Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed ministries and departments to assess the situation and prepare short-term and long-term, sector-specific plans to reduce import dependence and ensure the uninterrupted availability of critical supplies.
India had unveiled several targeted interventions during the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure availability of several key products and to reduce dependence on imports as part of the Aatmanirbhar initiative.
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A central element of Aatmanirbhar 2.0 is scaling up green energy, nuclear power and thermal capacities to reduce India’s dependence on oil and gas imports, said people aware of the details. The push follows a series of high-level meetings, including the cabinet committee on security, to assess the fallout of the Gulf war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
It was for this reason that the meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) members was expanded to include other ministers, said a person aware of the details. The CCS, chaired by the Prime Minister, comprises the defence, home, external affairs and finance ministers.
The message from the highest level of government is to “move beyond firefighting to building structural resilience,” the person said.The strategy will closely look at the exposure to imported supplies.
‘Structural Resilience’
The push follows a series of high-level meetings, including the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), to assess the fallout of the Gulf war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
It was for this reason that the meeting of CCS members was expanded to include other ministers, said a person aware of the details. The CCS, chaired by the Prime Minister, comprises the defence, home, external affairs and finance ministers.
The message from the highest level of government is to “move beyond firefighting to building structural resilience,” the person said.
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The strategy will closely look at the exposure to imported supplies and steps needed to lower exposure through targeted interventions, another person said. Ministries and departments will take stock and draw up plans.
India is dependent on select chemicals, fertilisers, industrial inputs, rare earths and high-end machinery, among others.