Management consultants, Hamel and Late C.K. Prahlad in their legendary book, “Competing for the Future” spoke about many aspects about a management that is looking forward to building the future of a company. One of them was deciding what is the going to destiny of a company and what steps must be taken to achieve that destiny.
In some ways, it resonated what Stephen Covey wrote about “Beginning from the End” – “Begin with end goal in mind, figure out what steps need to be taken to reach that goal, and build your destiny”
Then there is the “BHAG” concept – Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Everyone talks about Edward Kennedy speaking about having “Man on the Moon” in 1960 and executing this in the then next decade. I would like to talk and dwell this being done and implemented by PM Modi quite a few times.
In this author’s view, this Government under PM Modi has embraced, without much fanfare or announcement, embraced the key points thrown in by the above 2 gurus and the concept of “BHAG”. And, in this author’s view, in the history of India’s polity, no Prime Minister has come closer to the thought process where the PM has envisioned and then followed up for closure.
The last 6 years have been very eventful in more ways than one and to compress everything in one article, is well neigh, impossible. Hence, am touching upon some of the key aspects – touching upon socio economic, infrastructure points – of his addresses that he has made every year since 2014 on India’s Independence Day on Aug. 15th. And how overarching were his goals and see how far India has moved forward, through a set well-articulated goals supported by moves, how India and Indians have benefitted greatly.
Some Key Points, from 2014 onwards:
Clean India Mission: His 1st overarching goal.
This was his 1st overarching goal that he set – a cleaner and a more hygienic India. There were lots of sniggers around.
From the time he started the “Swacch Bharat Mission” till now announced, “National Infrastructure Pipeline” or the compelling “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” everything has got an overarching goal. Broadly speaking it is to drive India, Indians, the State Governments and Bureaucracy, into a cohesive, interdependent units and not as disparate ones reminding one of the wild dogs that run all over the place with a mind of its own.
One might ask what was so great in the Swacch Bharat – the fact of the matter is hygiene and cleanliness are two factors that are important to the general health of the population. Earlier, it was neither spoken about nor cared about – with that “Chalta Hai” attitude. If we recall, cleanliness was pretty much absent when we travelled by trains. All that changed – albeit over a period of time and in a major way.
A place like Indore, became the cleanest city in India with the drive from the CM of the state as well as the Collector of Indore. So much that the cleanliness “bug” is getting into the DNA of the folks at Indore. So, where there is a will, there is a way.
Reducing / Eliminating Corruption:
He always spoke about eliminating corruption. And how went around doing it!! One of the key areas was the leakage of funds meant for the lesser privileged section of the population. By utilizing the vehicle of Aadhar and financial inclusion through Jan Dhan Accounts, he put into place multiple plugs on the leaking points and to a large extent eliminated the leakage.
And we all know how the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code brought the promoters (who were tagged as wilful defaulters) to the table. They became wilful defaulters on account of crony capitalism. Not that he did it in secret but in multiple addresses / talks, he spoke about it and went around putting the framework to bring the defaulters to book.
It is not eliminated fully but in a big way it has come down.
People who have travelled by train, at one point in time or other, would have faced the issue of palming the hands of TTCs, to get a preferred berth / getting into the train. And, in a big way it has become a thing of the past, so much so that we don’t even think about it. Am not saying that it does not happen, but it has come down drastically.
Taking India into the Digital Highway and making her Digital:
Ask any Program / Project Director or Manager in an IT company, how challenging can be to run one transformation project of one company. Here we are talking of transforming the behaviour of a billion people, making many things accessible on a digital platform. He signalled his intentions when brought the rule of self-attesting the key documents – that impacted at 2 levels – Corruption and going Digital.
Demonetization was a key driver of digitalizing payments and it brought unexpected rewards, over a period of time. Google invested in payment systems and having it implemented in India, wants to take it to the world. How far have we come since then.
It went further with the Jan Dhan Yojana which used the platform of Aadhar for making subsidy payments that gave a huge fillip to the digital payments program.
Mr. Subrato Bagchi, described “Luck” as a meeting point where “Homework and preparation meets with Opportunity”. Nothing could be more telling than this statement when we evaluate how India was, in many ways prepared, internally to meet the challenges posed by Corona virus,
Both digital payments as well as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have immensely helped India by reducing to a large extent, touchless money transactions.
Infrastructure Development – specifically Road / Highways
The story of modern Zurich dates back to 1840s-1850s. The key people of Zurich and Switzerland felt that as Switzerland is a landlocked country, they need to counter the lack of sea route by building a network of transportation revolving around Railroad and the canals. The modern train station of Zurich, built in 1860-1870s, was one of the key points when I undertook a walking tour of Zurich. We were told by the Guide that the founding fathers of Zurich decided that the station should stand the test of time and built the Station, taking into consideration the train traffic over the next 200 years!!
In the case of India, India’s road building capability and competency were always at a low point due to various reasons.
If not that grandiose, similar has been the thinking of Narendra Modi’s Government. From 2014, this Govt. has placed lots of emphasis on Infrastructure especially Road Construction that will lay the pathway for increased commerce and trade. This has been supported by the introduction of FasTAG – that seeks to hit 2 mangoes with one stone. Increasing the collection of Tolls, eliminating corruption at tolls and very importantly seriously reducing the waiting time at Tolls for trucks.
Even the worst critics have admitted that this Government has done well. All the serious intentions have culminated in the Government announcing the National Infrastructure Pipeline project, in the Independence Day talk of 2020, whose avowed aim as the PM spoke, “take India towards development there is a need to give a new direction to overall infrastructure development. We will achieve this using National Infrastructure Project. National Infrastructure pipeline project worth Rs 110 lakh crore will boost our overall infrastructure projects. We will now focus on multi-model connectivity infrastructure. We can’t work in silos anymore.”
That the Government is serious on this matter, is exemplified in the latest Independence Day address on August 15, 2020, as he spoke fairly extensively on Infrastructure development.
Some key infrastructure projects accomplished1:
- ‘Semi-bullet train’ sets speed record –
- Airport like bus terminal in Vadodara
- Udhampur Katra Train link – The Udhampur-Katra rail section in Jammu and Kashmir become operational. The line enables pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi shrine to travel directly to the base camp at Katra. Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1050 crore, the route consists of seven tunnels and 30 small and big bridges. A total of seven tunnels span over 10 km of the 25-km stretch.
- India’s largest solar power plant – The country’s biggest solar power plant was inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh. The solar power plant is located at Diken in Jwad area of Neemuch district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Arunachal Pradesh gets its 1st train: On April 7, a train chugged into Naharlagun for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh’s history! Before this daily passenger train service on the Harmuti – Naharlagun (Itanagar) broad gauge section, the state had only 1.26 km railway line inside its border with a single station, Bhalukpong, in East Kameng district.
- New Airport Terminal at Ozar, Maharashtra: A new airport terminal at Ozar, around 20 km from Nashik city was inaugurated on March 3. The Nashik airport is meant to help in decongestion of air traffic at Mumbai. The new terminal, spread over 22 acres, with 8,267 sq metre built-up area, offers international-standard amenities.
- India’s first double decker flyover: Claimed to be India’s first double-decker flyover – part of the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road – was finally be thrown open for traffic in Mumbai. The 6.5km road provides quick east-west connectivity. The Rs 450 crore SCLR project offers faster connectivity between Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway (EEH). The SCLR comprises 1.8km long double-decker flyover above the Central Railway’s main line and Harbour line tracks.
- Meghalaya finally added to Train Map: Meghalaya was recently added to the country’s railway map with the first passenger train to the northeastern state. he latest estimated project cost is about Rs 275 crore. With the commissioning of this line, Meghalaya, which was the only state among the seven sisters of the Northeast not having any railway line, has been brought into the Railway Map of India.
India has suffered from multiple deficiencies in the era before 2014 – one of the main being a defective, deficient and broken political leadership who did not have broad vision for India, let alone a broad one. Their aim of self-aggrandisement and the policy of “let us make money, let others make money as long as am in power” brand of political leadership saw India loose on many aspects. These have been dealt at length by many other authors in various forums and is beyond the scope of this short paper.
India, in my view, has immensely benefitted by having a person as a PM, who has the faculty of thinking through solutions, who thinks on a long term basis. Sure, he is a human and is a politician and has his fault lines in various areas. Who does not have?
Annexure – 1
A bird’s eye view of his key announcements during his various Independence day addresses:
Year 1: August 15 2014, his mantras were:
- Swacchh Bharat Abhiyan: We want to start a movement for a clean India. If we have to build a nation, let us start from the villages”
- “would like to call people of the world to ‘come make in India.’ I want to tell the global companies that we have skill, talent and discipline. From electronics to electricals, from chemicals to pharmaceuticals, come, make in India. Paper to plastic, automobiles to agricultural products, come make in India. From satellite to submarine, come make in India. We have the capabilities.”
Year 2: August 15 2015, his mantras were:
- We must be number 1 in startups. ‘Start-up India’ and ‘Stand up India.’ A new start-up should beging in every part of the country. Every bank should ensure that its very branch must give loan for start-ups to at least one Dalit or tribal seeking to establish a start-up.
- And touched upon the point of cleanliness again.
- promise of toilets in all schools had been almost fulfilled, with the cooperation of States.
- financial inclusion had received a big boost with the opening of 17 crore bank accounts through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. He said the Rs. 20,000 crore deposited in the Jan Dhan accounts. Also spoke about Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Yojana and other schemes.
Year 3: August 15 2016, his mantras were:
- There is a class in the country, especially the middle class, the upper middle class, who is more troubled with income- tax officials than the police. I have to change this situation, I am trying and I will change it.
- Reform, perform, transform is the mantra
- Ujjwala Yojana: Launched on May 1, 2016. Five crore poor family will get gas stoves in three years and work is going on this project. We have reached the figure of nearly 50 Lakh families and that too in just 100 days.
- We have linked Aadhaar Card and Aadhaar number with Government schemes.
- Foreign affairs: Thanked the people of Balochistan, Gilgit for supporting him.
Year 3: August 15 2017, his mantras were:
- creating a ‘New India’. In our nation, there is no one big or small… Everybody is equal. Together we can bring a positive change.
- Internal security is our priority. Whether it is our oceans or borders, cyber world or space for all kind of security India is capable to defeat all such inimical forces.
- We have to work for the progress of Jammu and Kashmir. Neither with foul language and abuses, nor with the bullet
- However after the recent passage of the Benami Act, within a short span of time, government has confiscated Benami property worth Rs. 800 crores
- We have to work for the progress of Jammu and Kashmir.
- Triple Talaq
- More than 14000 un-electrified villages have been electrified
- 29 crore JanDhan accounts opened
- Over 1.75 lakh fake companies have been shut down
Year 4: August 15, 2018
- We aim to double the income of farmers by 2022.
- Due to the Swachh Bharat mission, lakhs of children can lead healthier lives. Even the World Health Organisation has lauded the movement.
- I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that Muslim women do not suffer due to triple talaq.
- Government of India has launched Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojanaAbhiyan. Now under this scheme any person can get relief from diseases by going to the good hospitals.
- Under the scheme Ayushman Bharat 10 crore families are able to get health insurance benefits, it means nearly 50 crore citizens will be covered. Each family will get 5 lakh rupees health coverage annually.
Year 5 – August 15, 2019 – August 15, 2019 – address after his win in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections
- The removal of Article 370, Article 35-A and ban on Triple Talaq have been important steps. We have fulfilled the dream that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had for India
- Our focus now is to build on 21st century India
- Today, the entire world faces the threat of terrorism
- Population explosion will create difficulties for future generations. Those who plan small families contribute to development of the nation. This is also a form of patriotism.
- India does not want incremental progress, it needs a high jump. Our thought process has to be expanded. We have to keep in mind global best practices and build good systems.
Year 6 – August 15, 2020
- In the midst of the Corona pandemic, 130 crore Indians have pledged to build a Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).
- Today, some of the world’s biggest companies are heading towards India. Along with ‘Make in India, we have to adopt the ‘mantra’ of ‘Make in World’ as well.
- To take India towards development there is a need to give a new direction to overall infrastructure development. We will achieve this using National Infrastructure Project. National Infrastructure pipeline project worth Rs 110 lakh crore will boost our overall infrastructure projects. We will now focus on multi-model connectivity infrastructure. We can’t work in silos anymore; we need to focus on comprehensive and integrated infrastructure. About 7,000 projects of different sectors have also been identified. It will bring a new revolution in infrastructure sector.
- One Nation-One Ration Card, One Nation – One Tax, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and Merger of Banks is the reality of the country today. 7 crore poor families were given free gas cylinders, more than 80 crore people were provided free food with or without ration cards, about 90 thousand crores were directly transferred to bank accounts.
- From this same Red Fort, last year, I announced the mission of Jal Jeevan. Today, under this mission, every day more than one lakh houses are getting water connection.
- In view of their geographical location, considering their importance in the development of the country, work is underway to start new development schemes in some of these selected islands. After Andaman and Nicobar islands, in the next 1000 days, Lakshadweep will also be connected to submarine optical fibre cable.
- Today many businesses of the world are viewing India as the hub of the supply chain. So now, we have to move ahead with the mantra of ‘Make for World’ alongside ‘Make in India’.
- We cannot work in silos. We do not need a situation where in the infrastructure sector, road sector will work only for roads and the rail sector will work only for rail. There is no coordination between the railways and the roadways, between the airport and the port, between the railway station and the bus station– this sort of situation is not desirable. We must ensure that the infrastructure is a comprehensive and an integrated one. It should be complementary to each other. The rail should be complementary to the road, the road to sea port and the sea port to the airport. We are moving towards a multi-modal connectivity infrastructure for the new century. And this will give a new dimension. We have started the work with a great dream. And I believe that by eliminating silos, we will give a new strength to all these systems.
- This government has also been persistently concerned about the better healthcare for poor sisters and daughters. We have done a huge job to providing sanitary pads at one rupee each in Janaushadhi Kendra. In a short span of time, more than 5 crore sanitary pads have been delivered to these poor women from 6000 Janaushadhi Kendras.
- The National Digital Health Mission is also being launched from today. It will bring a new revolution in India’s Health Sector. Technology will be used prudently to reduce the challenges in treatment.
- Every Indian will be given a Health ID. This Health ID will work like a Health Account of every Indian. This account will contain your details of every test, every disease, the doctors you visited, the medicines you took and the diagnosis. When and what was the report, all such information will be incorporated in the Health ID.
- The National Digital Health Mission will eliminate all these difficulties related to appointment with a doctor, depositing money, making a slip in the hospital, etc. We are devising a system which will help each and every citizen to make a better and informed decision.
Source:
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1646044
- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1499736
- https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/highlights-of-prime-ministers-address-on-independence-day/?tag_term=independence-day&comment=disable
- https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/pms-independence-day-speech-2018-highlights/?tag_term=independence-day&comment=disable
- https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/news_updates/highlights-of-pms-independence-day-speech-2017/?tag_term=independence-day&comment=disable
- https://english.jagran.com/india/independence-day-2020-from-swachh-bharat-launch-to-article-370-revocation-key-highlights-of-pm-modis-previous-iday-speeches-10015247
- https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/what-modi-said-key-moments-from-pm-s-first-6-independence-day-speeches/636971
- https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/eight-narendra-modi-i-day-promises-over-3-years-fact-checked-what-we-found/story-uLnHKr3YDjWXVv9KxXJ2lM.html
- https://www.livemint.com/Politics/JlYQVmRmRpu7ESTqPrkeoO/Infrastructure-in-four-years-of-Modi-govt-A-thumbs-up-for-b.html
- https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/infra/modi-government-constructed-73-percent-more-highways-compared-upa-last-4-years/story/279060.html
- https://morth.nic.in/sites/default/files/Basic_Road_Statistics_of_India_2013_14_and_2014_15.pdf
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/2009-19-what-worked-what-didnt-for-indian-economy/articleshow/68795143.cms?from=mdr
About the Author
Mr Natarajan is an Insurance and IT Professional has worked extensively in this area. He is an Alumnus of The Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Philippines. Writes occasional columns on matter of contemporary interest. He is also a hiker / trekker and an avid birder. He has participated in various Bird Count Surveys in and around Indore. He is also a photography enthusiast. He can be followed on Twitter @chittukuruvi4
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