INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN INDIA:

ISSUES, OBJECTIVES & EXPERIENCE

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.
– The adoption of the socialist pattern of society
as the national objective.
– The need for planned and rapid development.
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 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.

• Government’s 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)