INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN INDIA:

ISSUES, OBJECTIVES & EXPERIENCE

Dr. Raj Agrawal

Structure
Industrial Policy: Objectives & Evolution
Current Status
Evaluation
Background:
Planning and Industrial policy evolution highly inter-twined:
Objectives of industrial policy articulated in the Industrial
Policy Resolutions of 1948 and 1956
Specific priorities and strategies spelt out in successive five
year plans to be implemented by:
A system of licensing provided for by the Industries
(Development & Regulation) Act, 1951; and
A system of import licensing and foreign trade policies meant
to promote import substituting industrialization
Licensing ensured realization of physical targets for capacity
set by the plan, trade policy sought to promote domestic
industrialization by physical allocation of imports by
products.

Industrial Policy Resolution 1948

Outlined the approach to industrial growth and
development
Emphasized the importance of securing a
continuous increase in production and ensuring its
equitable distribution.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1948

Progressively active role for the State in the

development of Industries.
State monopoly: Arms and ammunition, atomic
energy and railway transport
State exclusively responsible for the establishment of
new undertakings in six basic industries-except where,
in the national interest, the State itself found it
necessary to secure the cooperation of private
enterprise.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1948

Rest of the industrial field open to private

enterprise though the State would also
progressively participate in this field.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

After the adoption of the Constitution and the

socio-economic goals, the Industrial Policy was
comprehensively revised and adopted in 1956.
Sought to accelerate the rate of economic growth
and speed up industrialization to achieve a
socialist pattern of society.
Capital was scarce & the base of entrepreneurship
not strong enough. Hence, the gave primacy to the
role of the State to assume a predominant and
direct responsibility for industrial development.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

Objectives:
Improvement in living standards and working
conditions for the mass of the people.
Reduction in income and wealth disparities
Prevention of private monopolies and
concentration of economic power in different
fields in the hands of small numbers of
individuals.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

Progressively predominant and direct

responsibility for the State in setting up new
industrial undertakings and for developing
transport facilities
Undertake State trading on an increasing scale.
Equal opportunity for the private sector to
develop and expand.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

Private sector to develop on the principle of

cooperation; increasing proportion of the
private sector activities to develop on
cooperative lines.
The adoption of the socialist pattern of society
as the national objective.
The need for planned and rapid development.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

Public sector: All industries of basic and

strategic importance, or in the nature of public
utility services.
The State can undertake any type of industrial
production.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

Categorization of industries:

i) Set of industries the future development of

which will be the exclusive responsibility of the
State
ii) Category of industries which will be
progressively state-owned and in which the State
will, therefore, generally take the initiative in
establishing new undertakings, but in which
private enterprise will also be expected to
supplement the efforts of the State.
Industrial Policy Resolution 1956

iii) Rest of industries left to the initiative and

enterprise of the private sector.

Stress the role of cottage and village and small

scale industries in the development of the national
economy.

Disparities in levels of development between

different regions should be progressively reduced.
Industrial Policy 1973

Certain structural distortions called for policy

changes in IPR 1956
Provide for a closer interaction between the
agricultural and industrial sectors
Highest priority to the generation and
transmission of power.
Identify products to be reserved for the small scale
sector: list of industries exclusively reserved for
the small scale sector expanded from 180 items to
more than 500 items.
Industrial Policy 1973

Within the small scale sector, a tiny sector was also

defined with investment in machinery and
equipment up to Rs.1 lakh & located in towns
with a population < 50,000 according to
1971 census figures, and in villages.
Proposal for special legislation to protect cottage
and household industries
Industrial Policy 1973

Compulsory export obligations, merely for

ensuring the foreign exchange balance of the
project, would no longer be insisted upon while
approving new industrial capacity.

In the areas of price control of agricultural and

industrial products, the prices would be regulated
to ensure an adequate return to the investor.
Industrial Policy 1977

Emphasis on
producing inputs needed by a large number of
smaller units and making adequate marketing
arrangements.
upgrading the technology of small units.
Promoting the development of a system of
linkages between nucleus large plants and the
satellite ancillaries
Industrial Policy 1977

Emphasis on:
the development of small scale industries, the
investment limit in the case of tiny units was enhanced
to Rs.2 lakh, of a small scale units to Rs.20 lakh and of
ancillaries to Rs.25 lakh.
building buffer stocks of essential raw materials for the
Small Scale Industries for operation through the Small
Industries Development Corporations in the States
and the National Small Industries Corporation in
the Centre.
Industrial Policy 1977

Emphasis on:
Industrial processes and technologies involving
optimum utilization of energy or the exploitation of
alternative sources of energy for giving special
assistance, including finance on concessional terms.
The Industrial Policy Statement 1980

Formulated wrt the Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956 to

provide for
(i) Optimum utilization of installed capacity;
(ii) Maximum production and achieving higher
productivity;
(iii) Higher employment generation;
(iv) Correction of regional imbalances;
(v) Strengthening of the agricultural base through agro
based industries and promotion of optimum inter-sectoral
relationship;
(vi) Promotion of export-oriented industries;
The Industrial Policy Statement 1980

(vii) Promotion of economic federalism through equitable

spread of investment and dispersal of returns;

(viii) Consumer protection against high prices and bad

quality.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Govt . recognizes the need for

social and economic justice, to end poverty and
unemployment and to build a modern, democratic,
socialist, prosperous and forward-looking India
India to grow as part of the world economy and not in
isolation
Greater emphasis placed on building up ability to pay
for imports through our own foreign exchange
earnings
development and utilization of indigenous capabilities
in technology and manufacturing as well as its
up gradation to world standards.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Sound policy framework encompassing

encouragement of entrepreneurship, development
of indigenous technology through investment in
research and development, bringing in new
technology, dismantling of the regulatory system,
development of the capital markets and increasing
competitiveness for the benefit of the common
man.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

The spread of industrialization to backward areas

of the country will be actively promoted
through appropriate incentives, institutions and
infrastructure investments.

Government will provide enhanced support to the

small-scale sector so that it flourishes in an
environment of economic efficiency and
continuous technological up gradation
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Foreign investment and technology collaboration

will be welcomed to obtain higher
technology, to increase exports and to expand the
production base.

Government will endeavor to abolish the

monopoly of any sector or any individual
enterprise in any field of manufacture, except on
strategic or military considerations and open all
manufacturing activity to competition.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

The Government will ensure that the public sector

plays its rightful role in the evolving
socioeconomic scenario of the country.
Government will ensure that the public sector is
run on business lines as envisaged in the Industrial
Policy Resolution of 1956 and would continue to
innovate and lead in strategic areas of national
importance.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Government will fully protect the interests of

labour, enhance their welfare and equip them in
all respects to deal with the inevitability of
technological change
Labour will be made an equal partner in
progress and prosperity
Workers participation in management will be
promoted
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Workers cooperatives will be encouraged to

participate in packages designed to turn around
sick companies.

The major objectives of the new industrial policy

package will be to build on the gains already
made, correct the distortions or weaknesses that
may have crept in, maintain a sustained growth in
productivity and gainful employment and attain
international competitiveness.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Need to preserve the environment and ensure the

efficient use of available resources.

Governments policy will be continuity with

change
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

In pursuit of the above objectives, Government

have decided to take a series of initiatives in
respect of the policies relating to the following
areas.
A. Industrial Licensing.
B. Foreign Investment.
C. Foreign Technology Agreements.
D. Public Sector Policy.
E. MRTP Act.
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991
Industrial licensing:
Modified industrial licensing policy to ease restrictions on
capacity creation, respond to emerging domestic & global
opportunities by improving productivity
Abolished industrial licensing for most industries but for 18
categories
Small scale sector reserved
Foreign Investment:
FDI (up to 51% foreign equity) permitted in high priority
industries (high investment and advanced technology) &
export oriented companies
INDUSTRIAL POLICY 1991

Foreign Technology Agreements:

Towards technological dynamism, automatic approval
for technological agreements related to high priority
industries; eased procedures for hiring foreign technical
expertise
Public Sector Policy:
Restructuring pubic sector units, raise resources
through pubic participation PSUs, refer sick units to
Board of Industrial & Financial Reconstruction
MRTP Act:
Abolished scrutiny of investment decision of MRTP companies etc.
Current Scenario:

Substantial changes:
Only six industries require compulsory licensing
Only three industries reserved for the public sector
Relation of restriction on FDI: FDI up to 100 % under
automatic route for most manufacturing activities in
Special Economic Zones; FDI ceiling in pvt banking
sector up to 74%; oil exploration (100%); natural gas
and LNG pipelines (100%); telecom (74%)
Small Scale industries sector: reduced # of items
reserved from 821 (1991) to 506 (2005)
Lessons from India:

Industrial Policy should not be about:

Controlling Prices
Controlling Quantity
Specifying Geographical Location of Activity
Preemption by Public Sector
Policy Body, Regulatory Body and Service Provider
being Government Agencies
 Industrial Policy cannot be Viewed in Isolation
Education Schooling Vocational \ Technical Education Entry into
Workforce Employment Life Long Learning
Typology of Higher Education Institutions
Innovation Public Private Partnership Models
Open Science Model, Licence Model, Innovation Model
Industry Academia Collaboration
Office of Sponsored Projects: Funding agreements
Office of Technology Transfer: Patenting and licensing
technology
Global Open Source Drug Discovery is a CSIR Team India Consortium
Cooperation with Global Partnership with a vision to provide affordable
healthcare to the developing world. http://www.osdd.net/

Fiscal Tax Incentives for R&D Expenditure

Funding for Industry Academia Collaboration
Transparent Process (Metrics for Evaluation) for Funding Basic
Research Vs Applied Research