Economic development and creative leadership:

Work with integrity and succeed

Text of address by former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

I am delighted to address the Business Leaders, Management Professional, Academicians and other guests present here in this event being hosted by Post Graduate Institute of Management of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, Colombo in association with the Chartered Institute of Management.

Let me put forth a question to all of you: India, China may become economically developed and G-8 may thus become G-10 or G-11 or G-12. But, would this select group of economically developed nations bring global prosperity, peace and happy societies in the world?

The sustained prosperity of India, Sri Lanka or any other nation cannot evolve in isolation with the rest of the world. In a globalization world, our problems are shared, our efforts are shared and the prosperity and happiness will hence we shared across nations and societies as well. Hence, I have evolved a new topic for discussion with all of you today after my teaching assignments in Universities across the world. I would like to talk on the topic: ‘Economic development and creative leadership’.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

For the past five years, I have been teaching students from various institutions across the world towards evolving societies in the world which are happy, prosperous and peaceful. I often work with my students and team towards the realization of a Vision for the Nations of the World in 2030. Let me present to you the visualizations. You may become partner to its realization.

Distinctive profile for the nations of the world in 2030;

1. A world of nations where the divide between rural and urban, rich and the poor, developed and developing has narrowed down.

2. A world of nations where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water.

3. A world where core competencies of each nation are identified. Missions synergizing the core competencies of different nations lead to economic advantage and faster development for all the societies.

4. A world of nations where all the students of all societies are imparted education with value system.

5. A world of nations where affordable quality health care is available to all.

6. A world of nations where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free.

7. A world of nations where crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated.

8. A world in which every nation is able to give a clean green environment to all its citizens.

9. A world that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path.

10. A world of nations with creative leadership who ensure effective mechanisms to resolve conflicts between nations and societies in a timely manner keeping overall peace and prosperity of the world as a goal.

The realization of this vision will require, above all, creative leaders with the qualities of nobility, compassion, innovation, transparency and benevolence.

This World Vision 2030 has been derived out of the Distinctive Profile of India by 2020. Since you are all from the management and business community of Sri Lanka, let me explain, what sort of business opportunities are awaiting in India, so that India and Sri Lanka can work together to for improving their bilateral relationship.

Integrated action for developed India

To achieve the distinctive profile of India before 2020 in the similar lines, we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing (2) Education and healthcare (3) Information and communication technology (4) Infrastructure: reliable and quality electric power, surface transport and infrastructure for all parts of the country and (5) Self reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and progressing in a coordinated way, leading to food, economic and national security.

National missions and opportunities

Agriculture and food processing: We are in the mission of generating 340 million tons of food grains with reduced land, with reduced water and with reduced workforce from the present 230 million tonnes. New technology is needed in agricultural area from seeds to cultivation to the grain, food processing and marketing. This entire chain will enable employment particularly in rural areas in a big way.

Infrastructure: India is aspiring to build hundred million homes within next ten years.

The infrastructure development in metropolitan and tier-2 cities needs to be enhanced in the form of new bridges, airports, marketing complexes and industrial units. Forty percent of the rural areas need to be covered with all weather roads; we need to double the present national highways road length. Simultaneously, we are in the process of developing ports, railway systems and airports.

For example, the Indian construction industry employs over 31 million people for its asset generating activity of over Rs.310,000 crore which includes expenditure of Rs.200,000 crore incurred by the government.

This will need development of specialized quality human resource in all the spectrum of construction activity. This task will need reorientation of our education system for generating world class skills among the youths.

Energy: Energy independence is our national goal. We are determined to achieve this within the next 25 years i.e by the year 2030. While our population may touch 1.4 billion people, demand from power sector will increase from the existing 145,000 MW to about 400,000 MW. This assumes an energy growth rate of 5 percent per annum. Electric power generation in India now accesses four basic energy sources: Fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal which have to be replaced by, Hydroelectricity; Nuclear power; and Renewable energy sources such as bio-fuels, solar, biomass, wind and ocean. We need a major thrust in solar energy (55,000 MW) and wind energy (64,000 MW) nuclear energy (50,000 MW) hydro power sources (66,000 MW) and bio-mass and municipal waste (20,000 MW). For the transportation sector, we have to concentrate on bio-diesel, ethanol and emulsified fuel.

Safe Drinking Water and Water Management: We are in the process of embarking on the major mission of ‘Interlinking of Rivers’ in the nation and the statewide creation of ‘Waterways’ which will act as a reservoir to accommodate floodwater and enhance the irrigation, navigation and tourism.

Healthcare: India is in the mission of ‘Health for all’ programme and ‘Vision 2020’ for eye care. It provides tremendous opportunity in the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. We are also in the mission of establishing tele-medicine centers in the Primary Health Centre of 2 lakh panchayats through connectivity mission via Satellite, Terrestrial and wireless links. We have to enhance the nutrition aspects of all citizens, particularly women and children and also provide 100 percent sanitary facilities in homes, schools and other public places.

Pharma Vision: The global production of pharmaceuticals, branded and generics put together is of the order of $ 550 billion. The Indian Pharma industry at present has a turnover of US $ 12.5 billion of generics for domestic and export markets against the production of US $ 78 billion worth of generics in the world. Pharma Council has evolved the Pharma Vision 2020 with a view to make India the leader in drug production. We have to set a target of producing 40 percent of world generics production.

Indian pharmaceutical companies have got the core competence for producing cost effective and quality Pharma products. Our Pharma companies are working towards molecule to drug and have embarked on number of research programmes in developing medicines using our traditional knowledge.

Information and Communication Technology: India has to become ‘Knowledge system powerhouse’ instead of software powerhouse. Also to achieve global operations, we have to consider introduction of virtual platforms for development of knowledge products based on national experience in engineering design of multiple systems leading to a business volume of US $ 200 billion by 2012 from the present business volume of US $ 60 billion.

Aerospace: In the area of space, India has to work for Low cost access to space bringing the cost per kg from the present US $ 20,000 per orbital kg to $ 2,000.

This will eventually lead India to take part in many mass missions for earth applications and interplanetary exploration for industrial base and second habitat. India has to work for 70 -100 seater aircraft which is viable to be produced before 2020 and with enormous potential for air transportation in our country.

Automobile: The automobile industry in India accounts for a business volume of US $ 45 billion. Definitely, it has a potential to grow much faster both through Indian manufacturers and many well-known international manufacturers who have established huge facilities in the country. We are poised to increase business volume to US $ 200 billion by 2016 with an export component of at least US $ 50 billion.

Shipbuilding: India today builds ships for oil exploration, service vessels, port operations, self-propelled barges for river transports and cargo ships upto 92,000 DWT. In addition, we have facility for building combat ships for the Indian Navy.

By 2008, we will have three shipyards for building vessels of capacity 100,000 to 150,000 DWT. We have to create facilities for vessel ranging from 150,000 DWT to 300,000 DWT. Simultaneously, there is a need for setting up of shipyards. The technology has under gone a sea change. Many of the shipbuilders in the world are building for India.

Rail Vision 2030: I have suggested increasing the railway route length from the existing 63,000 kilometre to 90,000 kilometre, increasing average speed of trains to 200 kilometre per hour, establishment of number of metros, integrating Indian Railways with inland smart waterways with 15,000 kilometres waterways, construction of multilevel railways platforms to reduce platform crowding and overall increase in the passenger and freight throughput.

PURA Mission: One major aspect of development is the mission for bringing rural prosperity. This is through Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) through creation of three connectivities namely physical, electronic, knowledge leading to economic connectivity. The number of PURA for the whole country is estimated to be 7,000 covering 600,000 villages where 700 million people live.

This will need an investment of around 175 billion dollars. Government is planning to implement 2 PURA's per district across 600 districts in the nation.

There are a number of operational PURA in the country initiated by many educational, healthcare institutions, industry and NGO's.

To be continued