Sabyasachi: Indians need to feel Indian to market Indian

In a hard-hitting statement against people craving for foreign goods, ace Fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has said if Indians paid as much attention to its social and cultural roots rather than just religion, India would be a different country.

"The Make in India campaign cannot be successful if Indians do not understand the importance of being Indian,” he said adding that the day India started organising itself, China will become a distant cousin.

"To create an identity globally you need to look at it nationally. Indians still think that what one gets from outside the country is the best in the world. This mentality has to change," he said.

The country needs to change its mentality and pay attention to itself to create a global identity, Mukherjee said at a FICCI event 'Make in India: Hand Made in India' in Delhi.

It was organised to felicitate women achievers from the fashion industry who have contributed immensely to promotion of handmade textiles.

The achievers included eminent designer Asma Hussain, for skilling India and reviving the heritage of Awadh; Choti Tekan, a state awardee artist from Madhya Pradesh, for reviving the Gond form of tribal art, and Anavila Misra for innovative designs and popularising linen sarees.

Addressing the gathering, Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog said India needs to grow at 9-10 % annually for the next 10 years to take care of its myriad problems which could be overcome through the dint of hard work of young entrepreneurs, especially women.

Worldwide, women contribute to 40 % to GDP, while in India their contribution is 17 %. "If women's share in India's GDP rises to 40 %, the country would be able to add $700 billion to its GDP by 2025," he said.

Vinita Bimbhet, President, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) said the Niti Aayog had proposed 'Handmade in India' campaign to help revive the country's hand woven and handcrafted heritage and leverage the synergy between handlooms, art, handicrafts, khadi and village industries for getting a bigger share in the global markets.

Handlooms and handmade textiles are sub-sectors which have achieved its recognition and glory in the international arena. Harnessing of skills, design intervention and access to credit will play a big role in forging the global luxury industry ahead. This is the only sector that offers the promise and potential to preserve and promote India's cultural identity, she said.