每日吃瓜

鈥淩ural India is set to emerge as a strong growth driver, especially with the recent push by the government through programmes such as PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana),鈥� says Deepak Shetty, CEO and Managing Director, JCB India.

Schools, colleges and industries have to be built in the rural areas and segments such as roads and infrastructure are set to witness activity. This will drive more construction activity. In the post-lockdown period, it was rural India that spurred demand for many categories, including construction equipment.

鈥淵es, rural infrastructure development has been a key driver for the recovery in the CE industry since Q2. Rural roads under PNGSY have witnessed a lot of activity. MNREGA also has been channelled into mechanical equipment in few States. This apart rural housing has also seen strong traction,鈥� says Subrata Ray, Senior Group Vice-President, Icra.

Meanwhile, Covid-19 has necessitated the need for robust health infrastructure. Higher allocation of expenditure for health and its sustainable development is a must. It is now about 1.3 per cent of GDP and needs to be stepped up to 5 per cent in the long run.

Roads and highways will continue to play a key role in aiding the growth of the CE industry. The government is giving a massive push to infrastructure development by allocating about $1.4 trillion to be invested until 2025. Also, about $350 billion is expected to be invested in road infrastructure in the north-east region during 2020-25.