India is rapidly emerging as a leader in manufacturing as well as exports, and e-commerce and logistics infrastructure have a critical role in cementing India's position as a trusted manufacturing partner of the world, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday. India is becoming a large exporter of merchandise and manufactured products, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT said while speaking at the opening session of the Amazon Smbhav 2022 event.
He observed that India harnessed the technology and power of digitally empowered enterprises to ensure that economy rebounds from the deep disruptive impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic, a black swan event that hit lives and livelihoods all across the world.
"This also impacted India to a large part after that first quarter, where in we had to lockdown cities in preparation for the pandemic. And from that day onwards, it's the digital technologies and digitally empowered enterprises that have helped rebound our economy and helped transform the Indian economy to one of the fastest-growing economies, and one of the most digitally enabled economies in the world," Chandrasekhar said.
Indian economy and Indian economic participants, more importantly, Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) can play a big role in the coming years to provide goods and services to the world, he said.
“The small and medium enterprises dominate the workforce and account for a large percentage of employment opportunities and jobs. Their viability, sustenance and ability to grow and access multiple markets is an important element of policymaking for the government,” Chandrasekhar said adding that this is indeed an important part of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' or vision for self-reliant India.
"I am glad that India is now re-imagining its future and resetting its ambitions to be a bigger and larger player in the manufactured products segment of global trade," he said, adding that it was important for SMBs to use technologies and be assisted by those who have a large presence on the internet, such as companies like
Amazon, to enable market access and ensuring their business growth.
India is truly on its way to becoming a large exporting nation, not only due to its large enterprises, but a mix of large enterprises and a healthy significant contribution by the SMBs, the minister said. "And as I have repeatedly sought out and spoken to and requested the larger platforms like Amazon - that they have indeed a responsibility and the power to do good to the SMBs of India. They can connect the SMBs of India to markets that Amazon today services all around the world," he said.
The government, on its part, is focused on issues in the supply chain and logistics competitiveness, he said affirming the Centre's commitment to making India a truly competitive nation.
First Published: May 18, 2022 10:15 PM IST
