New Delhi, May 5 -- Several stakeholders have suggested that an influential senior minister should head the ambitious national manufacturing mission (NMM), which aims to boost the Make in India initiative in the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector, people aware of the matter said. At a meeting with various stakeholders, including industry groups, held last month, Niti Aayog received several suggestions on the mission, particularly its organisation structure. Three functionaries, who attended the April 24 meeting chaired by Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam, told HT that industry leaders suggested that an influential minister should lead the NMM. "Many of us suggested the Niti Aayog CEO that a powerful and senior minister should head the mission as the government needs to coordinate with other ministries and state governments," one of the participants said, requesting anonymity. Another participant said the leadership of the mission is "a critical issue" as the government wants manufacturing sector to contribute to nearly 25% of the GDP in the next 10 years. The national manufacturing mission was first announced in the 2025-26 Union Budget to boost the Make in India initiative. The mission aims to increase manufacturing's share in India's GDP and will focus on key areas like ease of doing business, workforce development, MSME support, tech advancement, and product quality. Days after the meeting, the Centre last week formed an inter-ministerial committee, led by the Niti Aayog CEO, to make plans for the NMM....