Here is the complete transcript of the address by shri Kamal Nath at
CII-NID design summit.
I have also put this in a file on the group..so you can use it when
you want.

DO read this with leisure and reflect what the words could mean
coming from the minister himself. Do post your views here.
regards
sudhir
---------------------------------------

ADDRESS BY

SHRI KAMAL NATH
MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

CII-NID DESIGN 4TH SUMMIT 2004
"ENVISIONING DESIGN IN BUSINESS STRATEGY"

VIGYAN BHAWAN
NEW DELHI

DECEMBER 8, 2004


Design is often misunderstood to be mere ornamentation,
trimmings, beauty. Nothing could be more inaccurate. While
aesthetics is certainly an essential component of design, when we
speak of design in the industrial context we mean much more. The
fact is that design is an indicator of the technology level of a
society – its knowledge, its capabilities, its capacities. It is
design that provides efficiency, economy and effectiveness to a
product. It is design which can provide that comparative advantage
to a product, which is so sought after by any entrepreneur. It is
in this context that there is an urgent need to put design at the
vortex of the corporate and social agenda.


2. I understand that the idea of organizing a Design Summit was
conceived four years ago jointly by the National Institute of Design
and CII, and strongly supported by the Department of Industrial
Policy and Promotion. Since then these Summits have contributed in
placing a sharp focus on design related issues by bringing industry,
practitioners, policy makers, academicians and designers on a common
platform. I am therefore happy to see that Industry, Academia and
Government, have all come together in a collaborative effort for the
promotion of design.


3. In a protected economy, Indian industry did not recognize
the critical importance of design. What was produced was the only
stuff available competition was lacking. With the opening up of
markets and increasing competition, a greater realization developed
that design could be that essential ingredient which could provide a
major value addition. Well designed products frequently exceed
sales targets by a considerable distance and deliver excellent value
to their companies and consumers. Just four years ago, if you
recall, the Indian manufacturing industry was facing a severe
crisis. Big automobile companies had made unprecedented losses.
And then, in the last year we witnessed a qualitative turnaround in
the manufacturing sector. A significant reason for this was that
these companies started vigorously investing in product development
and innovation, pursuing design strategies and creating internal
capabilities.


4. Design plays a crucial role in creating export
competitiveness and positioning of Indian brands. It is a fact that
China, Korea and even countries smaller than India have powerful
global brands and clearly defined positions in the world market
today. Despite India's impressive large industries, vibrant small
scale sector and huge pool of trained resources, Indian industry
still cannot claim to have value added products or strong brands in
the global market place. This needs to change, and change fast. In
apparel, jewellery, automobile, animation and several such sectors,
India has huge potential to come out powerfully in the global market
and emerge as a world leader.


5. It is often assumed that design is a feature of only the
manufacturing industry. Not so. Design has as much of a useful
role to play in the services sector as in the manufacturing sector.
Design deals not only with tangibles, but also with intangibles –
with atmosphere, ambience, sound, light. It deals with systems,
processes, methods. Services is an area where India is bullish. We
are aggressively targeting exports of
2

services. Our burgeoning middle class is itself a growing consumer
of services, and the demands for `quality' in services is rapidly
increasing. It is design that can bring in this quality.


6. It is disappointing, therefore, that a lot of Indian
companies have no in-house design facilities or formalized design
capabilities. There is also great potential in offering design
services from India to MNCs and overseas clients, and India can
emerge as a "design hub" in the Asian region. I call upon industry
to step up its investment in design to see that original designs of
India come up to the global arena so that along with `Made in India'
and `Served by India', `Designed in India' also becomes a reality
soon.


7. In a vast country like India, with huge diversity and
distortions in the economic capabilities and income levels, and now
with the growing hiatus between "information rich" and "information
poor", there is also need for rediscovering the role of design for
improving quality of life. Design has the power and potential to
link India's strong competencies and the rural crafts and traditions
to the new high-end products and services to project India's unique
capability. Design has the power to touch lives, to change lives.
The "social" role of design still lies untapped. Public services,
public utilities, education and health-delivery systems – all these
can be significantly improved through design.


8. Ever since I took over as Minister of Commerce and Industry,
I have been seized of this aspect. I want to give design in India a
direction, a roadmap. This cannot be done without a clearly defined
policy. And so we have decided to come out with a National Design
Policy. But this Policy would have no use or meaning if it were
devised solely in the cubicles of Udyog Bhawan. If it is to be
useful and `owned' by practitioners, then all stakeholders have to
be consulted. We have therefore decided to hold four stakeholders'
meetings in different cities, and also to put the Concept Paper on
the internet. Discussions have already started, and the first
interactive session to elicit views of designers and businessmen was
held in Delhi three weeks ago by the Department of Industrial Policy
and Promotion, with the help of CII and NID.


9. I am hopeful that the Policy will look at a wide gamut of
issues – design education, design use, standard setting – in fact,
design requirements in India from the supply side as well as demand
side. As part of this policy we are examining the feasibility of
setting up an "Indian Design Council", and also a `good design'
selection system (perhaps as `Design Mark') to encourage optimal use
of design by industries and other sectors, looking at not only
aesthetics but also ergonomics and economy of cost.



3

10. Today's Fourth Design Summit, therefore, comes at a useful
juncture. The various things you discuss on how design could be a
strategic business tool, would also act as inputs to the formulation
of the National Design Policy. I look forward to receiving the
recommendations from your deliberations and presentations,
especially for finding out ways and means of using design to sharpen
India's competitive edge in the global market place. I am really
delighted to inaugurate this Summit and I wish you all success.


Thank you.