MUMBAI, (Reuters) – Thousands of people and lion mascots swarmed the weekend opening of a “Make in India” drive to attract foreign direct investment, pitched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “the biggest brand that India has ever created”.
The week-long event, the boldest since Modi launched the initiative to emulate China’s export miracle back in 2014, got off to an inauspicious start when a huge fire engulfed the stage at a cultural event on Sunday. Nobody was hurt.
Even as the Make in India hype scales new heights, some bosses questioned Modi’s delivery on promises to make it easier to do business, while marketing experts cautioned against creating unrealistic expectations.