Monday, November 28, 2011

National Manufacturing Policy cleared

On October 25, 2011, the UPA government cleared its ambitious national manufacturing policy (NMP) that seeks to create a massive 100 million additional jobs in the manufacturing sector by 2025, as well as create large sized industrial zones with easier compliance and labour laws.

The new policy seeks to boost the stagnating manufacturing sector to contribute at least 25 per cent of the national GDP by 2025.

The share of manufacturing in India’s GDP has stagnated at 15 to 16 per cent since 1980 while the share in comparable economies in Asia, like China, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia, is much higher at 25 to 34 per cent. Also, the manufacturing sector has a multiplier effect in creation of two to three additional jobs in the allied sectors.

The policy also seeks to empower rural youth by imparting necessary skill sets to make them employable. Sustainable development and technological value addition in manufacturing have received special focus.

The policy will be a partnership between the Central and State governments. The former will create the policy framework, provide incentives for infrastructure development on a public private partnership basis through appropriate financing instruments, while State governments will identify the suitable land and be equity holders in the national investment and manufacturing zones (NIMZs).

A defining feature of the policy has been the endeavour to improve the business regulatory environment by providing single window clearances. In order to protect the interests of labour in the eventuality of a closure of a unit, a suitable mechanism has been devised using innovative job loss policy and sinking fund to insure workers against such loss.

Green manufacturing has received a special attention. Also, small and medium enterprises will be given access to the patent pool, up to a maximum of Rs 20 lakh, for acquiring patented technologies.

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