PTI New Delhi

The next phase of reforms must focus on strategies to integrate small enterprises into the global supply chain, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery said on Wednesday. Addressing the 3rd ISID annual conference here, he also emphasised that India cannot depend indefinitely on imported technologies or fragmented production structures.

Bery noted that the update of the calculations on social protection suggests that India has been doing much better than previous calculations.

"So, we are starting from a good place. But here we are to talk about one cylinder that isn't firing as much as we would like, and that is manufacturing," he said.

Referring to the National Manufacturing Mission announced in the Union Budget, he said it has been assigned to NITI, and the Cabinet paper is still under preparation.

"...we do see clusters and the creation of competitive industrial ecosystems at the state and regional levels as being key to India's industrial success, will not be built in Delhi; it will be built in our states and districts. And therefore, we must move beyond a uniform approach and craft strategies that reflect each state's distinct endowments...," he said while providing a broader framework for the manufacturing sector.

He said Niti Aayog is partnering with states to identify their comparative advantage.