We want to protect our industries so that they can get fair play and access: Piyush Goyal

New Delhi: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Monday (August 10) inaugurated the first edition of five-day-long virtual FMCG Supply Chain EXPO 2020. 

Speaking on the occasion, Goyal said that "we have to accept the post-COVID-19 pandemic reality. The world has changed. The world will learn and unlearn out of this COVID experience. We'll learn to live in a hygienic manner and deploy technology to be efficient.  We will learn to be more prudent, careful, and conscious of our business activities.”

Goyal further said that all the new things in the new age world will help us redefine the future of India and be more caring citizens, be caring to the lesser privileged section of society. 

Refuting the criticism by some for supporting the domestic industry and checking the imports, he said that we want to protect our industries so that they can get fair play and access. He said that India wants equal, fair, and reciprocal trade with the world. 

"We are moving towards balanced trade with many countries and regions. This is one the reasons why India chose not to join RCEP as it was completely unequitable arrangement Countries should, in a phased manner, look at sourcing from India, developing their products in India and then encash the large business opportunity that 1.3 billion Indian people offer," he added. 

Goyal said that those investing in India, should not just look at assembling the Semi-knocked down kits or availing import duty concessions, but must bring technologies, best practices and do value-addition, adding "Our government will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with industries in their efforts to become more competitive and  engage with the world on equal and fair terms."

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Goyal said, “when we demand equal and reciprocal trade with the world, we have to recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him.” PM Modi over the last 6 years has focused his attention on the underprivileged sections of the society. All his social welfare projects have been for the weakest and poorest in India."

India has been helped in fighting the pandemic due to the massive effort that the nation carried out under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inspirational leadership, with strong inputs from industry associations. "It is the first time nation has been able to keep people in their homes in the world's strictest lockdown and provide for food and other basic necessities to every citizen across the length and breadth of the country," Goyal said.

Goyal said that this initiative by FICCI India is being carried out on an indigenously built platform, in the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, adding that the changes brought by the pandemic will bring in a lot of positive elements which help us take development to the remotest corners of India and involve people from across the country as we adopt technology and become a trusted part of global supply chains. 

"Indian economy is on a fast revival path, as could be seen by various indicators. The rail freights and electricity consumption has reached the last year’s levels, the exports in July this year are 91% of the last year’s levels and the imports are also about 79%," he added.

He, however, invited the Indian industry to walk together, support each other, and work towards a prosperous India in the long run and a better future for the generations to come.