The Hindu Business Line : Create entrepreneurs to attain 10 pc growth: Kalam

Mr Sushanto Roy, CEO, Sahara Media, touching the feet of the President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, after receiving the FICCI annual award. Also in the picture are Dr A.C. Muthiah, the outgoing President, FICCI, and Mr Y. K. Modi, President-elect, FICCI, during the 76th AGM of the chamber in the Capital on Wednesday. - Kamal Narang

New Delhi , Jan. 7

THE President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, on Wednesday asked India Inc to promote entrepreneurship for achieving a sustained economic growth of 10 per cent and help eliminate poverty in the country.

"There has been substantial growth in our higher educational system and we are generating over three million graduates every year. However, our employment generation system is not in a position to absorb the graduates passing out from the universities leading to increase in educated unemployed, year after year. This situation will lead to instability in the social structure," the President warned in his inaugural address at the 76th Annual General Meeting of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

"We have to graduate to 10 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth, only then the number of people living below poverty line will reduce to zero from 260 million now," the President told the captains of the industry.

As part of his `Integrated Action Plan for Developed India by 2020', Dr Kalam said, "The syllabus at the school level needed a change to create entrepreneurs and industry must nurture and encourage entrepreneurship."

To transform India into a developed nation by 2020, he pointed out that the industry will have to become competitive globally by achieving cost effectiveness, brand performance and `just in time' delivery. "Whoever is competitive will be the winner. The law of development states that whoever is competitive will win, whether developing or developed,'' he stated.

Outlining the Programme for Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), the President said that it has to be run in a business-like fashion and the industry will have to play a key role in implementing it. He said the time has come for the second `Green Revolution' in the country to meet the food requirement of 400 million tonnes by 2020. Earlier, in his address, FICCI's outgoing President, Dr A.C. Muthiah, sought legislative changes in the areas of labour and free entry and exit option. Suggesting a charter for placing the country on a high growth trajectory, he sought deepening of the disinvestment programme, infrastructure reforms, correction of the fiscal situation of States and rejuvenation of the manufacturing sector.

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