A new study by the World Economic Forum presents five ways India can realise its manufacturing potential and build a thriving manufacturing sector. According to the report, India can play a significant role in reshaping supply chains and could contribute more than $500 billion in annual economic impact to the global economy by 2030. India’s domestic demand, demographics and government programmes encouraging manufacturing put it in a unique position.
Beyond the unprecedented health impact, the COVID‑19 pandemic has been catastrophic for the global economy and businesses and is disrupting manufacturing and Global Value Chains (GVCs), disturbing different stages of the production in different locations around the world. Furthermore, the pandemic has accelerated the already ongoing fundamental shifts in GVCs, driven by the aggregation of three megatrends:
- emerging technologies;
- the environmental sustainability imperative; and
- the reconfiguration of globalisation.
In this fast-evolving context, as global companies adapt their manufacturing and supply chain strategies to build resilience, India has a unique opportunity to become a global manufacturing hub. It has three primary assets to capitalise on this unique opportunity: the potential for significant domestic demand, the Indian Government’s drive to encourage manufacturing, and with a distinct demographic edge, including considerable proportion of young workforce.
These factors will position India well for a larger role in GVCs. A thriving manufacturing sector will also generate additional benefits and help India deliver on the imperatives to create economic opportunities for nearly 100 million people likely to enter its workforce in the coming decade, to distribute wealth more equitably and to contain its burgeoning trade deficit.
The World Economic Forum’s new White Paper entitled Shifting Global Value Chains: The India Opportunity, produced in collaboration with Kearney, found India’s role in reshaping GVCs and its potential to contribute more than $500 billion in annual economic impact to the global economy by 2030. The White Paper presents five possible paths forward for India to realise its manufacturing potential.
The insights presented in the White Paper reflect the perspectives of leaders from multiple industries in the region. The five possible solutions include:
· Coordinated action between the government and the private sector to help create globally competitive manufacturing companies
· Shifting focus from cost advantage to building capabilities through workforce skilling, innovation, quality, and sustainability
· Accelerating integration in global value chains by reducing trade barriers and enabling competitive global market access for Indian manufacturers
· Focusing on reducing the cost of compliance and establishing manufacturing capacities faster
· Focusing infrastructure development on cost savings, speed, and flexibility
“For India to become a global manufacturing hub, business and government leaders need to work together to understand ongoing disruptions and opportunities, and develop new strategies and approaches aimed at generating greater economic and social value,” said Francisco Betti, Head of Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Production, World Economic Forum.
“A thriving manufacturing sector could potentially be the most critical building block for India’s economic growth and prosperity in the coming decade. The ongoing post-COVID rebalancing of Global Value Chains offers India’s government and business leaders a unique opportunity to transform and accelerate the trajectory of manufacturing sector,” said Viswanathan Rajendran, Partner, Kearney.
This White Paper aims to serve as an initial framework for deliberation and action in the manufacturing ecosystem. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Kearney, will continue to develop this agenda by working closely with the manufacturing community in India to generate new insights, help inform discussions and strategy decisions, facilitate new partnerships, and provide a platform for exchanges with the global community.
Learn More: World Economic Forum in India
