It's high time India took on China's economic might

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and MSME, Nitin Gadkari, has undertaken a massive outreach exercise in the last few days with various sections and sectors of the society by way of webinars, video conference, and other social media platforms.

This has resulted in taking communication outreach with about 1.30 crore people, according to a government estimate. In the same series, he interacted with Indian overseas students in various countries like the UK, Canada, Singapore, other European countries and Australia under the theme Indian Response to Global Pandemic: Roadmap for India.

Addressing the students, he said, the way ahead for India was clearly in us remaining positive and making concerted efforts to convert this adversity into an opportunity. At the same time, as we are moving ahead restarting various activities, all of us need to follow all the precautions regarding health protocols to prevent transmission of Covid-19 virus.

This interaction comes at the right time. All the talk of post-corona economy, lost livelihoods, gloomy picture of the world economy etc., are impacting the minds of not only people in general, but also the youngsters and even industrialists, small and medium ones.

Hope and a positive outlook are essential for a better future, without which man becomes "Arjuna' of Kurukshetra laying down arms and refusing to fight. Mankind has to overcome the tribulations and relaunch itself with vigour in the pursuit of betterment of life.

It is essential for our industries – big, medium, small or micro will also have to effect a paradigm shift in the way they were doing their business operations wherein apart from ensuring use of masks, sanitisers and social distancing and making food-shelters arrangements for labour in keeping with social distancing norms, they need to take up boosting import substitution, start business and industries in new areas away from major cities thus decongesting the metro towns.

Companies need to look for new partnerships with global firms attracting them to set up for JVs etc in India. Our efforts need to meet not only Indian demand but also cater to the global market as many companies and counties are looking to shift away from China.

Young Indian students studying abroad should contribute in this goal in a big way as youth have stakes in India thriving and leading the world. As the Union Minister said in his appeal, young brilliant minds of the students and scientists of Indian origin abroad must participate in India's growth story and the new opportunities in various fields of research, innovation, management, medicine, higher education, etc.

At another level, it could be said that the government is moving fast to snatch the opportunities in the chaotic world as the world explores other-than-China options. It will be good for India to boost its own growth story in the first place.

It is also important that we take on the economic might of China when the opportunity offers it to us without fail and without sticking to ideas of friendship etc which are never reciprocated by the big neighbour.

Chinese treachery and Pakistan's turpitude are well known. Let us teach both a lesson and this is the right time. Both have lost the trust of the world.