India, Sept. 18 -- Kickstarting manufacturing has been a long-standing goal of India's economic policy. The recent surge in protectionism in economies, especially the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration have given the challenge a new dimension. This 3-part series will explain India's manufacturing challenge from a holistic perspective by situating Indian manufacturing in international, sub-national, and sector-wise (formal and informal) contexts.

The first part will explain the importance of manufacturing in India's economic standing internationally and its long-term growth. The second part will look at trends in manufacturing across Indian states, and the third part will look at some key sector-wise trends.

Some of the statis...