India emerging as global centre for skilled manufacturing

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) India can emerge as the global centre for skilled manufacturing provided all the key stakeholders focus on the trinity of scale, quality and technology, Union Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar said today.

''The manufacturing sector is becoming increasingly aware of global standards and needs, and there is a discernable movement towards greater focus on technology and innovation,'' he said in a conference.

He added that India needed global strategies to access new areas and markets not traditionally exploited or explored.

Given the current macroeconomic parameters, a 9-9.5 per cent GDP growth was sustainably achievable objective for India in the next four to five years, Dr Kumar said adding that if the current growth rates were sustained, the country would become a trillion dollar economy by 2009 and also emerge as the world's third largest economy by 2025.

However, he, expressed concern on the emerging dichotomy between reaping the demographic dividend and the inadequate availability of skilled manpower in the country.

Dr Kumar stated that the government had identified textiles, leather and food processing as thrust areas which had great potential and also which could generate huge employment.

UNI