Let ‘Make in India’ campaign become ‘Gramin Bharat’ to make India a developed nation

Rural India continues to struggle on multiple fronts. Around 70 per cent of the population resides in villages and they often face significant hardships such as lack of basic infrastructure, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. For want of proper benchmarking and auditing of funds spent on transforming rural facilities leads to little or no impact on people’s ease of living.

The quest for a comprehensive approach that includes improving agricultural productivity, enhancing access to quality education and healthcare, building robust infrastructure, and promoting skill development and entrepreneurship, has never been as intense when it comes to the powers-that-be. As a result, a good quality of life for rural inhabitants eludes them. This is happening despite the fact that improved rural life stimulates economic growth, reduces urban migration and helps in achieving inclusive development, thereby leading to a more balanced and sustainable development trajectory for the entire nation.

Without blaming the present or past dispensations for the continued multidimensional plight of rural areas, I would strongly recommend ‘Make in India’ be taken deep into ‘Gramin Bharat’ to realize the goal of Viksit Bharat that is more inclusive, stronger, caring and responsible.

There is a huge potential for the manufacturing sector in rural India. There is nothing wrong if more and more global and domestic firms make their products at places suiting their convenience across the country but there is certainly something to worry if millions of hands are left without work even after almost 80 years of independence. After killing traditional rural skills and the once flourishing cottage industries, all efforts aimed at galvanizing the rural economy have not yet yielded the desired results. ‘One district, one product’ or ‘One block, one product’ initiatives have often been abortive, and not so fruitful.

The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for 2022-23, released on September 30 by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), pegged the total number of employees in manufacturing industries at 1.84 crore as compared to 1.72 crore in 2021-22. The Ministry states that the main drivers of the manufacturing growth in 2022-23 were industries related to basic metal, coke and refined petroleum products, food products, chemical and chemical products and motor vehicles. According to an estimate, the country’s manufacturing sector accounts for only 11 per cent of total employees as compared to 28 per cent in China and 22 per cent in Vietnam. There is a huge potential to expand the manufacturing sector in the interiors. From horticulture, fisheries, dairy, toys, agro-products, art and craft to textiles, opportunities are galore but they need to be explored and nurtured to appropriate levels.

A vibrant rural manufacturing sector will also help in empowering the weaker sections by creating job opportunities, enhancing skill development and promoting entrepreneurship among marginalized communities. It will provide an alternative source of income for small farmers, landless labourers and women, who often struggle to find sustainable livelihoods. By tapping into local resources and traditional crafts, rural manufacturing will not only preserve indigenous skills but will also boost local economies. Furthermore, government initiatives and financial support will enhance accessibility to markets, infrastructure, and technology, enabling rural entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. This collective growth will contribute to a more inclusive economic environment, bridging income gaps and ensuring that economic development reaches even the most disadvantaged sections of society. With income disparities being a major challenge, the growth of rural manufacturing will also lead to an equitable distribution of wealth, reducing the urban-rural divide. The Forbes’ 2024 ‘India’s 100 Richest’ list revealed that India’s 100 richest individuals now have a total net worth of $1.1 trillion, more than doubling their wealth since 2019. In the last year alone, they added $316 billion to their collective fortunes, reflecting a growth of nearly 40 per cent.

A majority of the individuals on the list – over 80 per cent – saw an increase in their wealth, with 58 of them gaining at least $1 billion. Several business magnates experienced particularly large increases, with half a dozen seeing their net worth rise by over $10 billion. Together, the top five richest people contributed nearly $120 billion to this surge in wealth.

Unfortunately, the ordinary people’s income is growing at a snail’s pace. As per the second All India Rural Financial Inclusion Survey (NAFIS) for 2021-22 of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), the average monthly income of households increased from Rs. 8,059 in 2016-17 to Rs 12,698 in 2021-22. When considering all households together, the average monthly income stood at Rs. 12,698, with agricultural households earning slightly more at Rs. 13,661, as compared to Rs. 11,438 for non-agricultural households. Salaried employment in the government or private sector was the largest income source for all households, accounting for approximately 37 per cent of their total income.

For agricultural households, cultivation was the main income source, making up about one-third of their monthly earnings, followed by government or private services contributing one-fourth share, wage labour (16 per cent), and other enterprises (15 per cent). Among the non-agricultural ones, it was the government/private service, which contributed 57 per cent of the total household income, followed by wage labour that made up for roughly 26 per cent of the total income.

Thus, we do not have anything either to hide or hype over. Good or bad, everything is in the public domain. A majority of people are financially hard-pressed, while those in rural areas are in a worse situation. There is a compelling need to create more sustainable opportunities for them in their respective localities.

‘Make in India’ aims to revitalise the manufacturing sector, address stagnation and attract foreign investments and lay the foundation for a robust industrial base, while promoting the ethos of ‘vocal for local.’ Let us transform the ‘Make in India’ campaign to ‘Gramin Bharat’ to become a developed nation by 2047 in the real sense of the term. We won’t have much to cheer about if our people in the rural areas continue to lead a deplorable life. Things don’t change much for them even if they migrate to metros and other cities. They live in slums or slum-like conditions. Instead of patting ourselves on the back, let us do some soul searching and introspect if we are really keen to strengthen the country’s social fabric whereby every citizen leads a life of dignity. Otherwise, why create so much ado about nothing!