Brand India beginning to make its mark: PM

Sriperumbudur, Nov 4 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said Brand India had begun to make its mark in the world but the best was yet to come.

Laying the foundation stone for the National Automotive Testing Research and Development Centre (NATRD) at Oragadam near here, he said the success of the automobile and auto-component industry was a proud symbol of the success of Indian enterprise in the new era.

Describing the automobile industry as a beautiful butterfly, which had come out of its protective cocoon, he said it was sharing its wares across continents.

''What is more it has done so with virtually no state subsidy or support. It has done so based on a transparent system of taxation, pricing and technology development. It has done so on the basis of domestic talent and design, marketing and brand building,'' Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister said automotives was a sunrise sector. It had grown impressively to carve out a share in the global market. Indian vehicles and components were being accepted in the European and US markets by major firms like BMW and Daimler Chrysler.

Firms all over the country were contributing to this activity - TVS, Hyundai and Ford in Tamil Nadu and others in Pune and Gurgaon.

The success of Indian enterprise had encouraged foreign companies to set up base in India.

The Ministry of Heavy industry was preparing an Automotive Mission Plan 2006-2016 to quadruple the turnover of the automotive sector in 10 years. The plan would address transport needs of all sections of the people, particularly the poor in rural areas.

Road safety needed priority attention. Roads and vehicles should be made more safe. People should become more skilled at driving and roads should be equipped with emergency trauma care centres, the Prime Minister said.

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