Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said India is the fastest-growing populated country recently at the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) convocation in Prayagraj. In his speech as the chief guest, Murthy pointed out that the question of population control has remained a problem since the Emergency period, which he said is dangerous for the country’s sustainability. While elaborating on the threats that India has to face relating to population pressure, scarcity of land, and inadequate health care facilities.
He said, “India faces significant challenges related to population, per capita land availability, and healthcare facilities and since the Emergency period, we Indians have not paid enough attention to population control. This poses a risk of making our country unsustainable. In comparison, countries such as the US, Brazil, and China have far higher per capita land availability.” Murthy has been quite critical of India’s aspiration to be a manufacturing powerhouse like China.
He warned against using terms like “manufacturing hub”, or “leader” when referring to India He noted that China has already cemented its position as the “factory of the world”, with estimates indicating that about 90% of products sold in supermarkets around the world are made in China. Murthy pointed out that China is much stronger economically; its GDP is six times that of India’s and opined that it was presumptuous to say that India will be at par with China in a few years. He underlined the requirement of better governance to help India’s manufacturing plans. He pointed out that while the IT sector thrives on exports, the manufacturing industry is very much dependent on domestic players and government patronage.
Murthy urged for better public governance, he said that factors like slow response, no accountability, and bureaucratic delays are a hindrance to manufacturing. He suggested that the reduction of the interface between the government and industry is important in creating a favourable environment for manufacturers. He warned however that in the absence of such reforms India may find it hard to match with other manufacturing power houses such as China that currently dominates the manufacturing arena.
He also discussed the past generation and their struggles like his parents and teachers who struggled in order to provide a better future for the next generation. He stated, “One generation must make many sacrifices to improve the lives of the next. My parents, siblings, and teachers made significant sacrifices for my progress, and my presence here as the chief guest is proof that their sacrifices were not in vain.”
