Vocal for Local: Make in India

What happens when you choose products made in India? Group A2 of Class 5A researched it, taught it to the class and tested what everyone learned.

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A team member presenting Local Production in India to the classBamboo phone speaker brought to class

The day Make in India began

On 25 September 2014 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Make in India. The big idea: make India a global manufacturing hub.

  • Growth goalManufacturing to grow 12 to 14% every year.
  • Jobs goal100 million new jobs by 2022.
  • Share goalManufacturing to reach 25% of India's GDP.
  • Focus areasEasier business rules, foreign investment, industrial corridors and skills training.
  • The logoA lion made of gears. It stands for strength, skill and national pride.
Make in India lion logo

What is Make in India?

A national plan to build world-class factories and roads, open key industries to foreign investment, and make the government a partner to business instead of only a rule-maker.

A new phase, Make in India 2.0, followed in 2021 to get more people choosing Indian-made products.

Buy whatever you want, from any country, in any shop, but it should be made in India.

How you can join in

Check labels and look for the Indian-made option. Try an Ayurvedic home remedy for a mild cold, and carry a hand-woven tote bag instead of a big-brand bag.

Hands holding a hand-painted Indian drum

Local production in India

Vocal for Local asks all of us to buy Indian goods and support small businesses (MSMEs). The goal is Atmanirbhar Bharat: a self-reliant India that depends less on imports.

Textiles and crafts

Handlooms, spices, teas, traditional crafts and wellness products.

Green energy and EVs

Solar equipment, batteries and electric vehicle parts made at home.

Electronics and IT

More phones and gadgets assembled in India, with parts made here too.

Industrial inputs

Special chemicals, medicine ingredients and basic engineering materials.

Defence and aerospace

Heavy machinery, aircraft parts and defence equipment built locally.

The $51 billion push

India aims to replace about $51 billion of imported items, including solar panels, EVs, textiles and footwear.

Bamboo speakers

One of our team brought a real bamboo speaker to class. It needs no electricity or battery.

What are they?

A carved bamboo or clay stand. You rest your phone in the slot and the sound travels through a hollow chamber.

What kind of sound do they create?

A warm, natural sound that is louder than the phone alone. It is not as loud as an electric speaker.

Why bamboo?

Bamboo grows fast, is strong and is a skill of Indian craftspeople.

Why choose them over electric speakers?

No power, no battery waste and no plastic. Each one is handmade.

Where are they available?

Craft shops, handicraft fairs and online stores that sell Indian handmade goods.

Phone resting on a bamboo speaker
Bamboo log phone speakerTerracotta phone speaker from Kerala

Ayurveda

Ayurveda means "The Science of Life" in Sanskrit. Many scholars call it one of the oldest healing systems in the world.

It began in India around 5,000 years ago in the Vedic culture. For thousands of years, masters taught it to students by speaking, before it was written down.

Try it: honey ginger tea

Sipping it on chilly days is a classic home remedy for a cold and cough. For anything serious, see a doctor.

Ayurvedic herbs and spices
Honey ginger tea

Local fabrics

Buying local fabric supports nearby weavers, keeps old craft skills alive and avoids long-distance shipping. Look for hand-woven saris, shawls, kurtas and dhotis in your local market.

Tamil Nadu

Kodali Karuppur

A nearly extinct royal textile with gold zari, resist-dyeing and hand-painted kalamkari.

Telangana

Telia Rumal

A double ikat where cotton yarn is treated with oil and ash before dyeing.

Gujarat

Patan Patola

Double ikat silk that takes months of precise resist-dyeing.

Odisha

Dhalapathar

A handwoven cotton tapestry. Very few living weavers remain.

Kutch, Gujarat

Kharad

Coarse wool rugs woven by nomadic communities.

Gujarat

Mashru

A mixed fabric with a silk outside and a cotton inside.

Stack of folded local fabricsWeavers at work in Gangtok, SikkimColourful woven rug

Weavers at the Directorate of Handloom and Handicraft, Gangtok, Sikkim.

We taught it, then tested it

Group A2 presented to Class 5A, showed a real bamboo speaker, and gave the class a quiz and survey.

Presenting Make in IndiaPresenting AyurvedaClassmates taking the quizClass holding Make in India bookmarks
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