Recent Trends in Technology Development in the Manufacturing Policy in India - An Exploratory Study

Technological development and scientific innovative practice is the key to modern business environment. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, mentioned in Science & Technology Policy 2003 that "Today India has become one of the strongest in the world in terms of scientific manpower in capability and maturity. Hence, we are in a position not only to understand the technologies that we may have to borrow, but also to create our own technologies with extensive scientific inputs of indigenous origin. Basically, we have come a long way since our independence, from mere buyers of technology to those who have made science and technology an important contributor for national development and societal transformation. In a world where the powers are determined by their share of the world's knowledge, it is important for India to put all her acts together to become a continuous innovator and creator of science and technology intensive products”. The manufacturing sector plays an important role in sustainable economic development in India as this sector employs over 40% of work force. Present paper highlights key government policies and interventions in developing and shaping the manufacturing sector. After literature review, it discusses the major policy initiative of the Government, and looks at the concept of House of Manufacturing which can be applied to Indian Manufacturing Industry to take it to the next orbit of growth. The paper looks at impact of recent technological developments and how collaborative strategies need to be applied in India involving scientific institutions, the Government, the industry and academic institutions of higher learning and research. The paper looks at the concept of agility and flexibility to be applied to manufacturing industries in India for achieving competitive advantage. It briefly traces the role played by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) in disseminating knowledge on current issues in manufacturing by organizing manufacturing summits in different parts of India, to help devise major reforms based on which we can expect some sustainable growth model in the coming years. Also, such effort will increase the contribution of this particular sector in GDP with a significant margin, approximately 25% (according to National Manufacturing Policy Report 2010–11).