Vocal for Local: An Emergency Call to Indian Citizens

I Love My India, a song from the hit movie Pardes has been in action in India for the last many decades. This song depicts the love of Indian folks for countries like America, as do many Indians. Yet, Amrish Puri in the song (referring to Mr Narendra Modi) seems to have his eyes for India only.

We have seen our Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, working with and across many countries. And his assembly with many countries is the reason, I picture him singing “London Dekha, Paris Dekha, aur dekha Japan… Saare jag me kahin nahi hai dusra Hindustan”. (I have seen London, Paris, and Japan but there is no other India anywhere.)

He showed his sheer confidence and belief in the potential of India. His vision of having a self-reliant India made him introduce the Make in India policy back in 2014.

The policy, “Make in India” doesn’t only ask for the actions required for the Indian economy. But it also speaks louder for India’s actual unknown strength. It speaks for the capability of India that goes unrealized by us.

It seems, his not-so-old policy Make in India back then had predicted the current crisis the whole world is in. Which is why it took birth way before Vocal for Local. The combination of the two after the advent of the Corona Virus may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for India.

The invention of the new slogan Vocal for Local has made some people so curious and others quite excited. People and various companies are already contemplating future possibilities of Vocal for Local. This article entails about Vocal for Local and its connected aspects.

A Peek at Current Indian Economy (In terms of Export and Import):

Before we see a glimpse of the current Indian Economy, let’s first know about the slogan, Vocal for Local. A slogan that has already called many meetings across countries since its broadcast.

Vocal for Local asks us to go for the domestic products over the international brands. It means supporting Indian products, referring them to others, and campaigning for them.

Vocal for Local is calling Indians to be self-reliant. It is asking every one of us to be self-dependent. So what does that imply? Must we discard any kind of help from others (foreign countries)? Or should we cope-up with whatever is being produced in our country?

Such questions must be coming in every second reader’s mind. Before we dive into the context, let’s first explore some of the prominent Indian inventions and discoveries.

India is the country which owns the following titles:

• Sushruta– Father of surgery
• Charaka– Father of Medicine
• Patanjali– Father of Yoga
• Aryabhata– Master of Mathematics

The whole astronomy which we see today would have not been possible without the invention of Zero and Decimal.

India’s modern inventions like wireless communication and USB have crafted a different picture of the existing world. The abovementioned is a short-list of gifts given by Indians to the world.

As you may know that India was once called the Vishwa-Guru (World Leader). Now, the time has come for the Indian people to identify their potential and reclaim the status of Vishwa-Guru.

The title “Vocal for Local- An Emergency call to Indian Citizens” signifies the strength of Indian Citizens and their intrinsic role in economic development.

To know what exactly Vocal for Local is, we need to understand its two principal aspects, i.e. Imports and Exports. The economic- health of any country is calculated with the difference between its imports and exports. The more the trade deficit, the more it conveys about its poor health and vice-versa.

According to data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, total Export from India was estimated at US$ 528.45 billion in 2019-20 and total Import stood at US$ 598.61 billion. The data tells us about the trade deficit since we do more import than export. And this is what our Government wants to have our attention to.

If we talk about the health sector, India is highly dependent on medical devices. India imports approximately 80% of medical devices including medical imaging, ultrasonic scans, and PCR technologies.

Also, India imports about 65% of inputs in Medicines from China, says Business Today. It is surprising to know that India is the largest manufacturer of Paracetamol Medicine but 80% of its material is imported from the Middle Kingdom. India’s 32% of the total deficit between April 2019 and December 2019 accounts for China only.

Taking into account other sectors, we find that almost 80% of mobile components in India come from China. The country has its contribution to several other Industries. 85% of toys sold in India and 80% of solar cells and modules used in India are imported from the same country.

According to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade, India imported Optical Fibres, Cables, and Optical Fibre Bundles of approximately US$129.78 Million in 2019. This small data about Indian imports is probably enough to give you a peek at India’s current position. Still, if that’s not the case, know more about India’s imports and exports in 2019.

It happens only in India: Now Vocal for Local, Earlier Make in India

Earlier Make in India:

In 2014, the Prime Minister of India had announced Make in India. The policy focuses on national manufacturing and increasing India’s GDP from 16% to 25% by 2022.

The policy started with a target of creating 100 million additional jobs by 2022. It sets out 11 concentration areas including 25 focus areas. It covers the key Industries where we need to have our attention. Since non-oil imports were at the peak (which is still the case), the initiative of Make in India took place.

 Also check: Has India frozen Chinese investments?

The before mentioned brief data does not only provide us with mere information. It also depicts the fact that how serious we are when it comes to following the policy Make in India.

Masses will condemn that it’s impossible to implement Make in India since it’s easier said than done. Well, that’s how people dive deeper into an agenda without knowing its depth and that too without a safe jacket.

We know, our whole world is interconnected with each one of us, so is every country. Each country is somehow dependent on others to some or great extent in various areas.

And that’s the good thing to accept because no one can be skilled or proficient in all the existing fields. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging the fact that we all need each other to survive.

So why does the policy Make in India ask Indians to discard a major graph of the import sector?

What does it ask us to do?

In simple words, it asks us to find out our hidden capabilities. Many prominent Indians are doing excellent work around the globe. Still, In India, some people don’t have enough courage to get surprised by their capabilities. And that’s why they see Make in India as a threat rather than an opportunity.

And, why don’t we work on our hidden capabilities?

Probably the reason is that we were never told that we have it. Probably, no one was there behind us to support us and tell us that we can do it. [Explore some of the government initiatives to aid the manufacturing sector] 

So, the good impartial question should be:

Does our system provide enough facilities to run a hurdle-free manufacturing business?

Well, it is obvious that Make in India does not only ask for the manufacturers’ role. The government also has some responsibilities to make it successful.

In the area of ease of doing business, India ranks 63^rd in 2020 though it stood at 142^nd rank in 2014. That’s a good jump but it still lags behind many other countries.

Higher the rank indicates simpler, better regulations and stronger protection of business rights.

Ease of Doing Business is calculated on the following factors:

• Dealing with construction permits.
• Getting Credit
• Paying Taxes
• Enforcing Contracts
• Getting Electricity
• Labor Market Regulations
• Resolving Insolvency
• Trading across Borders

There are some of the responsibilities that are yet to be fulfilled by the country. By country, I don’t mean only the Indian Government or its citizens. I am referring here to both.

Today, if we pick the world’s most favourite country, we find that China ranks 31^st in the area of ease of doing business. [I hope you understood my sarcasm when I called it a favourite one]

Let’s know some of the known and unknown facts about China:

I’ll stop here so we don’t feel demotivated. The above data says enough about how China is becoming dominant in almost all the Industries.

In 1990, China had a 3% market share in the global market which increased to 12.8% by 2018.

Now, you must be cudgeling your brains on…

Q: What are the reasons for China’s great achievement in the bare three decades?

The three major elements with which China built a great economy are:

• Infrastructure
• Population
• Education

Also Know: What strict measures did China take?

China has banned Facebook, Instagram, and even WhatsApp in their country. The country provided alternative apps to its citizens. Many assumptions have been made behind this robust action of China. Some say the strong end-to-end encryption of these apps is the reason and others are unknown to its bold step.

Whatever is the case! Whether it is the encryption policy or the one which has already popped up in your mind, see the bold steps of China. If India would have done that, many of us would have come on roads and done protesting.

No?

Now Vocal for Local:

The pandemic has made us aware, like never before, of the need to take action to save the Indian Economy. The Corona Pandemic has destroyed long-time existing businesses and brought the financial crisis.

Despite the unwanted arrival of the CoronaVirus, the purpose of Make in India can still be successful. Only if we allow Make in India and Vocal for Local work together and add a few more months in the timeline.

Vocal for Local’s birth is a long-awaited action which has been finally called for. Since the delivery of the slogan Vocal for Local, one thing can surely be predicted. In the Future, the slogan Vocal for Local will certainly be imprinted in the books of History. The chapter name may turn out to be obvious Vocal for Local. But the description of the chapter is still to be created.

Vocal for Local should not be a matter of debate. We should put ourselves into contemplation mode and think…why are we yet to have the tag of a ‘Developed Country’?  India’s Development is undoubtedly one of the most discussed agendas around the globe.

[The above data is not expressing the numbers. It is conveying the People’s unity, understanding, and cooperation.]

What happens if we succeed in boycotting China’s Products and implementing Make in India?

Unforeseen Benefits of Vocal for Local

Growth in Manufacturing Sector

The manufacturing sector has not been impressive for the last many decades. One of the main reasons for this is our preference to buy international brands over Indian.

But yes, if we talk about the aftereffects of Make in India, India has become one of the most attractive destinations for investments in the manufacturing sector. Several brands have set up their manufacturing bases in the country. During April 2000- December 2019, Cumulative FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in India’s manufacturing sector reached US$89.15 billion.

If Indian citizens support Vocal for Local, we would be seeing a new picture of Indian economy very soon and an escalated graph of the…

Learning Curve

Have you ever wondered why European and US countries are growing rapidly?

One of the main reasons is its learning curve. Practising anything increases one’s efficiency in the very field.

Thus, increased demands will enhance the learning curve of local business-houses. This would help them produce more efficiently. So, it will also save costs and yield supreme quality along with…

New Inventions and Innovations

Indian brains are famous worldwide. Indian scientists and tech experts are doing great all over the world. Supporting Vocal for Local will be a great opportunity for manufacturing companies. It might increase the numbers of some unforeseen inventions and discoveries too.

With increased demands of products, the brilliant brains would start doing brainstorming. They will start producing more and more exceptional products. To revolutionize the manufacturing sector, our support to Vocal for Local is intrinsic. And the revolutionized manufacturing sector will result in…

Check: How American Inventions revolutionized its manufacturing sector?

More Employment

This is something self-explanatory. With more demands in the manufacturing sector, we would need more workers. Today’s crisis has affected the whole job-world even more massively. The initiative of Vocal for Local looks like hope and a challenge at the same time.

Undoubtedly, with Vocal for Local, we tend to generate jobs for the well-qualified professionals so they can also help this industry grow and make it… 

The Buying Hub

Since Indians have supported foreign products to a great extent, India has not become a prominent buying hub yet. Indians consume a lot of Chinese products every year. And each year, Indians transfer their money to such foreign countries.

How does China do it?

Say, in the world, a product costs Rs. 100, then China produces that product on such a large scale that its value remains cheaper and profit is still earned.

This is how China dominates and spreads its market in all the countries. The other countries fail to beat their low price. Hence, China takes hold of the majority of the market in the world.

With Vocal for Local, we can change the tag of a buying hub for China. Also, we can reduce our investment in their economy and instead contribute to India’s…

 Economic Development

It is not hard to notice that all the developed countries have strong manufacturing sectors. The development in India can happen easily if the manufacturing sector is promoted.

If we opt for the local products first then efficiency in the manufacturing sector would increase. Inventions and innovations would become inevitable, and we will have a competitive edge over others.      

Modi Ji Ka Swadeshi Movement

Earlier in 1905, Lord Curzon decided to divide Bengal and his movement unexpectedly brought all Indians together. That’s when the formal proclamation of the Swadeshi Movement took place.

Under the presidency of Gokhale, the Indian National Congress Meeting was held. They not only supported the anti-partition but also the Swadeshi Movement of Bengal.

The militant nationalists wanted to take the movement in the whole country. The main objectives were:

• To prevent the unjust partition of Bengal.
• To exert pressure on the British Government through the boycott of Manchester Cotton Cloth.
• To revive the indigenous Industry by promoting Swadeshi Goods.

And now, when Mr Narendra Modi has reincarnated the Swadeshi Movement and asked Indians to raise Vocal for Local, everyone is recalling the history.

Though the slogan was announced in May, the recent violent clash with the Chinese counterparts has called for its intense execution. The Confederation of All India Traders released a list of Chinese products and asked even celebrities not to endorse them. The purpose is to reduce the import of Chinese finished goods by $13 billion, by December 2021, says Praveen Khandelwal.

It will be so interesting to know whether we Indians support this slogan and successfully achieve its objectives. The answer to this question lies not with time only, but individual actions.

A Final Call to Consumers, WHY?

What role a consumer can play?

Buying Indian products and saying No to foreign products must be the sheer role of a consumer to make Vocal for Local an achievement.

It’s time to show patriotism for the country. It’s time to follow “Be Indian, Buy Indian”.

Responsibilities that a Consumer shouldn’t deny to:

 As per Sonam Wangchuk, a prominent education reformist, it should be the responsibility of an Indian consumer to buy only Indian products. It is time to act as a second army for India. He appeals to Indian citizens to use their wallet meticulously.  Also, to keep an eye on what they are spending their hard-earned money on.

Key Possession, Patience

Consumer’s patience may turn out to be the greatest possession for the Indian economy. It’s a possession that is even more valuable than foreign reserves.

If China could change its fortune with the cooperation of its public in around 30 Years. Then, we should know that we Indians are known for providing our helping hand to even rivals. And here, the case is about supporting our own country, ourselves.

We need to remember that the Famous city of Rome was not built in one day but they were laying bricks every hour!

Change Your Perception, Change Your World

At the moment, the foremost need for the consumer is to show trust in Indian business houses. Consumers’ support will further enhance their confidence.

The consumer’s support to Vocal for Local will make companies invest more in the infrastructure, and educate their labourers.

This way, Indian companies will start producing top-notch quality products and that too, with great proficiency.

Conclusion

Emergency calls are always made when we get stuck in any problem or a situation. Such calls are only made to the most important person or department concerning the situation. Vocal for Local seems like an emergency call to Indian Citizens. And now it’s our time to drape our suit and go for action to save our economy. Certainly, this suit has to be worn by the Government too along with its citizens. Two heads are better than one then why step alone?