Addressing a webinar on Monday, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant assured that the finance ministry is taking several measures to help the sectors hit the country due to the ongoing pandemic and reflief packages for MSMEs are on the way. “More packages will come in to address the needs of MSMEs and big enterprises,” he said. Attending the webinar- on COVID-19: India Fights Back – the Strategy and Way Forward with VK Paul, NITI Aayog member (Health), Kant lauded the government’s Rs 1.7 crore welfare package for the marginalized to cope with the crisis, along with the measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India for the same.
The conversation also veered to the supply chain disruption during the lockdown and Kant said India needs to identify five to six sectors for manufacturing. “We have opened up mobile manufacturing and API manufacturing in India.Similarly, we should look at five to six sectors for manufacturing in India,” he said. He highlighted the dire need for healthcare equipment such as protective equipment and ventilators during this phase and assured it will be taken care of. “In the second phase of the lockdown, the entire supply chain will be certainly taken care of,” he said, adding that they will make sure the orders from above are implemented to their full effect.
