'Make in India' lion loses pride of place outside Udyog Bhavan

NEW DELHI: It has been three times unlucky for the ‘Make in India’ lion -- the logo of the government’s manufacturing campaign. It had been installed on a specially-made platform outside Udyog Bhawan, which houses the heavy industry ministry, several months ago. But it is being phased out with a whimper rather than with a roar because the idea of mounting it right in front of one of the key ministries had not been approved.
The BHEL-manufactured lion was originally meant to debut at the Republic Day parade last year.But since the government placed the order late, BHEL could not deliver the lion a month before the parade for the required approvals. As a result, a model made by a Delhi-based agency made it to the parade.
Next up was its tryst with the much-publicised Hannover Fair, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the lion did make it to Germany, it remained static due to non-compliance with European regulations.
While the ministry and public sector company BHEL spent several months in installing the lion for an undisclosed amount at the entrance of the government building next to Janpath, heavy industry minister Anant Geete missed several deadlines to inaugurate the specially designed-symbol of the government’s signature campaign. In any case, putting the lion inside a “glass cage” had drawn criticism from senior government functionaries, who were surprised at the installation at the entrance of one of the key buildings in the Lutyens zone. It had also faced criticism for obstructing the view and squeezing space in the parking lot.
In any case, it later turned out that the agencies responsible for clearing any modifications to buildings in Lutyens' Delhi had not approved the lion.
“Even the department of industrial policy and promotion (which runs the Make in India campaign) was surprised to see it and had suggested that it should be pulled down,” said a source.
The logo had been unveiled by in 2015 when the government announced the Make-in-India campaign after toying with several other options. It opted against the tiger and the elephant, often associated with India’s reforms, and opted for the lion to give a new feel to the government’s manufacturing push.