Ms Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, highlighted the government’s ongoing long-term reforms and the pivotal role of technology in enhancing citizen services at the 3rd edition of the FICCI Industry 4.0 Excellence Awards Ceremony and Conclave.
Ms Khare emphasized that reforms such as GST 2.0 and lower inflation have eased household expenses, allowing citizens to invest more in education and healthcare, thereby reducing the cost of living. She stated that the window for long-term reforms remains open as India moves towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
Speaking at the conclave, Ms Khare explained that technology is central to government initiatives like the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), UPI, and GST 2.0, providing ease of living for citizens. She noted that the next stage involves the externalization of Smart Standards, enabling machines to read them, save industry time, and increase efficiency.
Ms Khare urged industry players, especially MSMEs, to adopt Indian standards and collaborate with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for formulation and review. She stressed that adherence to quality and standards is crucial for global competitiveness and for participating effectively in the world supply chain. The government plans to support this with community testing labs to strengthen quality compliance.
• Suprakash Chaudhuri, Co-Chair, FICCI Technology Committee, highlighted that technology adoption is an investment in long-term competitiveness, particularly for MSMEs.
• Gokul V Subramaniam, India President, Intel, stressed leapfrogging technological adoption in sectors like agriculture and public services to make AI and technology accessible to rural areas.
• Jyoti Vij, Director General, FICCI, described Industry 4.0 as a driver of resilience, innovation, and global competitiveness.
• Shyam Bang, Former Chairman NABCB, noted that digitization and AI enhance quality, efficiency, and credibility in industries.
• Anil Kumar Bhardwaj, Deputy Director General, DoT, highlighted that funding is available for technology innovations, provided as pure grants for eligible projects.
The conclave saw the release of the FICCI Industry 4.0 Handbook and the distribution of Industry 4.0 Awards, celebrating excellence in technological adoption and innovation.
The discussions underscored the government’s commitment to leveraging technology, Smart Standards,and quality reforms to improve citizen services, enhance industrial competitiveness, and pave the way for India’s development journey towards 2047.
