The recent call by PM Modi to make an “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat”, meaning a self-reliant India in the wake of Covid-19 makes immense sense. In fact, I’d say it’s a wake-up call for a nation which has been unnecessarily depending on cheap foreign sourcing and products for the past many decades when all we need to do is to make and implement policies giving a revitalizing boost to our economy.
I was invited as a speaker on the topic by NewsX channel a few days ago, which also had the company Heads of few other industries. To make an #aatmanirbharBharat another concept which the PM mentioned was for people to go vocal for local – implying the awareness and change in mindset to take pride in domestically produced products and services.
I feel India has tremendous underutilized potential in terms of manpower and skills’ development. It is herein that we, as entrepreneurs, and the government at both local and national level, should collaborate and support the drive to ‘educate and to employ’ such millions of people. In fact, backed by the government in terms of policies and funding, #aatmanirbharBharat offers a boon in skill development and employment particularly in the vast rural hinterland of India.
Going vocal for local, as well as making hyperlocal a reality is the need of the hour. It is measures like these which would ensure livelihood at local levels to millions of unemployed / underemployed people who migrate to urban cities in search of employment opportunities. Had this been the case we would not be witnessing the pathetic situation with migrant laborers and other daily wage earners trying to head back to their villages and towns from urban cities across India. India Inc. can, and will do this, is what I believe in and pray for.
