National Missions and opportunities

Dear friends, while thinking on typical important missions that will bring societal transformation through competitiveness and propel the vision 2020 missions of India, we could find common grounds for new challenges and opportunites for investments in India. They are the following:





Agriculture and food processing: We are in the mission of generating 400 million tones of food grains with reduced land, with reduced water and with reduced workforce from the present 200 million tonnes. New technology needed in agriculture area from seeds to cultivation to grain, food process and marketing. Value addition in the farm produce will be the focus in our 11th plan period for the reason that it will have impact in the increase in productivity and economic growth. This entire chain will enable employment particularly in rural areas in a big way.





Infrastructure: At this juncture, infrastructure development is a crucial area for development in India. India is aspiring to build hundred million homes within next ten years. The infrastructure development in metropolitan and tier-2 cities needs to be enhanced in the form of new bridges, airports, marketing complexes and industrial units. 40% of the rural areas need to be covered with all weather roads; we need to double the present national highways ratio per 100 square kilometer area. Simultaneously, we are in the process of developing ports, railway systems and airports. For example, the Indian Construction Industry employs over 31 million people for its asset generating activity of around $80 Billion (Rs. 310,000 crore) which includes expenditure of $50 Billion (Rs. 200,000 crore) incurred by the Government. This will need development of specialized quality human resource in all the spectrum of infrastructure activity.





Energy: When I addressed to the nation in 2005, I have set a goal of realizing Energy Independence (coming out of fossil fuel) by the year 2030. When our population may touch 1.4 billion people, demand from power sector will increase from the existing 130,000 MW to about 400,000 MW. This assumes an energy growth rate of 5% per annum. Electric power generation in India now accesses four basic energy sources: Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal; Hydroelectricity; Nuclear power; and Renewable energy sources such as bio-fuels, solar, biomass, wind and ocean. We need a major thrust in solar energy and wind energy for generating over 120,000 MW by 2030 through these two renewable energy sources. Similarly we are planning to harness over 65,000 MW from hydro power sources and 50,000 MW from nuclear energy sources.





Water Mission: We have a mission on the Networking of Rivers and the task team is evolving the plan of action. Meanwhile, I have also suggested to the state governments interlinking of rivers and other water sources within the state. Number of state governments is actively pursuing this mission. This mission will eliminate the periodical problem of floods experienced in a number of river basin states and manage the draught in most of the time and ensure availability of water and power throughout the year. In addition nation has to embark on water harvesting and desalination of sea water as national missions. Simultaneously another major mission is to create and strengthening the inland waterways programmes and convert into smart waterways.





Sustainable Rural Development through PURA: In India, the development of a rural sector is very important. Government, private and public sectors have been taking up rural development in parts. For example, starting an education institutions, starting a healthcare centers, laying roads, building houses, building a marketing complex, giving a communication link in a particular rural area have been taken up in the past as individual activities. We have a rural development programme PURA which envisages an integrated development plan with employment generation as the focus, driven by provision of the habitat, healthcare, education, skill development, physical and electronic connectivity and marketing.





PURA Mission: The entire country will have 7000 PURAs (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) encompassing over 600,000 villages. The theme of PURA, apart from concentrating on reinforcing agriculture, will emphasize on agro processing, development of Rural Craftsmanship, dairy, fishing, silk production, so that the non-farm revenue for the rural sector is enhanced, based on the core competence of the region. Also the rural economy will be driven by renewable energy such as solar, wind, bio-fuel and conversion of municipal waste into power. In this approach, the aim is to make sustainable development using the core competence of the rural sector.

The programmes which I have mentioned above has social, research and technological content. It has substantial amount of business opportunities leading to economic growth in the globalized scenario.