Piyush Goyal says ‘not in question’ to FDI in multi-brand retail, stresses ‘made in India’

The minister retorted 'not in question!' when asked.The objective is to create a strong brand identity for India, similar to how 'made in Japan' or 'made in Switzerland' evokes; about specific images and qualities."

At the ongoing US-India forum, commerce minister Piyush Goyal and his officials were seen promoting the ‘made in India’ campaign even as clear signs are sent out to discourage FDI in multi-brand retail. The minister retorted ‘not in question!’ when asked about the same to a media outlet and – as India completes 10 years of the ‘Made in India’ campaign. However, the commerce minister emphasised a continued focus on the campaign by stating that “the objective is to create a strong brand identity for India, similar to how ‘made in Japan’ or ‘made in Switzerland’ evokes; about specific images and qualities.”

“A high-level committee is examining the details of the scheme,” an official explained.

Separately, think tank GTRI, founder Ajay Srivastava also explained, “India can take several actions to naturally improve its branding. Consistent product quality and reliability should be a priority.”

“For instance, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has gained global trust through its production of high-quality generic drugs. To protect this reputation, India must enforce strict actions against substandard suppliers.”

The Indian government is discussing a proposal to formulate a scheme for ‘made in India’ label with a view to promote ‘brand India’ in the global markets.

“When we think of Switzerland, we often think of their watches, chocolates, and banking systems,” the ministry official said.

“We are having discussions on how we can do that. Do we make this scheme for specific sectors like textiles, where we have strength in that. So we are looking into such things,” the official added.

Earlier addressing an event organised by the Pahle India Foundation, a not-for-profit think tank, marking the release of a report on the impact of e-commerce on employment and consumer welfare, Goyal decided to distance himself from the report’s conclusion that e-commerce had significantly boosted employment in the country.

Rather, he warned that e-commerce was eating into the sales volumes of small retail businesses and displacing them in the consumer delivery market for high-margin products, which account for a major share of their profits.

Compiled by Bhavya Mishra