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New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address of the 95th annual plenary session of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through video conferencing here on June 11, 2020. Referring to the war against the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Prime Minister said India is putting up a brave front along with the entire world. He said the country is also facing various other problems arising out of disasters like locust attacks, hailstorms, Oil Rig Fires, series of mini earthquakes and two cyclones, but that the nation is fighting these problems in unison.
He said that such difficult times have made India more resolute. He said that determination, will power, and unity are the strength of the nation which makes the country fight all the crises. He said that any crisis provides us with an opportunity to turn it into a turning point to build a self- reliant India (AatmaNirbhar Bharat).
Self Reliant India: The Prime Minister said self reliance has been an aspiration of India for years. “Now it is time to make each village, district of the country self-reliant,” he said and called for pulling the Indian economy out of ‘command and control’ mode and taking it towards ‘plug and play’ mode. He said it is time for bold decisions and bold investments, to prepare a globally competitive domestic supply chain and not for conservative approaches. He was listing the sectors in which India should attain AatmaNirbhar.
The Prime Minister said “Goal of self-reliance has been paramount in the policy and practice of the country and now the Corona pandemic has taught us a lesson on how to speed it up. “It is from this lesson – Aatma Nirbhar Bharat campaign has started,” he said. Appreciating the efforts of small traders, he said that when we buy local produce from them, we are not just paying them for their goods and services, but are rewarding their contributions.
The PM listed the major reforms announced under AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign like expanding the scope of definition of MSMEs, arranging special funds to support MSMEs, decision related to IBC, creation of Project Development Cells for fast tracking of investments.
Amendment to APMC Act: Hailing the recent policy decisions taken in the field of agriculture, the Prime Minister said that the agricultural economy has been liberated from years of restrictions. Now the farmers of India have the freedom to sell their product, their produce anywhere in the country.
North East an hub for Organic farming: He added that the government’s current cluster based approach to local produce will provide opportunity for all. He said, “Along with this, clusters will also be made for Bamboo and Organic Products. Like Sikkim, the entire North East can become a huge hub for organic farming.”
People, Planet and Profit are interlinked: The Prime Minister called for reviving the historical superiority of Bengal in manufacturing. Taking inspiration from “What Bengal thinks today, India Thinks Tomorrow”, the PM urged the industry to move forward. He further said that People, Planet, and Profit are interlinked to each other. All three can simultaneously flourish and co-exist. To elaborate further he gave an example of the reduction in price of LED bulbs compared to 6 years ago, which had led to savings of about Rs 19 thousand crores in electricity bills every year. That is, Profit for both people and the planet.
Approach of People Centric, People Driven and Planet Friendly Development: He cited another example, the campaign to free the country from single use plastic. He said that it will benefit West Bengal by furthering the Jute business. He urged the industry to take advantage of the opportunity further. He also said that approaches of People Centric, People Driven and Planet Friendly Development have now become a part of Governance in the country.
RuPay Card and UPI: The Prime Minister said that Banking services have become Touchless, Contactless, Cashless and works 24 x 7 through UPI. Transactions from BHIM APP are now creating new records. Rupay card is now becoming the favorite card of the poor, farmers, middle class and every section of the country. He said it has been made possible to deliver the necessary support to millions of beneficiaries without leakage through DBT, JAM (Jandhan Aadhaar Mobile). He also highlighted how small self help groups, MSMEs can benefit by providing their goods and services directly to the Government of India on the GeM platform, according to a PIB release.
He urged the industry to invest in R&D and manufacturing of better Batteries to increase the power storage capacity of the Solar Panel in the country. He also called for handholding of MSMEs, of such institutions, who are engaged in this work.