The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today called upon business and industry leaders to take a proactive role in India’s mission to become Atma Nirbhar. Expressing confidence about Indian industry’s competence and efficiency, Shri Dhankhar said that ‘India is counting on its entrepreneurial generation to drive economic growth by creating new enterprises, new jobs, new exports and new solutions to the developmental problems’.

Inaugurating the 49th National Management Convention of the All India Management Association (AIMA) in New Delhi, the Vice President stressed that the industry has a “crucial responsibility of catalysing qualitative upliftment of the farm sector too”. “If the Indian farmer progresses, India progresses”, he said.

Underlining the various initiatives by the government to upskill and “making India's enterprises and workforce world class”, the Vice President called upon the industry to take responsibility in promoting and upgrading the workforce with the latest skill sets.

Lauding India’s start-up sector as one of the best in the world, Shri Dhankhar observed how “digital entrepreneurs are beginning to appear even in small towns and rural areas”. He added that India’s rich human resources are recognised globally, and that they need to be further harnessed to maximise India’s advantage on the world stage.

The Vice President noted that India is poised to become one of the three largest economies by the end of the decade and how a series of systemic reforms taken by the government in the last few years has improved the ease of doing business.

Observing how democracy and economy flourish when transparency and accountability are reflected at each stage in a governance system, he called for further improving the efficiency and competitiveness in the system to regain India’s glorious past.

The Vice President presented Fellowships of AIMA to Shir Vijay Kelkar, former Chairman, Finance Commission of India, Shri Raman K Garg, IRS, and Shri Harsh Pati Singhania, former President, AIMA on this occasion. He also released a souvenir for the convention during the event. He appreciated the efforts of AIMA in bringing together the business community and focussing on India’s advantages for growth.

C K Ranganathan, President, AIMA, Smt. Rekha Sethi, Director General, AIMA, Shri Nikhil Sawhney, Vice President, AIMA and other dignitaries were present during the event.

Following is the full text of the speech:

“Delighted to be here at the AIMA Convention this morning and thank you for giving me an opportunity to address India's management fraternity.

 Many congratulations to the All India Management Association (AIMA) on the occasion of its 49th National Management Convention.

Pleased to meet with this outstanding group of business leaders, administrators, academics, and experts. All of you are playing a critical role in making India better, smarter and stronger.

I compliment AIMA for focusing on India's advantage in this convention. India has several advantages such as demography, geography, economy, governance, talent, technology - all the key ingredients to make India globally strong.

The Indian economy, the fifth largest in the world now, is poised to become one of the three largest economies by the end of this decade. A series of systemic reforms taken by the government in the last few years to improve the ease of doing business has paid rich dividends.

Both democracy and economy flourish when transparency and accountability are reflected at each stage in a governance system. The leaders of the industry play a critical role in improving efficiency in the economy.

Today, India is counting on its entrepreneurial generation to lead economic growth by creating new enterprises, new jobs, new exports and new solutions to the developmental problems. India’s rich human resources are recognised globally, and they need to be further harnessed to maximise India’s advantage on the world stage.

India's start-up sector is one of the largest in the world and digital entrepreneurs are beginning to appear even in small towns and rural areas. India's large workforce is also the key to India's mission to become Atmanirbhar, especially in manufacturing.

India is running a multi-pronged programme to make the country's vast human capital drive economic growth. The Skill India, the Start-up India, the Make in India, and the Digital India missions are different pieces of a single vision of making India's enterprises and workforce world class. The industry can play a critical role in promoting and upgrading the workforce with the latest skill sets.

The industry has a crucial responsibility of catalysing qualitative upliftment of the farm sector too. If the Indian farmer progresses, India progresses.

Technology adoption is a key differentiator in today's world. India is among the global leaders in use of digital technology for nearly everything from education to business to governance.

India is at the centre of the world's attention at the moment. India has the economic and military heft and the geographic size and location to be the rightful keeper of order – a ‘net security provider’ – in South Asia and Indian Ocean.

India is due to take over the Presidency of the G20 group this year-end and that gives India another opportunity to shape the global economic and political agenda.

Confident that the country's business leaders would perform their part in the mission to make India Atma Nirbhar once again. Confident that AIMA will continue to show the way forward to India's management fraternity and make the country more efficient and competitive.

Compliments to AIMA leadership for staging an excellent convention and I wish AIMA the best in all its endeavours.”

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MS/RK