NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday signalled a shift in India’s export strategy from merely focusing on cost competitiveness to quality-driven growth, urging industry to scale up research, adopt global standards and align with emerging supply chain opportunities.Addressing the second post-Budget webinar on sustaining economic growth, PM Modi said India must reposition itself as a trusted manufacturing partner as global trade and production networks are being reshaped. “Our direction is clear. Our resolve is clear. Build more, produce more, connect more and now the need is to export more,” he said, framing exports as the next stage of India’s economic trajectory.With multiple free trade agreements opening wider market access, Modi said quality would determine how effectively India leverages these opportunities. “When opportunities have come for us to move ahead, our one mantra should be — ‘Quality, Quality, Quality’,” he said. “If we have to put the maximum strength, intellect and effort into one thing, it should be quality,” Modi said, adding Indian products must not only meet global benchmarks but aim to exceed them.Modi also called for greater investment in research and development. “The era of being frugal about research is over. Now, we must make big investments in research,” he said, urging manufacturers to closely study consumer preferences and regulatory standards in partner countries to produce user-friendly and globally competitive goods.Among the sectoral priorities, PM Modi highlighted the Bio-Pharma Shakti Mission, aimed at positioning India as a global hub for biologics and next-generation therapies. “We want to move towards leadership in advanced biopharma research and manufacturing,” he said,Linking manufacturing ambition with infrastructure and logistics reforms, Modi said record capital expenditure, multimodal connectivity and new freight corridors would reduce costs and improve efficiency. However, he added outcomes would depend on coordinated action by industry, financial institutions and states.
