The External Affairs Minister said that India needs to refocus on manufacturing to benefit from the changed circumstances after the Corona pandemic. Jaishankar said, ‘There is no such big country in the world which has achieved or been able to sustain a global position without strengthening the manufacturing sector. I have always believed that this focus on services was actually an interesting excuse for inefficiencies in manufacturing.
The Union Minister said that in view of the global challenges, India needs to be serious about its development strategy and domestic solutions. He also gave examples of the experiences of the COVID period and the strategy adopted to deal with it.
Jaishankar said that in the name of opening up the economy and globalization, we should not end industrialization in this country. We should also not provide equal opportunities to others in the country to earn as it would be economic suicide. We need to be clear that every country has to support its manufacturers and its businesses. We should not give free hand to other’s business in our country to earn profit.
The External Affairs Minister further said that we also need to look at the economy from a strategic perspective and identify the right partner. He said, ‘Make in India is not an economic program nor a manufacturing program. I consider it strategic.