A 15-member delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry – CII – called on the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi today. Members of the delegation appreciated the work done by the Union Government over the past year, and said that the Government has strategically shaped a new economic direction for the future growth and development of the country. They noted that the credibility of the Government has been restored as a result of determined steps towards transparency. The delegation members praised Government initiatives such as Ease of Doing Business, Make in India, Smart City Mission, Housing For All, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Clean Energy Mission, and Jan Dhan Yojana, describing them as "visionary, innovative and high-impact." They said the speed and scale of roll-out of these campaigns have been remarkable and unprecedented.
The CII delegation also noted the significant policy announcements for macroeconomic management, including PAHAL for targeted transfer of cooking gas subsidy, and raising of FDI limits in various sectors. In the course of interaction, the members mentioned that the small and medium sector has grown phenomenally over the past year. The Prime Minister welcomed the suggestions and exhorted CII to motivate Indian industry to work towards increasing self-reliance in key identifiable sectors within a fixed timeframe. He mentioned the three sectors that contribute the most to India's import bill – Oil and Petroleum, Electronic Goods and Defence – and said that in each of these sectors, there is immense potential for Indian industry to innovate and "Make in India." He spoke of the attention that he has been giving to speeding up projects in various ways, including his monthly PRAGATI interaction with various Ministries of the Union Government, as well as Chief Secretaries of States. The Prime Minister reiterated his vision of governance based on trust and simplification of processes, and exhorted Indian Industry to work towards technological self-reliance.