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Top 10 quotes at Modi's 'Make in India' campaign launch

NEW DELHI: For long, India has been projected as an elephant compared to the Chinese dragon and Asian tigers. But that could change, if the government's ambitious branding campaign to make India a manufacturing hub works. Launched on Thursday, the ' Make in India ' campaign seeks to replace the stately and steady elephant with a lion exuding power and vitality.The campaign seeks investments in 25 sectors, ranging from aviation and defence to automobiles, tourism and hospitality and wellness. The focus is not just on attracting foreign investment but also getting homegrown business houses, many of whom have invested overseas due to policy uncertainty during UPA-II, to return to Indian shores and create jobs. As PM Narendra Modi exhorted Indian businessmen at the launch function, "FDI should mean First Develop India".Many factors went into choosing the lion symbol. Wieden+Kennedy, the agency that also worked on 'Incredible India', initially thought of the elephant. But some in the government pointed out that it was BSP's election symbol and may create a controversy. The tiger, India's national animal, came up next. But it was feared that the dwindling population of tigers in the country could send out the wrong signals.Around this time, the PMO also stepped in as Modi announced the theme in his Independence Day speech. With the Mauryan period seen as a glorious period for India, the Ashoka Chakra made an entry and with it came the lion. Besides, there is a Gujarat connection as lions are thriving in Gir.During the election campaign, Modi was often called the lion of Gujarat. In his address before a gathering of the country's top businessmen on Thursday, he seemed to point to it. "This is a step by a lion," he said, referring to the manufacturing campaign, which will be a key theme over the next three-four years with a multi-stage campaign planned across the globe.As it happened: Modi launches 'Make in India' campaign(Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching the logo of 'Make in India Mission' at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.)In his address to a packed house of around 2,000 industry representatives, officers and journalists at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan, Modi drew upon the steps taken by his government in the first four months in office to suggest that confidence was slowly returning as he promised a trust-driven approach. "We don't want any businessman to be forced to go out. We have to change that. In fact, we have already changed that based on the experience of the past few months," Modi told an audience that included the country's top industrialists, and said that his government would not shy away from making it easier to do business."Who is putting a hurdle in ease of doing business? The government alone can help improve India's ranking from 135 to 50… I have sensitized the entire team and told them that are we putting up restrictions in the name of scrutiny, and for perfection? My experience of three months tell me that my entire team in Delhi, the entire bureaucracy is moving ahead with me with a positive spirit."(Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other ministers and officals, after launching 'Make in India' campaign.)Modi, who launched the campaign a day before his first visit to the US, where he will seek investments from top American corporations, made it clear that his government's policy on attracting investment will not be driven by concessions and sops but by providing the right business environment. "Industrialists do not come because of incentive schemes… We need to create development and growth-oriented environment… Investors first look at security of their investment, later growth and then profit. They don't want profits from Day 1," he said.Modi said the right business environment would drive investment to India as the world was looking at Asia as a hub for setting up projects. There was a message for global investors too as Modi said that they should not look at India merely as a large market. Instead, he said they should invest in the country to create jobs, which will increase the purchasing power and expand the market by increasing the size of the middle class.