The Make in India initiative is a flagship industrial development programme launched by the Government of India, not an act or a judgment. It was formally introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25, 2014, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The initiative was created as a response to India's economic slowdown in 2013, aiming to revive the lagging manufacturing sector and transform the country into a global manufacturing hub. Its original objectives included increasing the manufacturing sector's contribution to GDP to 25% by 2022 (later revised to 2025) and creating 100 million additional jobs.
The programme operates on four pillars: New Processes, New Infrastructure, New Sectors, and a New Mindset. The mechanism involves liberalizing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms, such as raising the automatic route limit in the defense sector from 49% to 74% in May 2020. It also focuses on improving the Ease of Doing Business, which saw India's rank climb from 142nd in 2014 to 63rd in the 2020 World Bank report.
The initiative is closely connected to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, introduced in 2020-21 across 14 key manufacturing sectors to provide financial incentives for domestic production. It also links to the Skill India Programme and the National Logistics Policy. The initiative has evolved into Make in India 2.0, which adopts a more targeted approach by focusing on 27 key sectors.