BREAKING THE SHACKLES

India's manufacturing sector has had a long journey, from building the country's industrial foundations to licence raj to liberalisation. The challenge now is to become globally competitive

- 

Since Independence in 1947, the domestic manufacturing sector has travelled from building the country’s industrial foundation (19501960s) to the licence-permit raj (1965-1980s) and liberalisation in the 1990s to the current phase of striving for global competitiveness. Manufacturing now contributes around 17 per cent to India’s GDP and employs around 20 per cent of the country’s workforce.