The Self-Reliant India Campaign: Ensuring Connectivity and Self-Reliance

The self-reliant India campaign is the vision of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to make India ‘’a bigger and more important part of the global economy”. During his address to the nation on May 12, 2020, India’s prime minister emphasized his plans to convert the crisis into an opportunity by fighting the deadly pandemic and turning it into an opportunity. He stressed that it is time that India becomes self-reliant and called this campaign Atma Nirbhar Bharat.

To push the MSME sector, the government has revised the definition of MSME so that most of the MSME can be covered under the government benefits. Up to 200 crores of the global tender has been disallowed in government procurement. The self-reliant India campaign has provided access to collateral-free automatic loans to small businesses and MSMEs. Various policy reforms relating to the Ease of Doing Business, market access, debt finance, and liquidity has been rolled out. Various policy reforms have also been introduced in the critical sectors of the economy like coal, defense, aviation, space, atomic energy, and minerals. 

The government released a special economic package under the self-reliant India campaign, which aims to benefit various segments, including cottage industry, laborers, Micro, Small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), middle class, and industries, among others. The self-reliant India campaign does not mean to turn the country inwards, but it aims to embrace the world by becoming a strong nation. 

Five Pillars of the Campaign

The economic package released during the period of lockdown is around US$ 283.73 billion, estimated to be around 10% of India’s GDP. The self-reliant India campaign is expected to support and strengthen various sections of the country and boost the development journey of India.

 Following are the five pillars of the self-reliant India campaign-

1. Economy
2. Infrastructure
3. Vibrant Democracy
4. Demand
5. System

Goals of Self-Reliant India Campaign

Being a responsible member of the global community, India has made sure how Indian philosophy and approach can help shape the current uncertain environment positively. India, despite having a huge demand in the domestic market, has decided to export the COVID-19 medicines and essentials to every single country, which raised a demand for that. India had supplied Hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol tablets to over 120 countries. India was praised on the global front for supplying the medicines and other essentials to around 40 countries as a grant. By this, India has shown a collaborative spirit in the corona crisis.

The self-reliant India campaign is a package which aims to create a new public sector enterprise policy. It has introduced commercial licensing in the coal sector and to enhance the Foreign Direct Investment limit in the defense sector. Another goal of the self-reliant India campaign is to open up private investment in space activities and to enable them to collaborate with the Department of Space in various projects. It is one of the most important goals of the self-reliant campaign of India to the potentials of the public sector and private sector so that they both can function together with a common national spirit.

PM Modi has directed this scheme towards ensuring an economic democracy in the country, as India will have to develop a more vibrant self-employed sector and boost its indigenous capabilities, and to build a robust entrepreneurship potential on a different level.

Key Foreign Policy Aspects

Our PM Narendra Modi has explained the concept of Self-reliant India that aims to merge the domestic production and consumption with the global supply chains without being self-contained or close to the world. The self-reliant India campaign is intent of the government to free India from over-reliance on foreign supply chain networks and to create an environment of autonomous thinking and discipline.

To make it a long-term goal of self-sufficiency, this campaign has laid stress on the scheme’s indigenous character. The Swadesi philosophy of the Modi government has become bedrock for the Atmanirbharta campaign of India. India’s economic engagement has transcended from multi-alignment to pointed-alignment with the countries that are critical for India’s economic growth. The countries today are looking up for an alternative supply-chain network by moving away from China. 

Self-reliant India Campaign has served as the strategic intent to enhance its economic footprints by strengthening the economic relations with the countries which are important for the rule-based global order. It indicates India’s readiness to take radical steps in the time of the global pandemic. 

India has signed various free-trade agreements (FTAs) to enhance the economic partnerships in various regions by signing the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), India-Korea Comprehensive Partnership Agreement, India-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

The Indian government has already signed the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the connectivity improvement projects in India, such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the western dedicated Freight corridor from National Capital Region to Mumbai. Japan, by investing in the various projects of India, has been portrayed as a natural partner of India. It has already invested in a water supply project in Guwahati and various developmental projects across the region.

Other Significant Foreign Policy Aspects

With the intent to create a stronger strategic partnership, India has emphasized the foreign direct investment (FDI) from countries like United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. Keeping this in mind, India has made a constant effort to revive its exclusive partnership with the US.

India, by making various cooperative agreements with the like mind countries, has played an important role in making India self-reliant. To give a boost to the defense sector, India has raised the FDI from 49% to 74% and promoted the use of Indian military hardware as a huge step towards the self-reliant India campaign.

Events like Defense Expo 2020 has assumed greater importance in bolstering the defense ties with various countries, in pursuance of which Mahindra Defense has signed an agreement with ShinMaywa Industries. It is just a hint of the future engagements with strategic partners of India.

To attract more Foreign Direct Investment in India, it has launched the auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining, which will invite greater foreign investments. It has also increased the FDI limits in various sectors such as insurance, aviation, media, and single-brand retail. These steps have proved to be positive as they are highly capital-intensive sectors.

Initiatives towards Self-reliance Campaign of India

1. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) industry in India has become the second largest industry in the world after China, that too in just three months. By creating 4,50,000 PPE kits per day, India has given a fine example of self-reliance. 
2. To support the self-reliance India campaign, a fund worth Rs. Twenty-one thousand crores were set up by the IIT Alumni Council. With this, it has become the largest fund in the country to support the mission towards self-reliance. 
3. The Defense Ministry, to give a big push to the self-reliant India campaign, has imposed an Import embargo on 101 items over five years. 
4. Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, DV Sadananda Gowda has announced to make India self-reliant in the production of fertilizer by 2023.
5. Three farm Bills have been introduced in September 2020 to give farmers the right to choose the price and people they want to sell their produce.

The Slogans of the Self-reliant India Campaign

Vocal for Local

Prime Minister in his speech said that ‘the mindset of free India should be ‘vocal for local’’. Emphasizing self-reliant India, the government has asked the products not just to be made in India but also for promoting the local brands, manufacturing, and supply chain. The vocal for local mantra has given significance to our local brands to have a global presence. The government has asked the local companies to focus on Indian made products and promulgate the local brands. It has been launched to boost manufacturing and production in India. The vocal for the local campaign has carried a sentiment in establishing a brand reputation for Indian goods in the global market. Local for the global is an extension of the vocal for local campaign to give a global appeal to Indian products. 

Make For the World

Make for the world campaign goes hand in hand with make in India, plays a crucial role in making India self-reliant by contributing more to the world. It is time for India to reduce its dependence on imported goods and consume locally made products. Not only making enough for India but also produce enough for those in need across the world. Its basic idea is to make India an integral part of the global supply chain by rewiring the fundamentals of the economy. Make for the world campaign aims to strive to meet the needs of the entire world and strengthen India’s capacity, skills, and creativity. 

Steps to Achieve the Goal of Self-Reliance Campaign

1. Increase investment in education and skill development by up to 6% of the GDP. To enhance higher education research capabilities, there is a need to strengthen science education from the school level.
2. Focusing on the areas of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, and photovoltaics.
3. Making policies to promote private sector investment in Research and Development.
4. By promoting the industry-academia-research institution, linkages will help in achieving the goal of self-reliance.
5. By creating a robust public health system, it will aid in boosting the economy and, thus, self-reliance.
6. To increase the state fund investment in Research and Development through PSUs, research institutes, and universities.

 Strengthening One and All

Infrastructure

PM Modi has announced Rs. 10 lakh crore investments for the National Infrastructure Pipeline Project. AROUND 7,000 projects have already been recognized under the project. As investing in the infrastructure, the sector will help boost many other sectors and help in employment generation.

Agriculture

With the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Mechanism change, the farmers are now free from all the restrictions. Laying stress upon the conditions of farmers, PM Modi said,” If you make clothes or soap, you can sell it anywhere. But a farmer could not sell his produce anywhere; it was within a restricted framework. He can now breathe an air of freedom and sell his produce anywhere at the best price.’’

Environment

By making a new the new Union Territory of Ladakh, the Indian government has declared it a carbon-neutral zone by establishing a 7500 MW solar power plant. The government taking various steps in battling pollution has announced a holistic and technology-based approach to tackle the pollution in almost 100 plus India’s cities.

Education

The PM has introduced a new education policy to enable Indian students to equip them to become global citizens and become well-rooted in their setting.

Migrant workers and Laborers

The Government of India has outlined the steps taken by them to improve citizens’ lives and raise their standard of living by direct transfer of money in their bank accounts, construction of houses and toilets, regular electricity, and health insurance through the Ayushman Bharat Abhiyan. During the pandemic, these programs have played a significant role in enabling the self-reliant India campaign.

Take Away

India has asserted its presence by a self-reliant India campaign in a highly globalized world. The pandemic has posed an opportunity for businesses in India to assimilate through these challenging times. The self-reliant India campaign has become a force multiplier towards the path to global welfare. The self-reliant India campaign through a package of Rs. 20 lakh crores were announced to revive the ailing economy in the mid of COVID-19 pandemic. By attempting to insulate the economy from the external world and felt the importance of old thinking of import substitution. 

By acknowledging the importance of self-reliance, the government has emphasized the model of consumption-led growth. In a time like this, when the world is struggling to recover from the repercussions of the pandemic, there is a tendency for the world trade to shrink. Hence, the call for a self-reliant India campaign has acted as a means to create a robust economic system through investment and increasing the consumption demand.

The PM has outlined the contours of a self-reliant India campaign in the spheres of education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, trade, defense, digital connectivity, environment, and manufacturing sectors, respectively. It has covered people from all segments of Indian society, be it poor, women, young, middle class, labor, young entrepreneurs from all over India. There is a need to create a healthier India for the sake of larger global good. Aatmnirbhar Sena is giving wings to the Self-Reliant India Campaign.