GD Topic: Make in India - Is it really working on ground level?

Make in India initiative by the government is one the most likely topics for group discussion rounds of MBA institutes in the upcoming admission season. Let’s discuss how to make an excellent argument on this topic. By Aritro Dasgupta

Attempting any topic in a Group Discussion (GD), requires a multi-faceted approach. One needs to approach any GD with a sense of calmness, without getting too passionately involved. Current affairs topics are quite common for being posed for GDs. Whatever the topic, one needs to steer clear from controversial matters. In this series of articles, we explore certain topics which are quite likely to be in line to be asked in the GD rounds at the top MBA colleges this year. These are all based around the most important of topics centres around business, economy and society. We will set a path on how best to attempt these.

One such area is regarding the central government scheme title Make in India. In stark contrast to fellow Asian emerging giant China, India’s growth trajectory over the past three decades has been built around the services sector. Indians have made a great name for themselves in fields such as Information Technology (IT), financial consulting, knowledge processes and content writing. Aided by the proficiency in the English language, Indians have also been able to master outsourced jobs, many of which are now based in India. China on the other hand, has perfected the art of manufacturing. The Make in India scheme gives the country a chance to undo this trend, and emerge as a leading player in goods manufacturing as well, while not losing any ground in the mastery of the services.

Like almost any other topic, this too can be answered in either For or Against motion. Let us explore each option:

Pros

The intention was certainly right. Following are some in favour of the same:

1. Despite the recent slump, the general trend in the automotive sector has been positive over the past five years. This is because several foreign giants have chosen to set up their manufacturing plants here in India. The list includes Renault, Volkswagen, Suzuki and Honda.
2. The scheme has also led to the deployment of the National Policy on Electronics (NPE), which is now the framework to attract investments for electronics systems design and manufacturing.
3. The focus has not been merely on energy-guzzling, polluting industries. In fact, renewable energy has been simultaneously the focus, with India expecting a minimum of 40% of energy requirements by the year 2030, to be met by renewable energy.
4. The year 2018-19 was declared as the “year of construction”. No wonder, thousands of kilometres of roadways were constructed during this period.
5. Pharmaceuticals has been one industry, where the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows have increased exponentially, cross the 2 billion-dollar mark in 2016.
6. One of the top job creators has been the food processing industry. Several mega food parks have been inaugurated, across different states of India. On average, each such food park benefits about twenty-five thousand farmers and employs more than five-thousand people.

Cons

While there are inherent pros to this proposal, there of course, also exist several cons. These are discussed below:

1. While production may have somewhat been boosted, Make in India has not had any significant impact on boosting India’s position in terms of the global trade percentage. As per data provided by the World Trade Organization (WTO), India’s share of global exports stood at merely 1.7% in 2017, compared to the 1.6% in 2014. India’s rank too went up only marginally from 16^th in 2014 to 15^th in 2017. As China is always a marker for comparison, the East Asian giant is responsible for 17.48% of world manufacturing exports, followed by Germany, which is also in double figures, further followed by USA and Japan.
2. Some sectors badly hit include atomic energy, civil aviation and coal, with several central government projects getting incessantly delayed.
3. Some uncontrollable or difficult-to-control factors such as a global economic slowdown and Indian currency depreciation have also not helped, having come at the wrong time for this scheme.
4. There is also massive job-skill mismatch. As per most estimates, barely 10-15% of graduates are employable. This leads to a lack of infusion of new talent to the domestic job market.

The main lesson we draw from the above points is that both viewpoints are perfectly fine, as long as the backing evidence is provided. Supporting examples need also to be drawn up during GD. To prove one’s point, citing of data released by credible sources such as the World Bank, World Economic Forum (WEF), The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, etc. is the best way of making one’s point. Indexes and ranks released by such bodies, present a highly credible and scientific justification for the points sought.

The key is not to get too emotional. One does not earn brownie points for shouting the most. Instead, one has to work on the 4 Cs of Group Discussions- Content, Collaboration, Communications and Clarity.

About the Author:

Aritro Dasgupta is a Teacher, Trainer and Content Writer. He has taught at several leading colleges and coaching institutes in both India and the UAE. Several of his students have finished in the top 10 of various national level exams such as CLAT, AILET and DUJAT. He is also a prolific content writer, having written for several leading publications in India, while currently, also working for one in the USA.

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