Kumar says measures are needed to bring in a large section of those working in the unorganised sector within the formal stream.
New Delhi: India needs to focus on improving ease of doing business at the state level despite improvement in the overall ranking of the country, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said Monday.
“The real challenge is to look away from Delhi,” Kumar said at a two-day event organised by Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in the national capital. He said entrepreneurs in the states are still facing numerous problems.
India was ranked 77th on World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index in 2018, moving up 23 spots from No. 100 in 2017.
Speaking at the session titled ‘India’s 21st Century Transitions’, Kumar said policymakers need to thrash out measures to bring in a large section of those working in the unorganised sector within the formal stream.
Focus on agri
Kumar also underlined the need for immediate attention to sectors such as agriculture, health, education, law and order, among others.
“Clearly, it is time for modernisation of agriculture… raising cost and support prices are not taking (us) anywhere… new measures need to be taken,” Kumar said.
“We lack perhaps a common understanding in a focused manner, as in what needs to be done,” he added.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, vice chancellor, Ashoka University, Jamshyd Godrej, chairman and MD, Godrej & Boyce, and T.N. Ninan, chairman, Business Standard, rounded up the panel, which was moderated by Yamini Aiyar, president & chief executive of CPR.
Also read: All that is wrong with Modi govt’s obsession with Ease of Doing Business rankings
‘Must look beyond India’s top 30%’
Kumar also underlined the need to focus on boosting exports for sustainable economic growth.
“(The) DNA of Indian companies would change if exports got a boost,” he said, adding that it was crucial to build a cooperative and competitive federal structure. He also said that governance must be efficient and transparent.
The panel noted that the reforms and liberalisation of 1991 have benefited only the top 30 per cent of Indians living in the country, and now it was time to look at policies that would touch those who had been left out.
Mehta emphasised the changing nature of Indian politics. “Our voters are agile, our voters are nimble and have the ability to throw out governments. There is room for creating a new kind of discourse,” he said.
“We need to think beyond the 30 per cent paradigm,” added Mehta.
ThePrint is the digital partner for CPR Dialogues: Navigating India’s 21st Century Transitions, a dialogue on public policy challenges organised on 17 and 18 December in New Delhi.
Also read: Still 27 positions away from target: Arun Jaitley on World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking
ThePrint is the digital partner for CPR Dialogues: Navigating India’s 21st Century Transitions, a dialogue on public policy challenges that has been organised on 17 and 18 December in New Delhi.