'Make in India’ has become ‘Fake in India’: Congress
New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has criticised the Modi government's 'Make in India' initiative, labelling it a series of unfulfilled promises or 'jumlas' and asserting that it has devolved into a 'Fake in India programme.'
During a statement on 14 October, Ramesh claimed that the objectives set during the programme's launch in 2014 have not been met, criticising the government's economic policies for the poor outcomes.
"Prime Minister Modi launched 'Make in India' in 2014 with much hype and fanfare, outlining four key objectives. However, ten years later, the reality tells a different story," Ramesh posted on X.
Ramesh highlighted the following:
Jumla 1: Will increase industrial growth to 12–14 per cent annually.
Reality: Since 2014, India's manufacturing growth rate has averaged only 5.2 per cent.
Jumla 2: Will create 100 million industrial jobs by 2022.
Reality: The number of manufacturing jobs has decreased, falling from 51.3 million in 2017 to 35.65 million in 2022–23.
Jumla 3: Will raise the manufacturing sector’s share in GDP to 25 per cent by 2022 (later extended to 2025).
Reality: The sector's share in India's Gross Added Value (GAV) has dropped from 18.1 per cent in 2011–12 to 14.3 per cent in 2022–23.
Jumla 4: Position India as the "new factory of the world" by overtaking China.
Reality: Instead of reducing dependence on China, India's imports from China have increased, with the share rising from 11 per cent in 2014 to 15 per cent in recent years.
Ramesh further accused the Modi government of fostering economic instability and unpredictability over the past decade, citing demonetisation as a key example. He argued that growth in private investment has been hampered by an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, with only a few large business conglomerates close to Modi prospering.
"Make in India has simply become Fake in India," Ramesh asserted, claiming that competition has been stifled under the current regime.
In contrast, last month, on the 10th anniversary of the 'Make in India' campaign, PM Modi claimed that the initiative had transformed India into a manufacturing powerhouse, emphasising that it reflects the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians and that "Bharat is unstoppable."
Launched by the Modi regime, Make in India aimed to promote the development, manufacturing, and assembly of products within the country while encouraging investments in the manufacturing sector. The initiative's goal was to foster a favourable investment climate, build modern infrastructure, and open up new sectors to foreign capital.
However, the programme has fallen short of its key objectives. One of its primary targets was to increase the share of manufacturing in India's GDP to 25 per cent by 2022. Instead, the manufacturing sector’s contribution has declined, dropping from 16.7 per cent in 2013–2014 to 15.9 per cent in 2023–24.
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Will vacate one of two assembly seats won in 10 days: BJP''s Suvendu
Kolkata (PTI): BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur and secured Nandigram for three times in a row in the recent assembly polls, said on Wednesday that he would vacate one of the two constituencies within 10 days.
Adhikari also asserted that the party's central leadership would decide which constituency he would retain.
"I will vacate one seat within 10 days. The party will decide which one I retain. I will not forget my responsibility towards the people of Bhabanipur and Nandigram," he said.
Adhikari on Monday defeated Banerjee in Bhabanipur by over 15,000 votes, puncturing what was long seen as her safest political refuge and delivering a decisive psychological blow to the TMC, amid a sweeping BJP surge across West Bengal.
Addressing party workers and supporters in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, the BJP leader appealed to them not to take out victory processions immediately and instead maintain peace.
"Do not take out victory rallies now. Maintain peace and discipline. Celebrate after May 9, after taking permission," he told party workers.
State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya on Wednesday announced that the oath-taking ceremony of the new government will be held on May 9 at Brigade Parade Ground.
Referring to alleged attacks on BJP workers during the TMC regime, Adhikari said he would not forget the “atrocities" faced by them and assured them of taking appropriate action against perpetrators through legal processes.
"I was part of the 2011 ‘poribartan’ (change), and now I am part of the real change. I offer my gratitude to the people of Nandigram," Adhikari said.
He was referring to the TMC's victory in 2011 when the Mamata Banerjee party dismantled the 34-year Left Front regime in the state.
Adhikari offered prayers at a Hanuman statue in Nandigram and remembered the BJP workers, who had died in political violence.
"We will work in such a way that the BJP government in Bengal stays for 100 years," he said, expressing hope that the BJP’s vote share in the state would rise from the current 46 per cent to 60 per cent in future elections.
The BJP leader also assured residents of Nandigram of improved drinking water supply and better hospital and education infrastructure.
