Address at the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Bihar Chamber of Commerence

ADDRESS

I am indeed delighted to participate in the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Bihar Chamber of Commerce. My greetings to all members of the Chamber.

When I was traveling in the train for an hour from Harnaut to Patna, I saw what a beautiful land, the land blessed by great civilisational heritage. This is the place Nalanda, it was attracting students from 30 countries for higher learning. This is the soil Mahaveer walked. Gouthma Buddha got his enlightenment. Rajendra Prasad gave his Satyagraha and Mahatma Gandhi started his non-coperation movement. The ganges was a silent witness to all these great events which transfer. A vibration of action emanating from this soil the Bihar, will get transformed into a beautiful land ,a happy land, a prosperous land, a safe land as the dream of the Bihar child.

I was thinking what thoughts I can share with the elite gathering. I would like to narrate one incident as a part of the freedom moment of a great industrialist visionary who paved the way for establishing a steel complex at Jamshedpur.

Industrialists & freedom movement

How the visionary industrialists were fighting for freedom, it is very important to realize. I would like to narrate a reported incident of 1905. A ship was sailing from Mumbai to London. There Swami Vivekananda was traveling . was also traveling in the same ship to London. Both of them met. Swami asked Jamsetji where is he going and what is the mission. Jamsetji said I am going to London to bring steel technology to India. This one way my nation can become stronger and fight for freedom. Swami blessed him and suggested when you are bringing steel production methodology, it is essential to know how the steel is made and the connected science and technology. Hence, you have to start a research institution.

Jamsetji went to London and there he met the steel magnets and discussed about steel fabrication technology and he informed them he has the resources to set up a fabrication facility. The British steel industrialists told Jamsetji if you Indians can make steel we Britishers will eat it. But Jamsetji was not discouraged. He crossed the Atlantic and he got the steel production technology from USA with all the blue print and he prepared a roap map and located Jamshedpur as the place to locate the first steel plant. He gave all the details to his successors and today Jamshedpur steel plant produces nearly 4 million tones of steel and it is one of the busiest places. The Vision had two purposes one to bring the technology, another is to make the country strong so that it can fight for freedom. Jamsetji was responsible for putting the seedling for establishing the Indian Institute of Science for research in areas of Material science etc.

Acharya PC Ray brought up chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Likewise, in the pre-independent period we saw the birth of many great institutes like Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore started by JN Tata, Benares Hindu University by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, and Aligarh Muslim University by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. There were also some Indian Maharajas who started and nurtured universities like the one in Baroda.

There are many examples in both industrial and educational fields. In all these cases the basic motivations have been to show the urge to build the Nation and demonstrate to the world that "India can do it".

Now the time has come for the second vision for India to become developed India. A similar movement like what we had during our freedom movement is required to achive our vision of developed India.

Economic Growth in different societies

During the last century, the world has undergone a change from agriculture society, where manual labour was the critical factor to an industrial society where the management of technology, capital and labour provided the competitive advantage. Then the information era was born in the last decade, where connectivity and software products are driving the economy. In the 21st century, a new society is emerging where knowledge is the primary production resource instead of capital and labour. Efficient utilization of this existing knowledge can create comprehensive wealth of the nation and also improve the quality of life - in the form of better health, education, infrastructure and other social indicators. Ability to create and maintain the knowledge infrastructure, develop knowledge workers and enhance their productivity through creation, growth and exploitation of new knowledge will be the key factors in deciding the prosperity of this Knowledge Society. Whether a nation has arrived at a stage of knowledge society is judged by the way the country effectively deals with knowledge creation and knowledge deployment in all sectors like IT, Industries, Agriculture, Health Care etc.

Changes in employment, agriculture, Industry and Service-Knowledge Industries

In 1980, agriculture areas employed in parts or in full 76% of people of the country and it reduced to 65% in 1994 and is expected to further fall to 60% of people in agriculture by 2012. Whereas the demand of agricultural products will double in quantity, productivity using technology and post harvest management will have to compensate the manpower reduction in farming and agricultural products sector. In the case of industry, in 1980, 13% of the population was employed in small scale and large scale industries. The trend continued during 1994. However, it has to increase in 2010, as the GDP growth with high technology in the situation of opening up of the economy under WTO regime. The pattern of employment will take a new shape. Service with knowledge industry component from 11% employability in 1980 has increased to 20% in 1994. And further it will increase to 54% in 2012 in view of infrastructure, maintenance areas, financial sector, IT sector and entertainment demands. This big change will demand in all areas more trained skilled human power and technology personnel. Our industrialists, commercial chiefs and technologists may have to get ready for such transformation in agriculture, industries and service - knowledge industries for which human manpower with knowledge and skills has to be evolved in a mission mode. And also evolution of knowledge management has been presented linking vision for the nation.

Second Vision for the Nation

After 50 years of progress, the aspirations are mounting that India should become a developed country. This is the second vision for the nation. How we can prepare ourselves to this challenge? To become a developed India, the essential needs are:

(a) India has to be economically and commercially powerful, at least to be one of the six top nations in terms of size of the economy. Our target should be a GDP growth of 9 -11% annually and that the people below poverty line to be reduced to 10%.

(b) near self-reliance in defence needs of weapon, equipment with no umbilical attached to any outside world.

(c) India should have a right place in world forums.

Technology Vision 2020 is a pathway to realise this cherished mission. The Technology Vision 2020 consisted of 17 technology packages in the core sectors such as agriculture and food, healthcare, infrastructure and strategic industries. The Task Teams with nearly 500 experts of our country worked for two years, deliberated national status of various branches of national development and generated 35 documents detailing the steps to be taken for creating wealth for the nation and the well being of our people. "Technology" is the most vital key for achieving the goals. The vision deals with agro food processing, food and agriculture, health-care, electric power, civil aviation, waterways, engineering industries, life sciences and bio-technology, strategic industries and materials and processing. There is a tremendous link between each technology package.

Five Mega Projects to transform the nation to Developed Country

We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for an integrated action. (1) Agriculture and food processing - we have to put a target of 360 million tons of food and agricultural production. (2) Reliable and quality electric power for all parts of the country. (3) Education and Healthcare - we have seen, based on the experience, education and healthcare are inter related. (4) Information Technology - This is one of our core competence. (5) Strategic sectors - This area, fortunately, witnessed the growth in nuclear technology, space technology and defence technology.

These five areas are closely inter-related and lead to national, food, economic and security. A strong partnership among the R&D, academy, Industry and the community as a whole with the Government departments will be essential to accomplish the vision.

India is a vast country with tremendous natural resources apart from qualified, talented human resources. I firmly believe that with such rich resource potential our country, through appropriate policies and initiatives, can easily surpass any other in the field of economic development in the shortest time. All of us need to work together to make it happen. We shall certainly succeed in it.

We have been talking about our vision for a prosperous, peaceful and developed India. Our Prime Minister in his address to the Nation on the last Independence Day, spoke about this vision. We need balanced inter-sectoral and inter-regional development so as to avoid kinks in growth and also to ensure that the gulf between the rich and the not so rich is narrowed to the maximum. Our GDP has to double itself if we have to develop the way we want. It is gratifying to note that the Tenth Five Year Plan has set a target of 8% growth in the GDP. A third of our billion population is below poverty line. We have to strive hard to leave no stone unturned so as to bring this sizeable number above the poverty line. Achieving the target set for growth in GDP has thus become an imperative.

Economic development of the nation is a joint effort. Time was when one used to think that bringing about development was the main task of the Government alone. In fact I would go to the extent of saying that more than the Government, the vibrant non-government sector in the country is most crucial in this exercise. It is in that context that I consider the efforts made by the Indian Chamber of Commerce very significant.

With large manufacturing units which have operations all over the country and abroad, leading industrial promotional organisations, banks and financial institutions and even governmental organisations as members of the ICC, it is best suited to provide the required fillip and act as an effective catalyst in the development process of our country. I am gratified to note that ICC's forte has been its ability to move with the times, anticipate the needs of the future and suggest proactive measures for furthering Indian business and industry. I have also learnt that the ICC has been instrumental in developing forward looking entrepreneurship in the country through its various initiatives like the organising of the Young Leaders Forum, Environment Management Centre, etc. Having said that, I must hasten to add that much more remains and needs to be done.

Creative Leadership

For building the developed India, what are needed? We have natural resources and we have human power. There are 700 million people below 35 years in the population of a billion people. The nation needs young leaders who can command the change for transformation of India into a developed nation embedded with knowledge society from now to twenty years. The leaders are the creators of new organizations of excellence. Quality leaders are like magnets that will attract the best of persons to build the team for the organization and give inspiring leadership even during failures of missions as they are not afraid of risks. I have seen and worked with creators of vision and missions. The vision ignites particularly the young mind.

One of the very important ingredients for success of the vision of transforming India into a developed nation by 2020 is the evolution of creative leaders. I am giving a connectivity between developed India, economic prosperity, technology, production, productivity, employee role and management quality, all of which linked to the creative leader. Who is that creative leader? What are the qualities of a creative leader? The creative leadership is exercising the task to change the traditional role from commander to coach, manager to mentor, from director to delegator and from one who demands respect to one who facilitate self respect. The higher the proportion of creative leaders in a nation, the higher the potential of success of visions like "developed India."

Conclusion

As Industrials and mineral resources have moved to Jharkhand, Bihar industries have a big challenge. But remember Japan doesn't have mineral resources. They have only brain power. When I was reading the autobiography of S L Kirloskar 'Cactus and Roses', one sentence captured by mind that is 'when productively used capital and materials, men and machines, yield results in proportions to the skill and brains of the user'. What a beautiful thought. Bihar industries will have to become one of the top industrial base for agro-food industries. Bihar can become one of the top industry in tourism. Bihar can play a very important role in small scale industries. Bihar can become leaders in establishing PURA and managing. Bihar can take great initiative in aqua culture. In addition, Bihar can be developed as source of knowledge workers and knowledge products.

The next 20 years period, I consider, is a period of technology transformation in India. I anticipate new emerging economic situations. There is a possibility of India becoming a knowledge society with focussed tool of Information Technology and entrepreneurial push. Also we have to be prepared for a new trend as in the case of Internet with minimum Government initiatives and support and entrepreneurship push the project. Internationally, Internet is wealth generating system and its development are supported by many business houses and academics. In our country such things are also happening as in the case of Internet, software, pharmaceuticals and road transportation.

Developed India 2020, second movement, second vision for the nation will definitely result, if our industry take the lead in multi fields. I can see a virtual image of India, the children by 2020 will not see the high illiteracy, poverty and social differentiation. They will see a new India. Our children will sing the song of prosperous India if we sweat in this decade. Today, the Indian mind has to get ignited by our second vision for the nation. The ignited human mind is the most powerful resource on the earth, under the earth and above the earth. My best wishes to you all for transforming industrial and commercial houses +into establishments of substance and thereby the nation great.

I wish the organisers all the very best in their endeavours for making this vision possible in the shortest possible time.

My best wishes to you all.