February 12 — National Productivity Day: Enhancing Productivity to Become Globally Competitive

Every year on February 12, the National Productivity Day is celebrated throughout the country to create awareness about the role of productivity in the economic development of our country. The National Productivity Day is organised as a part of the celebration for the National Productivity Week observed in India from February 12 to 18.

The main aim of this day is to generate awareness of people towards enhancing quality, efficiency and competitiveness in their daily productivity levels to make the Indian economy strong and competitive in the world.

National Productivity Day: Encouraging People to Be More Productive

The National Productivity Council of India, a government-funded organization responsible for promoting productivity in India, was established on February 12, 1958. The council comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

The council decided to observe the National Productivity Day every year on February 12. So, to promote a culture of productivity in the country, the Ministry of Labour and Employment first observed the day in 1994. The celebration for the National Productivity Day also marks the anniversary of the establishment of National Productivity Council.

The National Productivity Council: Conducts Research and Provides Training, Consultancy and Technical Assistance

The main responsibility of National Productivity Council is to increase productivity in India. It conducts research and provides training, consultancy and technical assistance to various sectors of the economy.

The National Productivity Council has introduced many initiatives like the National Productivity Awards to individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to promoting productivity in the country.

The National Productivity Council has introduced the National Productivity and Innovation Program that provides financial assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises for adopting new technologies and best practices.

Theme for the National Productivity Day, 2023

The theme for the National Productivity Day, 2023, is 'A Chance to Set Goals', emphasizing that everyone should try to set goals and work towards achieving them. A new theme is announced each year for the National Productivity Day. Last year, the theme was 'Self-Reliance through Productivity'.

The fourth industrial revolution has emerged as a powerful force that is characterized by the increasing digitalization and interconnection of products, supply chains and business models. Industry 4.0 brings the convergence of real and virtual worlds, which actually is the next phase in the merging of conventional and modern technologies.

Significance: Increased Knowledge of Productivity Helping Maximize Production and Resource Use

The National Productivity Day strives to raise awareness among the people about the importance of efficiency, innovation and productivity. With increase in knowledge of productivity, we can maximize production and resource use. The purpose of National Productivity Day is to bring quality, efficiency and competitiv

eness across the manufacturing industry to boost economy. The day also emphasizes on the other aspects of the economy such as concerns with the environment and human resource development.

Objective: Encourage the Adoption of Best Practices in Various Industries

The main objectives of National Productivity Day are to encourage the usage of productivity tools and to make aware of the necessity to use those modern technologies, increase awareness by holding seminars, workshops and other virtual events and encourage efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness to boost output. It promotes innovation-led productivity in a sustained manner in all the spheres of Indian economy.

The National Productivity Day is observed to raise awareness about the importance of productivity and its role in economic development, aiming to promote productivity and encourage the adoption of best practices in various industries.

Encourage the 'Make in India' Program

Today, manufacturing requires cutting-edge technology and needs a high level of skill. Globally, the manufacturing sector is undergoing a structural transformation. Although India depends significantly on its services sector for growth, it is the manufacturing sector that provides the needed impetus to fuel the much-needed growth in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Make in India' program to put India on the world map as a manufacturing giant. In India, it is the manufacturing sector especially micro, small and medium enterprises that generates the largest employment opportunity after agriculture, playing an important role in the growth of the Indian economy.