Introduction
In May 2020, Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi launched the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission to promote Indian goods in the global supply chain markets and help the country achieve self-reliance. The mission was announced amid the pandemic when the government allocated funds worth Rs. 20 lakh crore (US$ 268.74 billion), which amounts to ~10% of India’s GDP, as a stimulus package to help recover the economy by promoting incentives for domestic production. It encompasses themes such as ‘local for global’, ‘made for world’ and ’vocal for local’.
The key objectives of the ‘Self-reliant India’ (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission are as follows:
- Develop India into a global supply chain hub.
- Build the government's trust in the private sector capabilities and prospects.
- Establish 'good force multipliers' for Indian manufacturers.
- Enter the global markets to export goods including agriculture, textiles, clothing, and jewellery.
- Determine adequacy of each sector (e.g., defence, agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, etc.), with the help of FY22 budget, to achieve self-reliance.
Need for Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan)
India’s industrial performance remains robust as Industry Gross Value Added (GVA) grew by 7.0 per cent year-on-year, in real terms, in the first half of FY2025-26. This was fuelled by strong increases of 11.56%, 9.11%, and 8.81% in the sectors of Basic Metals, Motor Vehicles and Chemical sectors, respectively.
In 2020, a report by Acuite Ratings & Research identified 40 sub-sectors (such as agro-based products, drug formulations, chemicals, automobile components, handicrafts, cosmetics, and consumer electronics) that accounted for imports worth ~US$ 33.6 billion from China. According to the report, India’s domestic manufacturing possess capabilities to replace 25% of the total imports (indicating savings of ~0.3% of the GDP) from China without additional investments. It added that in FY22, the country could reduce US$ 8.4 billion worth trade deficit with China, by substituting imports from sectors such as drug formulations, chemicals, automobile components, handicrafts, cosmetics, and consumer electronics.
Benefits of Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan)
The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan 2021 is likely to benefit numerous industries.
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Secondary Sector |
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Tertiary Sector |
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Quaternary Sector |
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This mission focuses on the following four key factors - Land, Labour, Liquidity and Laws. In line with these factors, the government introduced several initiatives, between 2014 and 2020, to help the country achieve self-reliance.
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Key Factors |
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Land & Labour |
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Liquidity |
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Laws |
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The key beneficiaries of this mission include Shramiks (labourers/workers); Kisans (farmers); daily wage earners, who work for the country's growth; ‘middle class’ people who pay income tax to the government and ‘upper class’ people who give the economy strength.
Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan): Key Initiatives and Progress
The government announced an Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package (ANB 1.0) in May 2020 and launched two additional Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan packages in end-2020 (ANB 2.0 and ANB 3.0) to maintain the progress. The overall Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package, including the RBI initiatives, was estimated at ~Rs. 27.1 lakh crore (US$ 362.49 billion), or >13% of the GDP.
With the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package, the government facilitated structural reforms such as redefinition of MSMEs, commercialisation of the mineral sector, agriculture & labour reforms, privatisation of public sector undertakings, One Nation One Ration Card initiative and production-linked incentive schemes.
Under the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan), the government implemented the following schemes:
- Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses: Launched by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on October 11, 2025, at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses aims to make India self-reliant by raising domestic production to 350 lakh tonnes and expanding cultivation to 310 lakh hectares by 2030-31, with 100% procurement of Tur (Arhar), Urad, and Masoor at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for four years.
- In March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved the ‘Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses’ with a financial outlay of Rs. 11,440 crore (US$ 1.26 billion) for the period FY26-FY31, aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production by 2030-31.
- Under the post-harvest infrastructure component of the mission, 1,000 processing units (dal mills) have been approved during the mission period, of which targets for 528 units were allocated to States and Union Territories in the first phase. Uttar Pradesh (56 units) and Madhya Pradesh (55 units) received the highest allocations.
- To increase pulses cultivation in rice fallow and other diversifiable areas, the government plans to distribute 87.5 lakh free seed kits over six years under the mission. During the Rabi 2025-26 season, 10.37 lakh seed kits were allocated to States, with Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan receiving the highest allocations.
- A total of 489 districts have been identified as focus districts under the mission to support cluster-based pulses development and improve domestic production capacity.
- Introduced Production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme: To establish India’s manufacturing global leadership and boost the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India) scheme, under the Union Budget 2021-22, the government launched a production-linked incentive scheme (PLI) across 14 sectors, at ~Rs. 1.97 lakh crore (US$ 27.02 billion), for the next five years.
- The Union Budget 2026-27 earmarked Rs. 15,541 crore (US$ 1.73 billion) for Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes across 14 key sectors, compared with the revised estimate of Rs. 16,072 crore (US$ 1.79 billion) in FY26.
- Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes recorded cumulative investments of Rs. 2.16 lakh crore (US$ 24 billion) and generated sales/production worth Rs. 20.41 lakh crore (US$ 226.78 billion) as of December 31, 2025. The schemes also supported employment generation for 14.39 lakh people across sectors.
- The allocated budget is an additional fund to Rs. 40,951 crore (US$ 5.45 billion), which was for PLI electronics manufacturing schemes.
- Strengthened Healthcare infrastructure: In the Union Budget 2021-22, the government introduced a new central healthcare scheme that will be implemented over the next six years to improve the country's healthcare infrastructure.
- Under Pradhan Mantri Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana (PMANSY), the government allocated funds worth Rs. 64,180 crore (US$ 8.80 billion) over six years to strengthen the existing ‘National Health Mission’ and develop capacities of primary, secondary & tertiary care and healthcare systems & institutions to detect and cure new and emerging diseases.
- Strengthened other infrastructure: In alignment with the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission, the Union Budget 2025-26 has categorized hotels at 50 tourist destinations as infrastructure projects. This initiative is designed to enhance tourism and foster job creation within the hospitality sector.
- As part of the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission, the Union Budget 2025-26 has granted infrastructure status to the shipbuilding sector, fostering the growth of domestic large ship construction.
- Increased focus on women entrepreneurship: In 2015-16, the government, under the Department of Science & Technology’s ‘Science & Technology for Women’ scheme, launched women technology park (WTP) programmes to empower women by training them in skills to set up their own microenterprises and become self-reliant. In the last five years (until March 2021), ~10,000 rural women have benefited from this programme, 28 WTPs have been successfully completed and 12 parks are under progress across the country.
- Achieving self-reliance in the defence sector: Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India) scheme, the government launched policies to promote self-reliance in defence manufacturing. For example, the government increased FDI limit to 74% in defence manufacturing, placed ‘import embargo’ on 101 military items and introduced the Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020. The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the primary initiative of the Department of Defence Production, has achieved a significant milestone by finalizing its 300th contract. This contract pertains to the design and advancement of cutting-edge Gallium Nitride Semiconductors crucial for the upcoming era of wireless transmitters in defence applications, spanning from radars to Electronics Warfare (EW) jammers.
- Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, India has strengthened its defence sector, with domestic production reaching Rs. 1,27,000 crore (US$ 14.31 billion) in 2023-24 and exports rising to Rs. 23,622 crore (US$ 2.66 billion) in 2024-25. 58勛圖 65% of defence equipment is now made domestically, supported by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), 430+ licensed companies, 16,000 MSMEs, and private sector contributions. India aims to reach Rs. 3,00,000 crore (US$ 33.79 billion) in production by 2029, establishing itself as a global defence manufacturing hub.
- The Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020) highlights a framework to achieve a turnover of Rs. 1.75 lakh crore (US$ 25 billion), including exports of Rs. 35 thousand crore (US$ 5 billion), in the aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025.
- As part of the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission, the Ministry of Defence has awarded HAL a contract worth over Rs. 26,000 crore (US$ 3.12 billion) for 240 AL-31FP Aero Engines for Su-30MKI aircraft. HAL's Koraput Division will manufacture these engines, supporting India's defence preparedness. The project aims to enhance indigenisation, involving MSMEs and industries, with 63% local content targeted. Delivery will span eight years, with 30 engines annually.
- The Ministry of Defence, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, has signed a contract worth Rs. 2,385 crore (US$ 277 million) with Bharat Electronics Limited for indigenously developed Electronic Warfare Suites and modification kits for Mi-17 V5 helicopters of the Indian Air Force.
- As part of the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries launched the 'PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME)’ scheme to provide financial, technical, and business support to upgrade the existing micro food processing enterprises. The government allocated funds worth Rs. 10,000 crore (US$ 1.34 billion) for this scheme, which will be implemented between FY21 and FY25.
- In Union Budget 2025-26, a six year “Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses” with special focus on Tur, Urad and Masoor was announced by Union Minister of Finance Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman. Central agencies (NAFED and NCCF) will be ready to procure these 3 pulses, as much as offered during the next four years from farmers.
- In the Union Budget 2025-26, the Union Minister of Finance Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the loan limits for loans taken through Kisan Credit Cards under the modified interest subvention scheme were increased from Rs. 3 lakh (US$ 3,484) to Rs. 5 lakh (US$ 5,807).
Key Achievements
The key achievements of the Self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan) mission are as follows:
- In April 2026, the government announced plans to add 62 new vessels during FY27 with an investment of over Rs. 51,000 crore (US$ 5.67 billion) to strengthen India’s shipping capacity and support the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative in the maritime sector.
- The PM Dhan Dhaanya Krishi Yojana was launched on October 11, 2025, under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with an outlay of Rs. 24,000 crore (US$ 2.7 billion) to enhance agricultural infrastructure, improve irrigation, and support farmers’ productivity and income.
- On August 12, 2025, the Union Cabinet approved four new semiconductor projects under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), with a total investment of Rs. 4,600 crore (US$ 518.13 million) and expected employment for 2,034 skilled professionals across six states, raising the total ISM-approved projects to 10 with combined investments of around Rs. 1,60,000 crore (US$ 18.02 billion).
- The Union Cabinet has approved the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 22,919 crore (US$ 2.66 billion) to boost self-reliance in the electronics supply chain. It aims to enhance domestic value addition, attract investments worth Rs. 59,350 crore (US$ 6.89 billion) and generate over 91,000 direct jobs by integrating Indian firms into global value chains.
- The 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024' was inaugurated in New Delhi by government of India. The event highlighted the National ODOP awards 2023, emphasizing India's journey towards a US$ five trillion economies by 2027 through collective effort and promotion of traditional Indian products like ODOP and Geographical Indicators.
- On December 23, 2024, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi distributed over 71,000 appointment letters to new recruits via video conferencing. This 'Rozgar Mela,' held across 45 locations, aimed to boost employment generation and empower youth to participate in nation-building, which is a crucial part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan's focus on creating job opportunities.
- As of December 2023, Rs. 10,043 crore (US$ 1.21 billion) has been distributed to 60.49 lakh recipients through 1.52 lakh establishments under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana.
- The mission has helped reduce dependence on imports of air conditioners, as between October 2020 and November 2020, India reported 65% reduction in imports of split ACs or air conditioners; this bodes well for the government's ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ policy of self-reliance. In October 2020, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) released a regulation restricting imports of air conditioners with refrigerants.
- Within 60 days of the mission’s launch, India’s domestic producers were able to generate an indigenous supply chain of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, demonstrating the country’s self-sufficiency in PPE kits.
- In January 2020, the country launched the world’s largest vaccination drive with two ‘Made in India’ vaccines—Covaxin and Covishield—and demonstrated its determination to become self-reliant.
- Domestic supplies: As of April 14, 2021, India’s cumulative vaccination coverage crossed 110 million.
- International supplies: As of April 15, 2021, the country exported ~65.5 million indigenous COVID-19 vaccines to >90 countries.
Conclusion
India ranked 63rd out of 190 countries in the World Bank's ‘Ease of Doing Business 2023’ survey, indicating a favourable business environment in the country. The recent government reforms, such as allowing private companies to operate in key industries, introducing agriculture initiatives & labour reforms and enabling commercial coal mining, serve as strong pillars to aid development of India’s economy and present huge opportunities for the country to become self-reliant.
In addition, strong budgetary push for the manufacturing sector, MSMEs, along with supportive PLI reforms, will boost the domestic manufacturing companies and attract foreign companies to invest in the country; thereby, foster India’s path to achieve self-reliance.
