The Government’s desire to lead Industry 4.0 is there; it has even made efforts in that direction
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that India is leading the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, may appear to be an exaggeration to his critics. It is, however, correct that the country has made remarkable progress in the technologies that are the defining features of the fourth revolution. The World Economic Forum elucidates the concept as: “The First Industrial Revolution used water and steam power to mechanise production. The Second used electric power to create mass production. The Third used electronics and information technology to automate production. Now a Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the Third, the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century. It is characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres.” Are we even near Industry 4.0? Well, certain facts are indeed disconcerting. For all the talk about being an emerging economy or, as more enthusiastic souls call it, a rising economic power, the reality is that our per capita income is below $2,300, below that of Bangladesh’s. India is a poor country, placed at the 142nd rank in terms of per capita income. Besides, manufacturing has not been doing well since 2011-12. Its share in the country’s gross value added (GVA) has come down from 17.4 per cent in 2011-12 to 14.5 per cent in 2020-21.
Yet, it would not be very correct to say that there is no hope. As Prime Minister Modi said, “All programmes launched today are going to strengthen Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living. They’ll give a fillip to India’s startup ecosystem. India can proudly say that it is not just part of the Industry 4.0 Revolution but is actually leading it.” He said this while launching multiple digital portals at the Digital India Week 2022 on Monday. All Industry 4.0 technologies are not only being used in India but are promoted by the Government. In February this year, for instance, the Government released a national strategy for additive manufacturing (also called 3D printing) to encourage interface between academia, Government and industry. The objective was to make India a global hub for design, development and deployment in the sector. The Department of Science & Technology is implementing the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to promote research, train personnel, develop the relevant technologies, incubate entrepreneurship and promote international collaboration. As many as 25 technology innovation hubs have already been established in reputed institutes across the country in advanced technologies including machine learning and artificial intelligence. The Government’s desire to lead Industry 4.0 is there; it has also made some efforts in that direction. What PM Modi has to ensure is that the scourges that plagued the earlier rounds of industrialization — statist policies, the institutionalised anti-business attitude, excessive regulation, red tape et al — don’t beleaguer Industry 4.0. It will be a pity if that happens.