A dispassionate analysis beyond pure play ministerial number attached to the MSME Ministry shows that a focused Key Responsibility Area (KRA) approach is set to draw better dividends.
Look at the ministers who have been elevated today: majority of them had performed well in the role of an Independent Charge of their respective ministries. Be it Piyush Goyal or Dharmendra Pradhan, both, achieved a stupendous performance in view of the independence they enjoyed administering their portfolios.
In the new scheme of things, therefore, Giriraj Singh, as responsible minister with an independent charge is bound to bring about a decisive momentum to the ministry.
Singh has the good fortune of leveraging continuity and drawing on the overall vision for the ministry drawn by Kalraj Mishra. Mishra, a long time Hindi heartland strong man for BJP, ran the core economic ministry with all the humility and adaptability to make a difference. His virtue being his political economy experience.
But his overall stint witnessed a sharp decline in small business fortunes given the stress on raising finance, a legacy challenge for the sector.
The twin momentous decisions of Modi government – Demonetization and GST – took MSME sector by shock increasing stress manifold. Both these big ticket decisions though are bound to bring about medium and long term benefits to the sector. It is in the interim that there is need for a positive stroke to the MSME sector.
Singh, who served as junior to Mishra, is fully integrated into the overall vision. He has shown steely resolve both as a Parliamentarian as also as MoS to showcase grass root execution as his strength.
Singh has now to lead from the front and galvanise the sector. The Prime Minister has lost no opportunity to reaffirm faith in the small and medium sector business potential to pitch fork the India economic growth story.
Giving him (Singh) support are two key macro economy ministers, both, for continuity and growth. With Finance minister on one side and Commerce and Industry minister Suresh Prabhu on the other driving the overall India economic story, Singh and his MSME Ministry is set to play a pivotal role in reimagining business (Small and big) in India.