Times Network launches the ‘Make In India Summit and Awards’

TIMES NETWORK, a part of India’s largest media conglomerate, The Times Group, launched their IP property, the ‘Make In India Summit and Awards’. The day-long initiative took place onOctober 18^th, 2016, at Taj Palace, New Delhi and was attended by some of the most valued dignitaries in India. The special guests of honour at the event included high profile names such as Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry; Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister Textiles; andChaudhary Birender Singh, Union Minister Steel and other key speakers such as Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, DIPP; Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Banmali Agrawala, President & CEO, GE, South Asia; Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge; Arun Tiwari, CMD, Union Bank Of India to name a few. The summit aimed to lay out key imperatives and framework for turning the vision of ‘Make In India’ into a reality.

The summit kicked off with the welcome address by Sandeep Gurumurthi, Executive Editor, ET NOW, followed by a keynote address by Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The panel discussions covered topics such as – India – The Global Manufacturing Hub; Brand – Make In India; Feeding A Billion People – The Role of Food Processing Industry; Make In India – More Than Just A Slogan and so on.

The panel discussion was followed by the ‘Make In India’ award ceremony where seven organisations were awarded for their remarkable work in taking this initiative further in their respective industries. The event concluded with the closing remarks by Executive Director, HUL, Mr. Pradeep Banerjee.

Commenting about the awards, Ashit Kukian President Revenue – Times Network, said, “Times Network is home to India’s most influential television audiences and caters to the diaspora across continents. Hence, it was only fitting that we host the summit to provide a platform for some of the most celebrated thought leaders to ideate on one of the key sectors responsible for India’s development. ‘Make In India Awards’ render impetus to the socio-economic growth of the nation, enabling India to become a global leader. It seeks to honor the contribution of companies, organizations, institutes, which are an epitome of excellence in their chosen area of interest. The Make in India campaign, that just turned two, created a major impact through various policies and initiatives and we are honored that such valued dignitaries graced the Make in India Summit with their presence and addressed the gathering, helping us to take this initiative further.”

Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani - Union Minister Textile, said, "We need to celebrate the success of Indian brands and the notable work done by our own people. The textile industry is an exciting sector from the manufacturing perspective and we are trying to pool in our strengths across ministries. Also the traditional skills need to be engaged to the modern technology and the industry academia must be strengthened not only domestically but internationally. In the coming days, Textile going technical and digital would surely be beneficial. We are exploring possibilities to establish direct connect between artisans & global buyers."

Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS (Independent Charge), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, said, "Make in India, Make for India, all aim to make India a global manufacturing power and with momentum on our side we look to contribute at least 25% of India’s GDP through manufacturing sector which currently lies between 13-14%. India has crossed 3.5% of the market globally in the textile sector. Digitisation is an active component where the government is spending a lot of money on technology and technical expertise who are also working together towards this. The government is also in talks with the rail ministry on how freight cost can be reduced. Another area the government is moving forward is the trade facilitation in the service sector."

The ‘TIMES NETWORK Make In India Summit’ was presented by Hindustan Unilever Limited, powered by Union Bank of India, Supported by DIPP and Industry Partner CII. The ‘Times Network Make In India Awards’ were presented by Union Bank Of India, powered by Hindustan Unilever Limited, Supported by DIPP and Industry Partner CII. The entire event will be converted into 5 episodes, each to be telecast on TIMES NOW– India’s No. 1 English News channel and ET NOW - India’s No.1 Business News channel. The episodes will be aired right through the month of November.

The ‘Make In India’ Awardees are: