Atmanirbhar Bharat: Step towards self-reliant India

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has put the world in the situation of global economic crises. When the world was standing still, the countries had to stop trading, and the economy’s flow was severely affected. For India, China was not only the pandemic originator but also the unfriendly neighbor ready to standoff. In this situation, it was essential to take some proactive steps to make India self-reliant in the future. Presently, India imports products worth USD 65 billion, but by 2022 it aims to reduce the trade worth by USD 8 billion. Therefore, the Indian government is taking a step forward to make India a self-reliant country. In this blog, we are going to discuss everything about Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

What is Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan?

The Hindi word Atmanirbhar translates to ‘Self-reliant’ or ‘Self-sufficient.’ This core value of being independent comes from our ancient scriptures. On 12^th May 2020, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with massive relief package Rs.20 Lakh crore, which is 10% of India’s GDP. It made the national headline followed by a series of debates. Many people supported it and criticized it, but no one can deny its massive impact on the people. This scheme is taking us to the path of the Swadeshi movement. However, Atmanirbhar does not mean being self-centric, and we would not have any trade relations with other countries, but it is more like a paradigm shift to depending more on our own country and its workforce.

Importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat

When the unprecedented pandemic hit the country, we depended on other countries like China and the USA for small items like N95 masks, PPE kit, and many clinical and non-clinical products. This stirred the country, and we were on the other end of scarcity. However, the country’s think-tanks decided not to succumb to the situation but to fight back with more power, and we are proud that in April, we started producing 2 lakh PPE kits and masks daily. It was the incident which showed the potential of the country and local brands. The following are the points to display the importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• It will make the country self-sufficient in all areas of business, manufacturing, supplying, and retailing. This will not only decrease our dependence on other countries, but it may boost our exports as well.
• With the slogan of ‘Vocal for Local,’ the scheme’s point of focus is the growth of local manufacturers and service providers.  When you decide to shift to Indian brands, consider looking for Top 10 Largest Indian Companies 2020.
• The deduction in imports will help us cover the trade deficit and may result in a trade surplus.
• The scheme will strengthen and improve the living standard of the country. Eventually, trade deficit and exchequer balance will be enhanced if this scheme rolls out how it has been designed. 
• Any other incident like this pandemic might sprout up so self-reliant project makes us prepared for the same.
• PM Narendra Modi stated that the monetary stimulus would revive vital economic spheres like manufacturing, supply, and demand. 
• FM Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the package relief would be announced in five tranches or phases, each phase focusing on various self-sufficiency areas. 

Five building pillars of Self-reliant India

• Economical-  The shift in the country’s economic front is only possible when we can convert this adverse situation in our benefits. Atmanirbhar Scheme aims to make the local brands rose to a global level. 
• Infrastructure- The building projects have been hampered in this phase of struggles, so we need to focus more on infrastructure to keep building new India.
• System- Today, technology drives the system; therefore, we need to welcome upcoming automation systems as the core of future development.
• Demography – The source of energy for the country lies in its vibrant democracy.
• Demand- The interrupted demand supply chain is to be mended and put back on the track.

Five Phases of Atmanirbhar Bharat

The five phases of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan are announced to help the Indian economy fight the impact of COVID-19.

Phases	Launch Date	Focus Areas	Stimulus in Cr (Rs)
I	13.05.2020	Cottage industry, MSME, EPF, PM Garib Kalyan, Relief to contractors	5,94,550
II	14.05.2020	Farmers, Labour codes, Migrants, food grain supply, Street vendors, afforestation funds, NABARD, Kisan Credits Card	3,10,000
III	15.05.2020	Agriculture & Allied Sectors	1,50,000
IV	16.05.2020	Coal, Atomic Energy, Minerals, Aviation, Defense, Space	48,100
V	17.05.2020	Ease of doing business, Education,  Health,
		Thoughtful early measures	1,92,800
		RBI Fund Injection	8,01,603
		Total	20,97,053

Atmanirbhar Scheme Details

The Atmanirbhar scheme is the umbrella scheme with multiple programs and benefits schemes for all spheres of the economy. Here we have picked the most popular Atmanirbhar Bharat Scheme loans with the links of the applicable forms.

1. MSMEs

The government has announced Rs.3 lakh crore for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. You can apply loans for new enterprises like factory acquisition, trade finance, capital requirements, launch new products, and more.

Apply Before- 31^st October 2020

Apply here– https://msme.gov.in/online-application

2. Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Loans

The government has announced pumping in Rs.2 lakh crore in Kisan Credit Card (KCC). You can apply loans for fisheries and animal husbandry. The loan also covers crop insurance, the initial capital for farming, and aid for selling. It is a boon for low-income farmers.

Apply here– https://pmkisan.gov.in/Documents/Kcc.pdf

3. CLSS Loans under PM Awas Yojana

Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) loans come under PM Awas Yojana. The scheme helps in job creation in the area of construction and transport. The government will inject 6-18 lakh annually.   

Apply Before: March 2021

Apply here– https://pmay-urban.gov.in/clss

4. Street Vendors Loan Scheme

Now street vendors can get a loan of Rs.10,000 for initial capital. It has also initiated a digital payment method for a street vendor. There are more than 50 lakh vendors who have benefitted from the scheme.

Apply here– https://pmsvanidhi.mohua.gov.in/

5. Shishu Loans

To aid the small business, the Indian government has injected 1.62 lakh crore in the Shishu loan scheme, which is part of MURDA Yojna. You can apply for this loan to start a small business or venture.

Apply here– https://www.mudra.org.in/Home/PMMYBankersKit

Conclusion

Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is a visionary scheme to uplift the morale of Indians. We have seen the downfall in our businesses, job losses, manufacturing, and almost all aspects of life. This scheme comes as a bright hope for the people who are adversely hit for this situation. There are many reliefs in loans, EMI payments, and many more finance-related issues. Therefore, in this blog, we have given the needed information about the scheme. We hope it was useful for you.

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