Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) is a policy framework and a national concept that aims to transform India into a self-sufficient and globally competitive economy. The specific initiative, the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (Self-reliant India Mission), was formally launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12, 2020, in response to the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative was created to reduce India's dependency on global supply chains for essential goods and to revive the economy by encouraging domestic production.
The mission is structured around five pillars: Economy, Infrastructure, Technology-driven Systems, Vibrant Demography, and Demand. Its mechanism was initially supported by an economic stimulus package of ₹20 lakh crore, equivalent to approximately 10% of India's GDP. Key provisions included structural reforms focusing on Land, Labour, Liquidity, and Laws. For instance, the government provided collateral-free automatic loans of up to ₹3 lakh crore for businesses and MSMEs.
The concept connects directly to the slogans "Vocal for Local" and "Make for the World". It is an expansion of the earlier "Make in India" program and is implemented through schemes like the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme. Since its launch, the initial package (ANB 1.0) has been followed by two additional packages (ANB 2.0 and ANB 3.0) in 2020, increasing the total financial impact to about ₹27.1 lakh crore. Significant amendments include the redefinition of MSMEs and the amendment of the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) in 2020 to promote indigenization in the defence sector.