some of its original targets:
The GDP share of manufacturing has decreased, from 16.7% in 2013–14 to 15.9% in 2023–24
Job creation in manufacturing has not met expectations 📉
Major issues like regulatory bottlenecks, lack of legal transparency, and delayed land acquisition have hampered growth
That said, several sectors have seen impressive progress, and FDI inflows have hit record highs.
💸 FDI & Investment: High Hopes, Heavy Inquiries
Between Sept 2014 and Feb 2016, India received:
Investment commitments worth ₹16.4 lakh crore (US$190 billion)
Investment inquiries worth ₹1.5 lakh crore (US$18 billion)
In FY 2016–17 alone, India attracted $60 billion in FDI. FDI liberalization now allows:
✅ 100% FDI in most sectors under the automatic route🚀 Exceptions: 74% in space, 49% in defense, and 26% in media
India also partnered with Japan to launch a $12 billion "Japan-India Make-in-India Special Finance Facility".
🏭 Key Sectors: Spotlight on Manufacturing & More
🚗 Automobiles
General Motors: $1 billion in Maharashtra
Kia Motors: $1.1 billion plant in Andhra Pradesh, 10,000 jobs, 300,000 vehicles/year
Hitachi: Auto-component plant in ChennaiIndia is now the 4th largest car manufacturer globally.
✈️ Aviation & Defense
HAL building Dornier 228 aircraft
BrahMos, Kamov helicopters, and Sukhoi parts co-produced with Russia
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus have committed to building components and aircraft in India
In 2023, India cleared ₹4,276 crore worth of capital acquisitions under Make in India
📱 Electronics & Mobiles
From 19% (2015) to 95% (2019) of smartphones now made in India
Big players: Samsung, Xiaomi, Foxconn, Wistron, Vivo, Motorola, Pegatron
India targets zero net imports of electronics
🔬 Biotech & Healthcare
Horiba opened a major facility in Nagpur to serve 30,000+ hospitals
Assam Cancer Care Foundation developed 13 cancer hospitals with Tata Trusts
🍲 Food Processing
Promotion of regional foods like Khakhra, Kebab, Puran Poli
Indo-Nissin, Poseidon Aquatech, and others invested heavily in Odisha
🚆 Railways
Alstom and GE set up locomotive factories in Bihar
Vande Bharat Express proudly wears the Make in India badge
Future tech: Hyperloop pilot project in Maharashtra
☀️ Renewable Energy
NLC India set up a ₹3,000 crore solar project in Odisha
Push for clean and sustainable energy solutions
📈 Ease of Doing Business: India's Rank Climbs
Make in India triggered aggressive reforms:
India jumped from 130th (2016) to 63rd (2019) on World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index 📊
Over 98-point reform plan encouraged state-level competition
Top states by 2020: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, J&K, Chhattisgarh
🌍 Mega Events & Global Buzz
“Make in India Week” – Mumbai, Feb 2016
2500+ international attendees
₹15.2 lakh crore in investment commitments
72 countries and all Indian states participated
Maharashtra led with ₹8 lakh crore worth of proposals
The campaign’s branding and global promotion were handled by Wieden+Kennedy with brochures, a dynamic portal, and targeted investor outreach. 🌐
🧱 Reforms & Procurement Preferences
In June 2017, India revised its Public Procurement Order to give preference to local goods and services. Ministries began issuing their own orders to reinforce the mandate across sectors.
🌿 "Zero Defect, Zero Effect" – The Slogan & Vision
Prime Minister Modi coined this to ensure:
✅ Zero Defect: High-quality, globally competitive products✅ Zero Effect: Minimal environmental and ecological damage 🌱🌎
This became the guiding philosophy for sustainable and responsible manufacturing.
⚠️ Challenges Faced
Despite progress, hurdles remain:
Unmet manufacturing GDP targets (currently at ~14.1%)
Insufficient job creation despite high investments
Slow execution and policy bottlenecks
Investor hesitation due to concerns over transparency and land laws
Infrastructure gaps in Tier 2 & 3 cities
🛣️ The Road Ahead
India's journey from a services-based economy to a manufacturing leader is long but promising. To truly succeed, Make in India must now:
Deepen reforms in land, labor, and taxation 🛠️
Improve legal and IP enforcement ⚖️
Focus on skilling youth with future-ready programs 🎓
Double down on sustainability and green tech 🌿
Ensure inclusive growth across states and sectors 🤝
🔚 Can India Truly Become the Factory of the World?
Make in India has succeeded in putting India on the global manufacturing map, fostering new partnerships, and revitalizing sectors. But for India to truly become a manufacturing superpower, it must now focus on execution, consistency, and innovation.
It’s not just about making in India — it’s about making it better, greener, smarter, and for the world. 🌍
Let’s keep the wheels turning, the factories running, and the vision alive. 💡
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