| | AUGUST 20219Inter-sectoral SynergiesThe central government aims to achieve housing for all by 2022 and highlighting the issues of provision of housing, electricity, clean cooking facility, safe and adequate drinking water to all in rural India. This will mean an ambitious 19.5 million housing units to be built in rural areas. No wonder India is expected to become the third largest construction market globally by 2022.Undoubtedly, this herculean vision will need a collective effort from all stakeholders for it will not only benefit the Indian citizen, but also project capability of the industry to rise up to the occasion. The PMAY (PradhanMantriAwaasYojana) envisions the 'Housing For All' Mission, that has a huge relational impact in every sector of the industry. The linkages are even more likely to be pronounced when seen in conjunction with the global scenario in which India will be operating. FDI norms will positively impact the investment opportunities thereby increasing standards of quality to world class levels. Enhanced reach to rural economies & development of SMART cities will quickly take centre stage in creating employment opportunities for India's youth with the education sector following the suit. In fact, almost every industry stands to gain in this scenario of impetus. Allocations for the Transport sector, Energy sector, Airports under the UDAN scheme, new tax regime and relief to the real estate sector will add to the momentum of inter-sectoral synergies.Challenges & Way ForwardUnder the circumstances, industry heads will need to explore competitive technologies and solutions to keep up with the fast paced trends. Raising infrastructure capital under challenging situations will be a major achievement. Infusion from the government in the form of policy to improve ease of business will bring substantial investments into infrastructure development projects. Bottlenecks to execution of plans need to be identified by a collaborative effort by the Government and industry. Decentralization, enhancing participation in bridging the demand supply gaps, formulating and implementing an effective transportation strategy in line with the potential of growth, creating an effective energy system and strengthening the supply chain components, and Rural Credit are some of the major issues that need a proactive approach. India also needs to ensure that Rural Electrification projects achieve the ambitious target of 100 percent rural electrification for ensuring economic growth. The Rural Indian is the ultimate gainer here, and a range of opportunities beckons the Youth of India with the world at our doorstep. A billion dreams to realize and far reaching consequences. Challenges too are many, and it all depends on how we as a nation ensure the continuity of the ambitious projects and visionary plans to chart our future. Our resilience will also be put to test under the global forces that are bound to influence the environment. Overall, we are certainly looking at a win-win scenario. THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AIMS TO ACHIEVE HOUSING FOR ALL BY 2022 AND HIGHLIGHTING THE ISSUES OF PROVISION OF HOUSING, ELECTRICITY, CLEAN COOKING FACILITY, SAFE AND ADEQUATE DRINKING WATER TO ALL IN RURAL INDIA
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