We must compliment Modi govt for focusing on MSME: Sanjaya Baru at Kalinga Literary Festival

New Delhi, Feb 16: Eminent author Sanjaya Baru joined KLF Bhava Samvad with journalist Pallavi Rebbapragada to converse about his latest book 'Beyond Covid Shadow'.

He began with saying, "privatising is not the easy way out. Somehow assuming privatizing is the easier option is not correct. It has its own difficulties as we've seen in the different parts of the country. But Delhi is a very peculiar and high income market and a very pampered market.

There are two things about Dr. Swami's essay. The important thing is the point he makes about strategy in the long term. You need a strategy, a long term thinking to take India from one place to another. We need to have a long term strategy for the economy."

Further he says, "One of the mistakes that this government made was to Disband Planning and Planning commission. It's still relevant for a developing country like India. There is a needless element of combativeness about so many important issues, rather than to seek consensus. Just because you have a majority in Parliament, you can run off shot over public opinion. Government has to take public opinion along with them.

Let's not forget this economy of our country went from an average rate of growth of 3.5% from 1950-80 and an average rate of growth of 5.5% from 1980-2000, and 7.5% from 2000 to 2015. An annual growth rate of over 8% from 2003 to 2010: this acceleration of growth rate happened with old labour laws."

"The conditions differ from state to state, not just the economic conditions but also social conditions and political conditions. One important lesson that we can learn from China is that the Chinese central government allowed provinces to take the initiative. Let the states take the initiative and let there be a competition of who'll attract more investment, who'll encourage more growth and that's how the country holds the benefits. There's a need to revive investment, revive savings and that' requires rebuilding confidence. I think what comes from all the essays you read is that the medium term challenge is as important as the immediate challenge," said Sanjaya.

"In MSMEs, it is the first M which is the most important: micro. First we must complement the Modi Government and PM Modi personally for focusing on Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Enterprises.
There's a corporate food chain, where the big companies are the consumers from the small firms and competitors. So for the survival of small firms, you need a positive relationship between the big and the small. And that's where the government comes in to save the small companies from the big. Look at the German Industrialization or Japanese Industrialization, they are all the morals of synergy between big companies and small firms," he opined.

Speaking about it, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, founder and director of KLF said, "KLF Bhava Samvad was initiated to keep the literary spirit intact during lockdown because of pandemic. The rapid growth of platform and after receiving immense love from the audience, KLF Bhava Samvad has reached its 150th session with legendary literary figures, artistes across the globe and will continue to live as a permanent platform."

The annual Kalinga Literary Festival, Mystic Kalinga Festival (KLF) celebrates the creative spirit of India and commemorate the literary diversity it offers, bringing it in conversation with the best minds in the world of literature within and outside of Odisha and India.