1
Every month, Micromax sells 3 million mobile devices in India, 70,000 televisions and 70,000 tablets. But these are all perhaps imported ones from China. Is the volume not good enough to start production in India? There are other MNCs and domestic players selling these electronics devices in million in India, totalling as per one estimate to 300 million. Someone in government, be it Mr. Modi, Jaitley or Prasad may call the heads of these companies and ask why can’t they ‘make in India’ even when the volume of sale is so good, and provide all the possible assistances. How long the world depend on Chinese factories for the supply? Interestingly, as per media reports, with the slowdown in China, the manufacturing is shifting to other Asian countries including Mynnamar, Cambodia and Indonesia.Why can’t it be India? If India misses on this opportunity this time, it will miss for ever.
2
The story of the Rs 52,000 crore Posco steel plant of Odisha is a glaring example how the government both the centre and the state work in India. It also exemplify how the vested interests are kept above the national one. The MoU for the proposed project was signed way back in June 2005. I really wonder why the South Koreans have not yet quit the project. Perhaps it is because POSCO must have already spent huge amount in a hope to get project going, and in process many unscrupulous Indians would have become millionaires. Who will expose the real story that could very easily become a subject matter of a PhD?
3
Modi’s one point mission in visiting developed countries is to invite investments, technology to India. He has done that with confidence loudly and effectively. In doing so, the companies, in turn, will get benefited immensely because of the market size of India and the region in South East. It will be win win for all. No other prime minister in India took the Make-in-India mission so forcefully, not even Atal Bihari Bajpai.
4
I have been knowing about the manufacturing facilities that was available with Hindustan Motors and Daewoo Motors India. I knew about Nokia manufacturing facility as it grew as Nokia India. Nokia sold its entire device and services business to Microsoft for $7.5 billion last year, but could not include the Chennai plant, one of its largest handset making facilities, in the deal because the asset was frozen by the central government following a tax litigation. While Birla has managed to sell Hindustan Motors’ huge land unscrupulously that it got almost free from Dr. BCRoy to a private company, and also a lot of capital equipment, it still has huge manufacturing facilities in stamping press shop, Forge and Foundry as well as machining division and tool manufacturing. Daewoo Motors in Surajpur also had a huge land bank, a modern press shop, transmission gear, and engine manufacturing as well as Injection moulding. It happened the Nokia way when GM bought Daewoo Motors of South Korea. I am sure Indian banks would have lost a lot of money in these cases. Why could not the take overs happened the way Mahindra Tech took over Satyam, one of the top tech companies when Raju revealed his unscrupulous financial management. Mr. Modi and Jaitley must see that such closures are proactively stopped and the capital assets not get rusted and junked because of legal holds up. All the three cases are poor planning and strategy and that too of capital intensive manufacturing sector. India can’t afford it any more.
5
Hind Motor: I got a shock of my life when I heard from Mrs. Bina Laxman Singh that the whole of the residential complex including temples,school and hospital is without electricity and water. Wild grass has grown all over, and it is scaring to move inside right in evening. This is what a bad family management, a poor government and adamant unions can cause. I am sure the managing family and its men have sucked the company totally. Perhaps all the usable machines and equipments would have been sold. It is unfortunate that in a democracy, no one is held responsible for this sort of criminal acts against the nation that aspires today to be a manufacturing giant under Modi. I was also told of one suicide and one heart attack because of this closure. It is painful for those with the memory of the glorious day of the place. But we can’t even have a condolence.