‘Let us build a globally competitive Bharat, powered by Maharashtra: Jaykumar Rawal at 26th IMC Bharat Calling Conference
· Free Press Journal
Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Marketing and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra addressed the inaugural session as the Chief Guest at the IMC Bharat Calling Conference 2026 themed ‘Building a Globally Competitive Manufacturing and Export Powerhouse’ organized by the IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMC) on Friday in Mumbai. Rawal underscored that ‘’Maharashtra is not waiting for an opportunity, it is engineering it. He highlighted that Maharashtra is building scale, trust and global competitiveness and mentioned that MSMEs are the nervous system of our economies while agriculture is its foundation. He reiterated that we should convert farmers into agriculture entrepreneurs and encourage their participation in global trade with adequate policy support.
Rawal further mentioned that, to strengthen leadership, the Maharashtra government has introduced new industry-friendly Industrial Policy to position the state as a trillion-dollar sub-economy. The focus is on high-technology manufacturing, green and sustainable industries, the semiconductor and more, along with ease of doing business through time-bound approvals and structured initiatives linked to employment, exports and regional balance. He also mentioned that at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Maharashtra formalised nearly ₹30 lakh crore in MoUs — close to 85 investment commitments with the potential to generate up to 40 lakh jobs; and further stated that in Maharashtra, we have developed a culture of signing MOUs and move fast on it making it 'Move on Urgently' (MOUs).
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In his Guest of Honour address, Mr. Anant Goenka, Vice Chairman, RPG Group, President, FICCI stated that India is at the right place at the right time, and today India remains at a bright spot with over 8% growth in Q2, strong macros, low inflation and a strong reform oriented government. With focused trade expansion, FTAs, streamlined logistics and standards, and a strong push from Atmanirbhar Bharat to becoming vital in global supply chains, our macros are strong — now we must develop our micros in India. He further mentioned that as India move towards Viksit Bharat, the next two generations will belong to builders — builders with patience in brand building, commitment to quality, deep investment in R&D, and the courage to compete globally, and India can become a true manufacturing and export powerhouse.
Mr. Ashishkumar Chauhan, Managing Director & CEO, National Stock Exchange of India highlighted that said that manufacturing as a percentage of GDP has remained around 16%, and if India must emerge as a true global manufacturing and export powerhouse, it must raise that to 25%. He emphasized that this shift requires patient investment in R&D, brand building, technology adoption, and global competitiveness, and that India must design for the world, not just for the domestic market. He added that solving global problems requires understanding diverse customer needs, investing in research across continents, and building brands that resonate internationally.
Ms. Sunita Ramnathkar, President, IMC highlighted in her address that the coming decade will shape India’s role in the global economy and as manufacturing, digitalisation, sustainability and supply chains evolve, nations that combine scale, speed, skill and stability will lead. She further stressed that “Made in India” must stand for quality, reliability and innovation.
The inaugural session also included release of a Report on ‘Global Competitiveness and Export Readiness of India’s Manufacturing Sector’ by IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMC) and Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).