Make in India through the lens of local process-driven businesses

Basesh Gala

The Make in India initiative was launched as a national initiative with the specifically stated aim of making India a global manufacturing hub for the world. However, this vision must be weighed against the ground-level situation experienced in the local, process-based business, even though the vision may appear to relate to policy declarations, investor conferences, and macroeconomic expectations. Small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, form the foundation of the Indian economy, including establishing supply chains, job creation, and keeping industries running. I have had the honor of working closely with these businesses as a Business Mentor and SME Coach, and the degree to which these regional companies embrace process excellence will determine the real success of Made in India.

India’s local businesses have always been rich in entrepreneurial spirit. What they usually miss is structured scalability. Many founders start businesses with passion and grit, but then become owner-dependent without a well-defined process. This limits growth, increases errors, and creates operational bottlenecks. The Make in India vision pushes these enterprises to think differently. It requires consistency, quality, and reliability, which is the standard for global markets that local businesses must learn to meet. This transformation will not only involve investing in machinery or expanding production, but also a shift from an owner-driven to a process-driven mindset.

Process-driven businesses are the backbone of manufacturing

Process-driven businesses are the invisible backbone of world-class manufacturing. They do not rely on luck or daily fire-fighting. They are growing because their systems are robust. Entrepreneurs who flourish in this increasingly dynamic environment learn to develop predictable, repeatable, and measurable processes, whether that is simply designing consistency in quality checks or redesigning the overall supply chain way of doing things. The impact is always transformational. As processes strengthen, efficiency rises, wastage falls, customer satisfaction goes up, and teams begin to operate with clarity. This is what global competitiveness looks like at the grassroots level.

Make in India is not merely an industrial initiative; it is also an opportunity to upgrade India’s business culture. For decades, many local enterprises functioned using traditional wisdom passed down through generations. While that instinct is valuable, it must now be supported by modern systems. Technology, automation, and digital tools are no longer optional; they are the new foundation for growth. Even the smallest manufacturing units today can use digital dashboards, automated inventory tracking, customer CRM systems, and workflow standardization tools. These are not innovations that replace human effort, but elevate it. If technology supports the process, a business becomes resilient, scalable, and globally aligned.

Motivating Transformations

The most motivating transformation that I came across was a family-run business in Kolhapur that manufactures agricultural equipment. For years, the company struggled with inconsistent delivery timelines and rising rework costs. The owner believed hard work alone was sufficient, while the market demanded more. When the team finally adopted a process-oriented approach, putting in place standardized production steps, workers’ training modules, and quality benchmarks for suppliers, the transformation was amazing. Productivity rose by almost 40%, and customer complaints fell drastically. That business is now exporting its products to three countries. This story is not unique. It reflects what thousands of Indian SMEs can achieve when they combine their experience with structured processes.

Another important lesson we must acknowledge is that ‘Make in India’ focuses on creating excellence in India. The world will not embrace Indian products just because they are Indian. It will embrace them because they are reliable, competitive, innovative, and consistently deliver high-quality products. This requires discipline, documentation, and continuous training. It needs every team member, from the shop floor to the sales desk, to follow systems with commitment.

When local businesses adopt global benchmarks, the world begins to see India differently.

At the heart of Make in India lies a deeper ambition: to transform India from a nation of entrepreneurs to a nation of enterprise builders. Entrepreneurs start businesses; enterprise builders create institutions. Institutions survive market fluctuations, leadership transitions, and economic cycles because they are built on established processes, not on the personalities of their leaders. This is the evolution India needs if it wishes to stand confidently on the world stage.

As a Business Mentor and SME Coach, my message to local business owners is simple: Make in India begins in your factory, your shop, your office, your team. This begins with the systems you create, the standards you uphold, and the culture you create in your work and in your society. You are not merely a cog in the Indian economy; you are an architect of its future. The next decade will belong to Indian businesses that make a conscious choice to pursue process excellence, long-term vision, and a disciplined approach to execution.

Make in India is a mindset. And when local, process-driven businesses adopt this mindset with sincerity, the movement transforms from a national aspiration into a lived reality.

Basesh Gala is Business Mentor for Hand-Holding & SME Success Coach