Innovation dependent on Govt approval will turn 'Made in India' into 'Mad in India', says Rajiv Bajaj

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Innovation dependent on Govt approval will turn 'Made in India' into 'Mad in India', says Rajiv BajajIndustrialist and MD of Bajaj Auto Rajiv Bajaj took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious plans to turn India into a manufacturing hub.
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In the backdrop of issues with Bajaj Auto’s quadric-cycle launch in India, the industrialist said stifling of innovation by regulatory agencies will turn 'Made in India' into 'Mad in India'.

"If your innovation in the country depends on the Government approval or the judicial process, it will not be a case of 'Made in India', but 'Mad in India'. After five years, we are still waiting for permission to sell our four- wheeler in the country," said Bajaj.

Stating the quadri-cycle is being sold across countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America, Bajaj wondered why a vehicle which is cleaner, fuel-efficient, safer and whose benefits are as "obvious as daylight", is facing troubles.

"This is the only country that has not given us permission to sell these vehicles. Because for some reason it thinks if four-wheeler is worse, let people continue on three- wheeler," Bajaj said.

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Bajaj announced his company is working on a new solution for urban mobility on the last mile connectivity which is safer and cleaner than the available alternatives, but declined to divulge additional details on the same.

"We are the world's largest three-wheeler maker and we export more than we sell in this market. Ever since I was in school, people would make fun of me for the three-wheelers. One day, I sat down with my guys and said do something that is little more respect-worthy. We said the best three-wheeler could be a four-wheeler, it should have a seat belt, hard roof, four doors. We created a category of vehicle called quadri-cycle as opposed to three-wheelers or bicycles."

"We thought this is better than that because it is fuel efficient, greener, safer, more comfortable," the 50-year -old industrialist said.