India / India needs to focus on becoming manufacturing hub of the world: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today stressed the need for creating manufacturing hubs across the country, and said if it is pursued on war footing, India can leave China behind in the sector, a Delhi government statement said.

Speaking virtually at the sixth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he also said that attention was not paid to the manufacturing sector in the country over the last 70 years, enabling China to capture local markets.

"We saw how China has been challenging us on the border, and on the other hand, it has captured our markets and Chinese products are replacing Indian products on a large scale. If we all work together, India can overtake China in manufacturing," he said in the meeting.

Mr Kejriwal suggested large-scale creation of manufacturing hubs across the country with facilities and tax benefits for production of cost-effective goods.

"The Central and state governments should come together to build manufacturing hubs across the country, to provide facilities, and give tax breaks to MSMEs, manufacturers, and industrialists, for import substitutes and exports," he said.

"This will help them make products that are cheaper than those made in China and create jobs. This will also help us in leaving China behind in the field of manufacturing and the growth of India's GDP," he said.

He also supported favouring small and medium industries in the country.

The youth in the country have new ideas and plenty of energy and they should be provided facilities and capital to start businesses, Mr Kejriwal said at the meeting.

The Delhi Chief Minister stressed that it is necessary to "aggressively pursue" manufacturing for India's economic progress, creation of jobs, and GDP growth.

"In the last 70 years, our country has never given importance to the manufacturing sector, as a result of which people are leaving the manufacturing sector and are moving towards the trading and service sectors. Our country is lagging behind in the manufacturing sector," he said.

In the last one year, COVID 19 pandemic "hugely" affected the manufacturing sector and many jobs were lost, he claimed.

"We need to aggressively promote start-ups. It will help us in creating a huge number of jobs in the country."

Citing his IIT background, Mr Kejriwal said back then a lot of people used to go outside the country after studying in IITs.

"This trend has declined in the last 10-15 years, and our youths want to stay in India and start their own business. If the Central and state governments come together and provide facilities to our youth, we will have a huge contribution to the progress of the nation," he said.

He expressed hope that all the stakeholders will take a resolve towards expanding the manufacturing sector in India.