Another year and another MindMine Summit gone by and I’m already looking forward to what people will achieve this year from what they took back. The two days went by in a blur with some of the nation’s brightest minds discussing India’s future economic landscape and how each and every one of us contributes in our own way.
A tradition we are all familiar with is the lighting of the lamp prior to any event. So to start off the event on an auspicious note, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Mr Pawan Munjal and Mr Nitin Gadkari along with the first session panellists carried out this ceremonial deed. Prior to the beginning of the summit, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal gave a short address to the gathered intellectuals to reiterate the theme of the MindMine summit and the true purpose of such summits. That it is imperative that we keep ourselves updated and ready to adapt in this highly volatile landscape to ensure that this is India’s decade. We started the summit with an attention-grabbing speech by Mr Nitin Gadkari highlighting the various ways in which the government is toiling away to ensure the sustained growth for India. From on the ground negotiations for reduced material costs to creating untapped logistics sources, it is quite clear that this government is focused on delivering promised growth for the country. After that eye opening speech, we had a stimulating discussion led by Mr Nitin Gadkari about India 10 years down the line. How the initiatives put in place have already caught the eye of various institutions such as Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s. But for any such growth, we need supporting infrastructure. Mr Suresh Prabhu highlighted the uphill battle that the railways has in its hands to upscale India’s logistics and various steps taken to overcome them. All this infrastructure in coordination with the Make in India policy is designed to promote the manufacturing industry. Mr Amitabh Kant reiterated the various initiatives the government has taken to ensure foreign interest in manufacturing in India. However, without the skill and ability to scale quickly none of the infrastructure matters as highlighted by Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad. He recapped us on the goal of the Digital India initiative. How it will along with a new certification system in government organisations will ensure people are skilled to handle the various job roles they face.
Nowadays demand for all those manufactured goods is not driven by the weekly family visit to the mall. But rather the mouse clicks or the smartphone taps that has brought convenience of purchasing to the masses. From the Nike’s to the Gucci’s; bringing both access to brands and affordable prices e-commerce has tapped our increasingly disposable income quite effectively. However, while we spend our hard earned money getting the latest fad in fashion, our borders are protected by soldiers using aging equipment outclassed by lawless militants. Despite that they ensure we are sleep in peace. Keeping this in mind, the government has reviewed the defence budgets and will be revamping the armed forces. From importing the latest equipment to developing and manufacturing in the homeland to ensure safety and independence. This will not only help creating jobs but also help us in maintaining peace in the region.