IT was in May 2020 that Indian Prime Minister Modi made a clarion call for a Bharat that was 'Aatmanirbhar'. It is important to clarify what this meant and what it did not. While a rough translation of the word is no doubt 'self-reliant,' it is nevertheless not the kind of self-reliance that India arguably believed and practiced in the early years of its independence up until the '70s and '80s. It is easy to state what it is not. It is certainly not autarchy; it is certainly not inward-looking; and it is most certainly not stopping imports and making every product at home. It may be more prudent to think of 'Aatmanirbharta' as Self-Reliance 2.0.

In this framework of Self-Reliance 2.0, the PM clarified that rather than be self-centred, India will open up even more to the world outside, guided by its motto: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or our Earth is just one family. PM Modi went on to say that Aatmanirbharta will stand on five pillars: economy, infrastructure, technology, demography and demand. PM explained the raison d'être of Aatmanirbharta by saying that this should prepare India for participation in global supply chains and that this is a battle India cannot afford to lose.