How Can You Make India Aatmanirbhar?

It almost seems like we are in a new era. These post pandemic times have shown a forceful evolution, politically and socially over the last few months. Life is no more the same. With the breakout of the Covid-19 pandemic, that no country in this world was prepared to tackle, we are now witnessing multitudes of issues that are surfacing. The common man, being the most affected, has countless grievances. From unemployment soaring at one end to not having food grains to save their families on the other. There is unimaginable frustration as they fend for the lives of themselves and their families. The economy has taken a hit and might take months before we are able to recoup. All questions are pointed to the current Government, questioning their capabilities to handle the ongoing mishaps. Social media is taken by a new storm every day with several hashtags and topics trending, most of them related to these very outrages.

Amidst this unprecedented crisis that we are facing in India today, there came an announcement by our Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, early March this year. It was an announcement that has the ability to change the destiny of India. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat campaign was launched, proclaiming that the time has now come for India to become a self-reliant nation. The campaign has coaxed the citizens to ideate, visualize, strategize and contribute in whatever way possible to make this dream a reality. History has stood as a testimony to several instances of national crisis that have occurred in the past and the opportunities that it brings along with it. This is that opportunity. 

Every country aspires to become self-reliant, thrive and prosper. In this entire journey, though all eyes are on the current Government, there is an impending need for the citizens of this country to also think this through and draft their contributions. With India’s high dependency on China, it has become a deep necessity to break the chain and build a substantial domestic manufacturing base. With quite a bit of progress that we can witness in the business world, we still have a long way to go. One of the biggest deterrents to growth today is the inability of the masses in India to get access to enough financial support and mentorship. 

We often forget that we belong to a developing country, where only 1.46 crore people pay taxes out of the total population of 130 crores. The low income groups and poverty pushes the majority of the citizens outside the nexus of tax liability. The unorganized sector of India is stitched in multiple layers of fabric and altering this very fabric to make it conducive for exponential growth is going to be extremely challenging. There is so much introspection to be done, towards the kind of environment we are creating for ourselves in India. The burning question here is how important is it for us to contribute and take the deep dive to become Aatmanirbhar? 

It's hard for us to envision the path ahead. Many of us are comfortable, leading our daily lives to our satisfaction. One needs enough motivation to think, how one can truly contribute to the country’s growth. India is slated to become the world's most populated country, in just a few years to come. We have the majority of our population below the age of 19, who will form the majority of the working population in the years to come. The economic boost that we will experience by bringing Aatmanirbhar Bharat to life will create a favourable environment which will boast an overall increase in Human development Index. 

The process has commenced and we can witness the new wave of self-reliance in India. We are witnessing some massive shifts in manufacturing and assembly operations from countries like China and Vietnam to India, by leading brands Apple and Samsung. There is a lot of work being done by the NITI Aayog to promote cooperative and competitive federalism, so each state can set their targets and work towards the goal individually to improve their respective economies. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has opened doors of opportunities magnificently for the MSME sector, with their recent Innovation challenge. There is a lot happening. These are all good signs, however there is much more that needs to spiral out of the citizens of India.

Here are the top 5 things that we can do to take our first step to Atmanirbharta

  • Believe that Indian made products are as good.
  • Divert your preferences to local made produce. Find alternatives in India for everything imported that we procure.
  • Take time to give constructive feedback to the brand to help them make improvements to the product or service.
  • Give the brand a second chance, even if you’ve had the worst experience ever. 
  • Refer the brand to your friends and family and create the chain.
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Raina Singhwi Jain

Guest Author Raina Singhwi Jain conceptualised and ran e-commerce brand, Maeva in India for the GALA Group and headed the India Sales

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