Govt buys gold-plated mugs to promote ‘Make in India’
A coffee mug with 22-carat gold-plated lining procured from Titan.
To promote PM Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative, the government has procured merchandise like key-chains, coffee mugs decorated with 22 carat gold and shirt pins from private companies.
The merchandise will sport the Make in India logo, while the coffee mugs will be circulated amongst secretaries in the government, sources said. A bulk order of mugs and the remaining items has been made for distribution to “foreign CEOs” at the Hannover Messe fair in Germany which Modi is slated to attend this April.
The procurement and distribution has been conducted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion under the Ministry of Commerce.
Speaking to The Indian Express, DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant said: “We have got very nice mugs on Make in India. We have key-chains, shirt pins with the Make in India logo. These will be given to the foreign CEOs who would be visiting the Indian pavilion at the Hannover Messe”.
Sources said that initially, a mug and two watches with the Make in India logo were designed by Titan Industries’ strategic partner TATA Ceramics. A set of mugs with a 22-carat gold lining with the Make in India logo in centre was sent to the Modi’s residence.
Sources said the government then got back to Titan and requested for more such coffee mugs. They added that 150 sets (each set has two mugs) were designed with the Make in India logo and supplied to the government. Reportedly, these mugs will be distributed to all secretaries’ offices where they will be placed in the office space to promote the campaign as and when someone pays a visit.
The government has purchased a set of over 1,000 such coffee mugs to be distributed at the Hannover Messe Fair slated to be held on April 12 in Germany. A team of secretaries from various departments including Urban Development, Commerce, Industry, Finance and New and Renewable Energy would be attending the fair.
Alongside, Chief Ministers and senior officials of 12 states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, UP, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Karnataka, Bihar and Rajasthan would be participating in the event to attract foreign investors.
“We are also generating content to showcase our culture, yoga, and cuisine alongside technology and engineering. We would be there in the list of hard power but we are showing our soft power too. Some 40 chefs including Hemant Oberoi and Manjit Singh Gill would be there, provided by Experience India Society (its members include Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, The Oberoi Group, ITC Welcomgroup, Leela Hotels among others) to serve India’s cuisine from across the country to those visiting the India pavilion. Additionally, there would be yoga gurus who would be teaching exhibitors and CEOs yoga” said Kant, adding that apart from the huge display of power of India’s engineering, we will also showcase what German companies have done in India”.
Managing Director, Hannover Milano Fairs India Mehul Lanvers-Shah said that over 400 companies from India including TCS, Infosys, L&T and Bharat Forge Ltd would take part in the fair, which would also see participation of some 6,000 companies from across the world including Microsoft, SAP SE, Siemens and Volkswagen.
“With a focus on integrated-industry approach, the platform would provide Indian players an opportunity to showcase their strength and innovation. Further, it would also put on display the efforts being taken by the government to attract global manufacturing companies in India to set up their production base. The government is doing aggressive branding and it has piqued the interest of global companies,” Shah said.
As such, Urban Development and New and Renewable Energy ministries have reached out to take part in the fair in the wake of initiatives like developing “smart cities” and clean India.
Source:: Indian Express