India's cabinet has approved a major new policy to develop national manufacturing.

印度内阁通过了一项发展国家制造业的新政策。

The policy aims to create a 100 million jobs in the next 10 years and allows for a series of special new zones to support manufacturing growth.

At the moment, that sector¹ only accounts for about 16% of the country's gross domestic product.

That has barely changed in the last three decades and is seen as well below India's potential.

It is also far lower than other Asian countries at a similar level of development.

India has done an impressive job in developing hi-tech and service sector industries - which have given new opportunities to its well-educated middle class.

But that is little comfort to a growing number of rural unemployed² who have at best a basic education and few opportunities for work beyond agriculture.

Now India is trying to learn from China - with an ambitious（野心勃勃的） plan which aims to boost manufacturing and deliver factory jobs.

Cutting red tape

The target is for manufacturing to account for a quarter of GDP by 2022 - creating 100 million new jobs.

The government also plans to train the young rural generation so they can take advantage of these jobs.

Special economic zones will be set up - again, following China's model. Seven sites have already been identified.

Their development will be led by the private sector. They are described as self-governing townships.

Companies using the sites will be offered tax incentives³.

One of the obstacles for manufacturers in the past has been endless government bureaucracy and red tape. This too will be streamlined.

There is no doubt that India desperately⁴ needs a more vibrant⁵（充满生气的） manufacturing sector to even out its growth and absorb future workers.

The test will be how successfully this plan translates from paper to the real world.