From Self-Reliance to Global Leadership: Industry Powering India’s Future

The first ever call for self-reliance or swadeshi was made on August 7, 1905, at Calcutta’s Town Hall. This call echoed loudly in the hearts of Indians and became a pivotal moment in the country’s collective awakening. The Swadeshi Movement, as it came to be known, was the first organised mass action that emphasized self-sufficiency through the promotion of indigenous goods and institutions, while boycotting foreign products and establishments.

More than just an economic initiative, it instilled in every Indian the enduring principles of self-reliance and resilience, values that continue to shape the nation’s vision today and resonate strongly in the call for Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Role of Industries Post-Independence 

While the First Five-Year Plan was focused on agriculture and irrigation, the Second Five-Year Plan (1956–61) was guided by the Mahalanobis model that emphasised on rapid industrialization in heavy industries like steel, power, and machines and tools. Subsequently, Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) like BHEL, SAIL and ONGC became the backbone of industrial growth. 

Evolution of Make in India

The economic reforms of 1991 ushered in liberalisation and globalisation – providing important stimulus to India’s private sector and reviving international trade. However, this era saw the rise of IT and services, while contribution of manufacturing to India’s GDP remained comparatively low. 

Recognising that true self-reliance cannot be achieved without a strong manufacturing base, a clarion call was made for Make in India in 2014, followed by a broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. These programmes aim to transform India into a global manufacturing hub, create millions of jobs, reduce imports, and position the country as a leader in critical and emerging sectors. 

Similarly, the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, launched in 2020 by the Government of India, is a transformative initiative aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing, attracting investments, reducing reliance on imports and increasing exports. 

The call for Zero Defect, Zero Effect is equally vital, striving for world-class quality in Indian products, standards, goods and services (zero defect) while ensuring sustainability and minimal environmental impact (zero effect). 

Major Manufacturing Industries 

With the current ongoing geopolitical and economic situations, a critical sector that is increasingly moving towards self-reliance is India’s defence sector. In FY 2023-24, India’s domestic defence production reached ₹1.27 lakh crore, marking a record high, with an impressive increase of approximately 174% from ₹46,429 crore in 2014-15. This is further strengthened by the ambition for ₹3 lakh crore in defence production and ₹50,000 crore in exports by 2029. The recent laying ceremony of Brahma–BEML Rail Manufacturing Hub’ project worth ₹1,800 crore for the design, manufacture, assembly, and testing of trains such as Vande Bharat and metro coaches, along with defence products is also a major stride towards nation’s self-reliance. 

Beyond defence, electronics has also emerged as a key sector where India’s manufacturing capacity has grown from 2 units to over 300 units. Today, 99.2% of all mobile phones which are sold in India are made in India and we are also the world’s 2nd largest mobile manufacturing country. 

With sustainability taking a global stage, renewable energy has become a transformative industry, with the power to attract large amounts of investments and redefine the path to self-reliance. India’s landmark achievement of 100 GW of solar PV module manufacturing capacity enlisted under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), reflects the country’s rapid progress in building a robust and self-reliant solar manufacturing ecosystem, aligned with the national vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and the global imperative for clean energy transition. 

With such a strong push, India’s Index of Industrial Production saw a 1.5 % year-on-year increase in June 2025, driven by growth in manufacturing sector at 3.9%. Similarly, India’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) hit a 16-month high at 59.1 in July due to high demand, robust expansion and optimistic business temperament. 

There is no doubt that Indian industries, from defence to electronics to green energy, are not only driving the nation’s growth, but also carrying forward the century-old spirit of swadeshi.