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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20 linked his pitch for Aatmanirbhar Bharat with export performance and said that striving for self-reliant India should result in such manufacturing excellence that would result in India emerging as a major exporter around the world in different product categories.

Addressing the sixth Governing Council meeting of Niti Aayog, it can be regarded as a calibrated step forward after his speech at the Lok Sabha where he forcefully endorsed the role of the private sector in creating wealth for society and at Nasscom, where he urged India Inc to strive for strive for world-class, world-size and durable companies.

“The drive for self-reliance should not only meet the domestic demands but also manufacture such products that would meet the quality challenges of the world. That’s why I keep harping on zero defect,” he said.

Besides underscoring the need for pushing exports, Modi also pointed out a blueprint for achieving it.

“Every state has a distinctive edge. Every district has a level of confidence. If we look closely, they have distinct potentials. The government has embarked on a programme where the hundreds of products from these areas are listed and ways charted for their value addition and marketing,” he added.

Such an attitude would also unleash a competition among states, he pointed out.

The Prime Minister said monthly reports should be taken and there should an effort to raise it continuously.

He also mentioned the need to replace export of raw materials and instead focus on value added exports. For example, the coastal states have “unlimited potential” for exports of value added fish and not raw fish, he said.

The nation spends Rs 65,000-70,000 crore each year for importing edible oil, Modi said the money can reach the pockets of Indian farmers if we can stop this import.

Modi also said the states should utilise the production-linked incentive scheme for attracting investment and raise the level of manufacturing.

There is a need to strengthen the MSMEs and startups and that the private sector should be given full opportunity to become a part of government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat programme, emphasised Modi.

The council of the apex body of Niti Aayog includes chief ministers of all the state, lieutenant governors of Union Territories, several union ministers and senior government officials.