India’s manufacturing sector poised for new era of growth: Nuvama

Mumbai, Aug 22: Wealth management firm, Nuvama, on Thursday, said India has emerged as the sixth-largest manufacturing economy globally while the stage is set for a new era of growth fuelled by recent reforms and strategic initiatives such as the Make in India.

“Over the past decade, key reforms such as the Make in India initiative, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) scheme, and the China + 1 strategy have collectively laid a robust foundation for India's manufacturing sector,” said the Nuvama report.

It said that these reforms have resulted in stronger balance sheets, increased capital availability, and reduced receivable days, creating a fertile ground for investment opportunities.

“India’s manufacturing landscape has thrown up investment opportunities stretching across a broad spectrum of sectors. Infrastructure projects encompassing roads, airports, railways, and ports are at the forefront, alongside burgeoning sectors such as Defence, Electronics Manufacturing, the Electric Vehicle (EV) ecosystem, Energy Transition, and Data Centres,” said the report.

It added that these sectors are propelling India’s manufacturing.

It also states that the current capex cycle is being driven by over 400 corporates and 600 unlisted entities spread across 35-plus industries, representing a sharp contrast to the previous cycle, which was led by 80-plus corporates across five to six industries.

“With more diversified funding sources, this cycle is poised for sustained growth, offering numerous avenues for investment,” the report adds.

It said that the power sector, for instance, is seeing significant investments with a market size of Rs 6,500 crore for power transformers and Rs 6,300 crore for distribution transformers.

“Capacitors and switchgear (HV & LT) markets are also substantial, valued at Rs 7 billion and Rs 49/326 billion, respectively,” the report added.

Meanwhile, the market for cables (LV & HV) stands at Rs 66,200 crore, with insulators, energy meters, transmission towers, and conductors also drawing significant investments.

As per the Nuvama report, the government's Make in India initiative has been a game-changer for the defence sector, particularly through the Defence Acquisition Council's Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) and capital acquisition proposals aimed at modernising the armed forces.

The Indian defence ecosystem is undergoing a complete transformation, with a focus on catering to domestic requirements while also boosting exports. Key initiatives include the establishment of two defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, aimed at reducing imports and promoting exports, the report states.

The government has also released four indigenisation lists for platforms, weapons, systems, and equipment, alongside three lists for sub-systems and assemblies. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the sector has been enhanced to 74 per cent through the automatic route and up to 100 per cent through the government route.

Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) contribute approximately 60 per cent of India's overall defence production, underpinning the country's self-reliance in defence.

The indigenisation drive has gained momentum with the release of positive indigenisation lists of sub-systems, assemblies, and major equipment, ensuring a steady increase in domestically produced defence items.

The offset policy, requiring foreign vendors to reinvest at least 30 per cent of their contracts in the Indian defence sector, further strengthens India's self-reliance journey, the report adds.