‘Make in India’ must target small industries, not big players, to create jobs, says Rahul Gandhi
Speaking at an event at Princeton University in the US, the Congress leader said creating employment opportunities for the youth was India’s biggest challenge.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the Centre’s Make in India initiative should focus on promoting small businesses instead of just the big ones.
During an interaction with students at Princeton University in New Jersey, United States, he said the programme should change its target. “Large companies have a role to play, yet small- and medium-sized enterprises are where jobs come from,” he said. “Jobs are India’s biggest challenge.”
The Congress leader stressed on the importance of creating employment opportunities for the youth. He claimed that nearly 30,000 youngsters come into the job market every day, but there are only 450 jobs. “If you [India], as a modern country, are unable to give them jobs, then it’s difficult to give them a vision,” he said.
Gandhi also spoke about various other matters plaguing India. He said the country needs to work on providing adequate education and healthcare to all citizens and should become more transparent in its operation.
“Good governance is about centralising power,” he said, adding that the “politics of polarisation” was a major challenge that India faces today.
Gandhi also spoke about India-China relations. He said the two countries were transforming from agricultural nations to urban, modern models, and how they interact would “fundamentally reshape the world”, PTI reported.
The Congress leader is on a two-week-long tour in the United States, which he kicked off with an address at the University of California in Berkeley last week. On Monday, he had said that unemployment and intolerance were the main issues hindering India’s development.