India’s Manufacturing Mess: Big Firms Fumble, Government Flounders, Yet Hope Persists India’s manufacturing sector is a frustrating paradox: immense potential crippled by incompetence and inertia. Large firms like Tata and Foxconn, despite pockets of success ($12–$15/hour PPP productivity), are timid, underinvesting in automation and training while trailing China ($30–$35/hour) and Vietnam ($15–$20/hour). MSMEs, 99% of firms, are stuck in the Stone Age, scraping by at $3–$5/hour due to zero capital and outdated tech. The government’s Make in India and PLI schemes are half-baked, drowned in red tape and corruption, with only $15 billion in FDI impact. Infrastructure—creaky power, costly land, and sluggish ports (13–14% GDP logistics costs)—is a national embarrassment. Yet, $20.5 billion in electronics exports and 50% of global vaccine production show India’s not dead yet. Large firms must stop coasting, the government needs to wake up, and systemic fixes are non-negotiable to catch Vi...