APRIL IS A cruel month. It was, perhaps, at its cruellest in 2020 when the country went under a national lockdown, and the Covid-19 pandemic swept over the Indian hinterlands like a storm. But even as this was going on, the Indian government came up with a scheme that contained within it the kernel that could potentially transform the country into a global manufacturing hub. Called Production Linked Incentive, or PLI, the scheme since its inception has navigated itself through some choppy waters—from regulatory hurdles to coordinating stakeholders across numerous sectors. But one glance through the complexity of the scheme, which involved seamless collaboration among multiple ministries, government departments, private enterprises, local authorities, and state governments, and it is not surprising that it encountered roadblocks. What is remarkable is that despite these challenges, the scheme has proved to be resilient and nearly three and a half years after the initial approval of proposals in October 2020, the scheme has emerged as a significant reason behind the growth of India’s manufacturing sector.
Consider the
