Manufacturing Sector Expects a Boom

Posted : October 29, 2004 at 5:34 pm [IST]

The CII-McKinsey report “Made in India: The next big manufacturing export story” gives some possibilities and presents challenges for the manufacturing sector of India. With my years in manufacturing management and a natural bias for the same, I shall be giving here some salient features and follow up with some more entries.
” LCC (Low Cost Countries) are countries with wage rates less than a third of those in the US.
” LCC include India, China, Thailand, Poland, Mexico, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia, the Philippines, South Africa, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
” $1,300-1,400 billion worth of manufactured goods were exported from LCC in 2002-3
” First wave of this offshoring constituted labour-intensive industries(toys, apparel, and footwear) and selected skill-intensive industries (computer hardware and consumer electronics)
” While world trade grew at 6% in 2002-3, LCC exports increased by nearly 13%.
” The global trend to manufacture and source products in low-cost countries(LCC) is likely to increase over next 10 years
” The second wave of offshoring will encompass skill intensive industries such as auto components, specialty chemicals, and industrial electronics.
” The offshoring to LCC is expected to increase to $4,000-4.500 billion by 2015 from the present level. The skill intensive industries will mainly drive the increase.
” US share of the total offshoring to the skill intensive industries of LCC could go up from 55% to 70%.
” India has a significant competitive advantage in skill intensive industries such as auto components and pharmaceuticals.
” Along with low wage rates, engineering skills (process, product, and capital engineering), established raw materials bases, a mature supply base as well as a growing domestic demand.
” India can and should aspire to become one of the three largest exporters of manufactured goods among LCC by 2015

If India takes the advantage of the present trend, manufacturing exports from India could increase from US $ 40 billion (0.8% of world manufacturing trade) in 2002-3 to approximately $300 billion by 2015 (a share of approximately 3.5%). It is likely to create 25-30 million new jobs in manufacturing sector and add 1% to annual GDP growth rate of India.

Approximately $70-90 billion of the manufacturing exports could be captured from just four sectors- apparel, auto components, specialty chemicals, and electrical and electronic products. The four sectors exported only $10 billion in 2002-3.

Apparel: While the global trade will grow to $300 billion in 2015 from $200 billion in 2002-3, India can grow its export from $ 6 billion in 2002-3 to $20-30 billion by 2015. India can become the second largest exporter of apparel in LCC exporters with 8-10% of world trade.

Auto components: In $ 175 of LCC offshoring by 2015, India can aspire to get a share of $20-25 billion, though that means a required growth rate of almost 30% a year from just over $1billion in 2002-3. India can do it as China and Thailand have done it in last 3-5 years.

Electrical and electronic products: LCC offshoring is expected to increase at least $600 billion by 2015 (world trade already exceeds $1 trillion) as compared to $ 345 billion in 2002-3. India can aim to capture $15-18 billion, though its exports were only $1.2 billion in 2002-3. It will make India a top 3-5 player with 1-1.5% market share of world trade. (Compare that with 5% market share of counties as Taiwan and China).

Specialty chemicals: While LCC share of less than $30 billion could increase to $110-120 billion by 2015, India can reach $12-15 billion exports with its exceptionally good chemical engineering and cost-innovation skills. India is already one of the two LCC exporters in segments like dyes and intermediates, active pharmaceuticals ingredients (APIS) and agrochemicals for plant protection.

Next: What are required to reach the goals in AAES (Apparel, Auto components, Electrical and electronic products, and Specialty chemicals)?

- Indra

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