Deepak Gupta Stresses Push for Make in India Drive

Emphasizing the crucial importance of India’s manufacturing sector in driving national growth, Deepak Gupta, Director (Projects) at GAIL (India) Limited and Chairman of Talcher Fertiliser Limited, presented the keynote address at the 4th Technology Meet hosted by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at the Hyatt Regency in New Delhi.

The event convened a notable assembly of stakeholders from the energy and process industries, including representatives from licensors, consultants, exploration & production (E&P) companies, refineries, as well as petrochemical and fertilizer firms, many of whom are integral to L&T’s extensive client network.

During his address, Deepak Gupta highlighted that the manufacturing sector in India is vital for enhancing GDP growth and generating substantial employment opportunities.

 He pointed out that, aided by technology and digitalization, project execution timelines that previously extended over several years have now been reduced to merely 36–42 months, facilitating the rapid completion of large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects.

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In commending L&T and other Indian enterprises, Deepak Gupta lauded the industry’s ability to locally manufacture nearly 95% of the intricate and precision equipment utilized in refinery and petrochemical projects.

 He regarded this accomplishment as a significant contribution to the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative, which aligns with the broader vision of achieving self-reliance in manufacturing.

While acknowledging the milestones that have been reached, Deepak Gupta also discussed the challenges that lie ahead, particularly the necessity to develop high-end industrial equipment such as heavy-duty gas turbines, compressors, cold boxes, and extruders, which are presently imported.

He called upon the industry to enhance investment in research and development (R&D) and to embrace emerging technologies to ensure that India evolves into a global center of advanced manufacturing excellence.