INDIA'S CALIBRATED INDUSTRIAL POLICY HAS YIELDED RESULTS - UNIDO "

CONFERENCE ON SOUTH-SOUTH COOPERATION IN INDUSTRY, TRADE AND INVESTMENT

India has followed a consistent and calibrated industrial policy over the last few decades which has yielded significant results and made it a role model for other developing countries, especially Africa. The process of continuity with change was brought out in a presentation on "Industrial Policy - The Indian Perspective" by Shri N.N. Prasad, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), at the International Conference on India-Africa Cooperation in Industry, Trade and Investment, which has been organized here by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in cooperation with the Government of India , under the banner of the UNIDO Centre for South-South Industrial Cooperation(UCSSIC), and was inaugurated yesterday by Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce and Industry. Known as the Sanjay Lall Memorial Conference, the five-day event is being attended by 42 delegates from 13 African countries - Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. "We would like to continue to share our experience, our expertise, our technology with Africa", the Minister had said, adding that India had as much to learn as to teach. Shri Prasad in his presentation explained the three Ds that characterized India's industrial policy - viz., decontrol, deregulation and de-bureaucratisation. Whereas, earlier 100s of inspections had to be gone through for setting up a factory, there had since been a sea change with drastic simplification of procedures and end of the licence raj, Shri Prasad said while stressing importance of a holistic approach to industrialization covering all aspects of industry from capital flows and foreign direct investment (FDI) to technology transfer and intellectual property rights(IPRs).  

Addressing the inaugural session, Shri Ajay Shankar, Secretary(DIPP), said the Conference was a timely initiative which would help in carrying the south-south development process forward. Mr. J. Vinanchiarachi, Principal Adviser to the Director-General/UNIDO, described the late Professor Sanjaya Lall as a development-minded practical thinker, whose concepts on R & D and innovation-induced products as the drivers of global trade helped UNIDO in framing its industrial performance and capabilities index. Mr. Anthony de Sa, Director, UCSSIC, mentioned that the Centre would develop projects on leather, cotton, auto components, hand tools, low-cost building materials, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and IT applications in industry. Mr. Philippe Scholtes, Representative and Regional Director of UNIDO/South Asia, underlined the importance of the Conference as the first event of its kind in the field of south-south cooperation . While there had been similar initiatives in the past, the UNIDO initiative was important as it would focus on various sectors, in line with UNIDO's 8 service modules (viz., industrial governance; investment and technology promotion; industrial competitiveness and trade; private sector development; agro-industry; sustainable energy and climate change; implementation of environmental agreements; and environmental management of industries) and its large network of field offices and experts. The event was not an end in itself, but the beginning of a long-term-partnership between India and Africa, he said.

Industrial policy reforms: decontrol, deregulation and de bureaucratisation promoting FDI, technology transfer and south south project partnerships. India's calibrated industrial policy centers on decontrol, deregulation and de-bureaucratisation to simplify licensing and inspections, attract foreign direct investment, and promote technology transfer and intellectual property management. Presented at a UNIDO India-Africa conference, this holistic approach links capital, R&D and innovation to industrial competitiveness and is proposed as a foundation for long-term south-south partnerships and sectoral project development across identified industries.