Mumbai: The government on Sunday said it will come out with a national manufacturing policy by June-end this year to attract overseas investment and promote industrial activity in all parts of the country.
"India will come out with a national manufacturing policy within this year, hopefully before June," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at the Economic Times Award function here.
Encouraging the manufacturing sector, he added, was necessary to increase its share in the GDP and attract investment from abroad and also from within the country.
The Centre would also be taking other initiatives along with states to promote manufacturing sector, Sharma said, adding that it was necessary to ensure development of undeveloped regions of the country and further the objective of inclusive growth.
Sharma also underlined the need for skills development to take advantage of the global shortage of trained workforce.
Recently, Chairman of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council V Krishnamurthy called for early formulation of a manufacturing policy to encourage industry and value addition.
Speaking on the occasion, Road and Transport Minister Kamal Nath stressed that inclusive growth also be the agenda of the business and industry.
The challenge before the government, he added, was to manage growth so as to ensure that benefits reach all sections of the society.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 21:16