MSLGROUP India releases '13 Economic Priorities For FY13'

MSLGROUP India, Publicis Groupe’s flagship strategic communications and engagement company and the largest public relations and social media network in India, today announced the launch of its latest executive report, ‘13 Economic Priorities For FY13’.

This report is the latest in a series of thought leadership papers released by MSLGROUP India over the past two years. These include reports on diverse subjects such as the opportunities and challenges before the Indian PR industry, 21 years of economic reforms, the impact of drought on FMCG companies, the rise of India’s gay economy, the e-commerce opportunity in India and an analysis of Brand IPL.

In ‘13 Economic Priorities For FY13’, MSLGROUP points out that, most often, the nation’s economy is viewed through the narrow parameters of growth rate, investment, expenditure and deficits. But an economy is more than that. It has as its constituents obscure parts that are forgotten or which remain hidden because of a lack of understanding.

For instance, most people are not aware that sports are vital to the economy. Sports contribute to development through employment opportunities and demand for sports goods and services. That is why the United Nations Millennium Development Goals view sports as an economic engine. An inclusive national sports programme would also provide economic opportunities and social upliftment for marginalised sections such as women and the physically challenged.

The internal security situation – alarmingly precarious across large swathes of India – also has a profound impact on the economy. Naxalism alone affects 60,000 sq km of central and eastern India, depriving this area from the benefits of reforms and the chance to contribute to national progress. This isolation has kept farmers backward and made the establishment of industries virtually impossible. The delivery of government services is another casualty of this internal war.

MSLGROUP India, through this report, aims to bring into focus precisely such linkages between issues and our economy, the opportunities missed and the ones that are within reach. MSLGROUP has focused on subjects rarely mentioned in the same breath as the economy, but there are also those more familiar to the economic debate – taxing the super-rich and the Goods and Services Tax are but two examples.

The topics analysed are:

·        Women’s empowerment
·        Internal security
·        Sports
·        E-governance
·        Corruption
·        Low-cost medicine
·        Affordable housing
·        Agriculture finance and food prices
·        A smoother road for FDI in retail
·        Aviation
·        Taxing the super-rich
·        Goods and services tax
·        Coalition politics

Jaideep Shergill, CEO, MSLGROUP India, said: “With the Indian economy facing strong headwinds, it was important to look at the economy in a holistic manner. We believe that mainstream debate most often does not take into account all the factors – sometimes invisible or forgotten – that impact the economy in a profound manner. We believe that a focus on these subjects would unlock India’s potential and transform society.”