India's manufacturing renaissance

The architecture of a new industrial era is being shaped by sustained political leadership and long-term institutional thinking

- ONKAR KANWAR

For much of independent India’s economic history, manufacturing was spoken about more as a potential than an outcome. The ambition was always there. Execution, less so. Fragmented infrastructure, policy uncertainty, and an ecosystem that made scale hard to sustain all played their part. Logistics was something to be endured rather than leveraged. Manufacturing mattered, everyone agreed — yet it often sat on the periphery of national strategy.

That reality has changed. And not quietly.

Over the past decade, under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has seen a governance-led shift that has brought manufacturing back to the centre of economic thinking. What sets this phase apart is not just intent, but clarity and follow-through. Manufacturing is no longer an add-on to growth plans — it is increasingly part of how India sees itself as a country that builds, produces, and competes.

The most significant defining aspect of the Modi government has been the redefinition of the state’s role in economic development. Instead of managing enterprise, the emphasis has been on building the conditions in which enterprise can thrive. This is not always visible in headlines, but it is deeply felt by industry.

Manufacturing does not scale on announcements. It scales when supply chains move predictably. When inputs arrive on time. When finished goods reach markets without friction. And when capacity planning can be done with confidence.