Dr. J.K.Mitra

Professor Mitra offers a new elective course to MBA (”Full-Time) batch of 2014-2016 entitled “Strategic Leadership to Make In India Happen

Is Make In India a collective dream of a country that, in the words of our Prime Minister, has democracy, demand and demographic dividend? While the obvious purpose of M-I-I campaign is to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to somewhat emulate China to lead an export-led growth, is GOI fully aware of the possible roadblocks? Does a clever twist to the acronym FDI as First Develop India and promise to convert proverbial Red Tape to Red Carpet for the moneybags make the onerous task easier? Has the re-recent attempt to make India a great manufacturing hub generated enough interest to convert India from Interest grade economy to Investment grade to Inclusive grade economy?

All dreams emanate from wishful thinking and nightmares too arise out of deeply held anxieties. Queer questions queue up that do not get easy answers. For example, it is much easier to talk about improving the ‘ease of doing business’ in India, but to change the archetypical perception about the ‘business’ is a difficult business. How much of these perceptions are rooted in the collective memory of a country where a business entity came to rule us for nearly two centuries? How much of the baggage of the red tape got created by the business-turned-colonial rulers who had no reason to trust the natives? How do we restore trust of each other? Aren’t the ‘scams’ that we all unearth and hurl at each other reflect that deepseated distrust?

We are a young nation and will remain so for a few more decades. But are we doing enough to stoke and stimulate our youthful energies? Are we creating enough institutions that channelize the youthful spontaneity to peaceful and productive purposes? We had been diligently adding diploma dispensing institutions; but are we creating enough unique knowledge and replicable competencies to translate our vision into realities? How do we create enough space (land)? How do we create enough energy (power)? How do we create enough cohesion by enhancing the sense of social security? How do we protect our future by protecting the ‘nature’? How do we pursue and achieve the motto of Zero Defect, Zero Effect?

The dream to salvage ourselves from the brink of destitution is a dream worth dedicating lives by every Indian. The seeds of such divine dream strike roots only when these reach the grassroots. The dream needs to reach every nook and corner of India to galvanize the collective spirit in shaping the future of the planet where we live now and our future generations will live to dream happily.