Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Manufacturing Competitiveness Initiative to be launched

Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council. The meeting covered a wide range of issues relating to the development of domestic manufacturing sector. The following important suggestions of the Council were approved by the Prime Minister:

1. A ten-year National Manufacturing Initiative will be launched, with a focus on firm level and macro economic initiatives required to make domestic industry globally competitive.

2. The time-bound implementation of the recommendations of the NMCC will be done through a Mission mode. A Manufacturing Competitiveness Mission will be launched to ensure implementation of policies recommended by the NMCC by relevant ministries.

3. The NMCC will review periodically the implementation of its recommendations by various stakeholders.

4. The policy work of various ministries related with manufacturing sector will be coordinated through an apex mechanism on the lines of the existing Trade and Economic Relations Committee.

5. The Government of India will take up on a priority basis with State Governments the issue of upgrading and increasing training institutions for blue-collar, skilled and semi-skilled workers. The meeting recognized the urgent need to quantitatively and qualitatively improve the supply of labour force in a wide range of industries. State Governments will be encouraged to promote public-private partnership in the management of industrial training institutes (ITIs).