From expanding steel capacity and developing specialty grades to strengthening domestic technology capabilities, India must build scale, innovation and greater self reliance across its manufacturing ecosystem to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, said Shri Sandeep Poundrik, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, Government of India, at the inaugural session of the CII Manufacturing Confluence 2026, themed “Manufacturing India 5.0: Smart, Scalable, Sustainable – Unlocking Growth”, held on 29 September 2026 in New Delhi.
Highlighting the strategic role of steel in the manufacturing ecosystem, Shri Poundrik said steel contributes around 14 per cent of manufacturing GDP and 2 per cent of overall GDP, with demand driven by construction, infrastructure, engineering, automobiles and other industrial sectors. India’s steel capacity has increased ten-fold, from around 22 million tonnes in 1990 to approximately 220 million tonnes today. With steel consumption growing at around 11 per cent compared with capacity growth of over 9 per cent, continued capacity creation will be essential for India to remain self-reliant and support its broader manufacturing ambitions.
Looking towards 2047, he said that India could have more than 600 million tonnes of steel capacity and over 500 million tonnes of consumption, including around 45 million tonnes of exports directly or through value-added products. The Steel Secretary emphasized the need to increase production of specialty steel for automobiles, defence and aerospace, strengthen raw material availability, accelerate technology adoption and develop indigenous technologies.
Shri Poundrik further highlighted the importance of ease of doing business in enabling manufacturing growth, noting the ongoing work of the Cabinet Secretary-led task force to reduce licensing and permit requirements across states. He urged industry to actively provide feedback on these reforms and help ensure that they translate into simpler processes for establishing and expanding businesses.
Speaking on the role of exports in India’s manufacturing growth, Shri Lav Agarwal, Additional Secretary and Director General, Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, said a globally competitive export sector is critical not only for foreign exchange earnings but also for employment generation, manufacturing capabilities, integration with global value chains, innovation and economic resilience. Despite global uncertainties, supply-chain disruptions and protectionist tendencies, India’s combined merchandise and services exports registered 11 per cent growth during April–June 2026, he said.
Shri Agarwal emphasized the significant untapped potential at the district level, noting that 10 districts currently account for 35 per cent of India’s exports. He called for a stronger Districts as Export Hubs framework, supported by e-commerce, better packaging and branding, and greater utilization of free trade agreements. He urged CII and industry to take these initiatives to the field and ensure that policy frameworks translate into actual market access and export opportunities for enterprises across the country.
Mr Shashwat Goenka, Vice President, CII and Chairman, CII Associations’ Council (ASCON) and Vice-Chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, highlighted the importance of addressing the “missing middle” in Indian manufacturing by enabling more enterprises to scale, invest in technology and productivity, and participate more deeply in global value chains. He identified stronger industrial clusters and infrastructure, ease of doing business, skills and talent alignment, secure critical inputs and export competitiveness as key priorities.
Mr Rahul Garg, Co-Chairman, CII Manufacturing Council and Founder and CEO, Moglix, said CII would support the Districts as Export Hubs initiative and explore greater integration between India’s domestic e-commerce capabilities and global e-commerce exports. He also emphasized continued industry engagement on FTA utilization and ease of-doing-business reforms. The inaugural session highlighted the need for a coordinated, mission-mode approach to manufacturing—combining scale, technology, domestic capabilities, ease of doing business and global market access—to accelerate India’s transition towards a larger, more resilient and globally competitive manufacturing economy and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.