IMPRESSIONS from a Cross-section

We must be independent in terms of raw material resources and should promote indigenous infrastructure. The skilled labour must be trained more to achieve professional attitude towards their work. The taxation structure must be simple and same all over the country.

Increasing labour costs in China will not last long. Africa is coming up in a big way as a hub, where the labour costs are less than ours. Also, automation techniques (which China and other countries are already focusing on) will reduce labour costs and it will not be advantageous to India any more. We should rather focus on increasing productivity by adopting new techniques, improving the quality of products, marketing, and presentation of our products and provide more value to customers at lower costs. Adopting new and innovative techniques and moving towards automisation than being labour-intensive will fetch good results.

Achieving scale across the value chain; attracting investment into the sector; improving skill, quality and productivity; and reforming labour laws can ensure that we make use of this opportunity.

We have a fixed mindset. There is absolutely no comparison between us and China. Chinese labour costs may have gone up but their productivity makes them more economical and efficient. What we gain in our creativity, we lose in lack of discipline. We are content to meet immediate and less stringent domestic demand. This is the mindset of 80 per cent of the players. The rest are progressive and futuristic.