Aatmanirbhar Bharat begins with Karmanishtha

OPINION PIECE

“योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्॥” — Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam (Bhagavad Gita 2.50)

True Yoga lies in performing one’s duty with skill, focus and integrity—without attachment to outcomes. It is action guided by excellence and equanimity, freeing us from the bondage of
karma.

India today stands at a historic inflection point. Our economic momentum, demographic dividend and rising geopolitical relevance place us among the world’s fastest-growing nations. We have the largest youth population, which is aspirational and hungry for more.

From a country that produced little at the time of Independence, India now manufactures almost everything—from a pin to a chip. The past decade has seen a determined push towards Aatmanirbharta. And yet, an unresolved paradox remains.

The Quality Paradox

We are yet to reach the level where our products can be branded as ‘world class’. We manufacture at scale—but we rarely manufacture to the highest global benchmark. That distinction makes all the difference.

Why do we repeatedly return to buy an iPhone, Sony TV, Bose speakers, Toyota cars or Mercedes and BMWs? Why do even doctors recommend German homeopathic medicines over domestic ones? Why do we instinctively trust foreign brands for reliability, safety and longevity?

The recurring failures of our roads, collapsing bridges and unsafe buildings during every monsoon are not acts of nature. They are failures of standards, accountability and workmanship.

Our MSME workshops remain only marginally better than roadside garages—poor tooling, lack of controlled environments, weak quality processes (often only on paper), untrained manpower and shabby working conditions. Cost-cutting replaces craftsmanship and everything else.

From the toothpaste we use in the morning to the car we drive home at night, foreign labels dominate our trust.

Should we not ask: Are we content with manufacturing “low-class” instead of striving to produce “world-class”?

Lessons from the Past

Those who grew up in the 1980s will remember the Hero 332 fountain pen. It was a prized possession for a school kid in the 80s. Expensive, but impeccably reliable. It came with an unwritten guarantee: it would never leak or stain your pocket.

A hair dryer my father bought in Singapore in 1985 still works flawlessly after four decades—despite rough use. The motor and wiring are still intact and sound still under control.

These products were not miracles or produced by super humans. They were the outcome of discipline, pride and uncompromising quality standards adopted during production.

So what holds us back today? Is it lack of intelligence? Capital? Training?

Unless we accept that there is an issue, we will not try to find a solution and we will stagnate. So what is the answer to this paradoxical question?

Answer lies in a culture of “kaam chalao”, “chalta hai” and “jugaad” attitude which has permeated deeply into our psyche. What once served as improvisation under scarcity has gradually become an accepted standard. Mediocrity has been normalized and has become our second nature.

We obsess over “kitna deti hai” (mileage), often at the cost of safety, durability and quality.

This mindset is reinforced by flawed systemic incentives. The L1 (lowest-bidder) procurement model institutionalises cost-cutting at the expense of quality. Contracts often leave no room for quality once costs are squeezed to unsustainable levels. Under such conditions, quality inevitably suffers—either through inferior raw materials or compromised processes. Even well-intentioned manufacturers are forced to compromise to survive.

The system neither rewards excellence nor penalises poor quality.

The same manufacturer often sells higher-quality versions of identical products abroad while offering inferior variants in India—whether in cars, appliances or even food products. Domestic consumers are often taken for granted. Doesn’t this make the diagnosis amply clear? Is it a skill deficit? Is it an investment constraint? Is it lack of intelligence or training? No, it is an attitudinal issue!

We have grown accustomed to poor quality bundled with poor service, as long as it is cheaper. Mediocrity has become the norm. Sab chalta hai !

This raises uncomfortable questions for all of us. Have we become sanguine about being taken for granted by the industry, be it manufacturing or service sector? Are we slowly becoming numb to poor quality? Is mediocrity now socially acceptable? If yes, then what are the reasons?

What We Have Lost Along the Way

Decades of colonial exploitation, poverty, institutional apathy and weak accountability have fostered a “fend for yourself” mentality. In the process, three key personal attributes which build a progressive society and nation have taken back seat:

• Aatma Samman (self-respect)

• Swabhimaan (self-esteem)

• Karmanishtha (dedication to duty)

However, blaming history helps no one. What matters is shaping the future and working towards achieving Aatmanirbharta and becoming Vikasit Bharat by 2047 or even earlier, if possible. The efforts in the past decade and the results which have accrued, show that this change is possible. So, we as a society and as a nation need to now focus only on the actions and collectively work towards this common goal.

Karmanishtha: More Than Hard Work

Karmanishtha, in a way encompasses both aatma samman and swabhimaan. It is not merely hard work. It is a commitment to do everything with excellence—rooted in self-respect, professional integrity and national pride. It is intolerance for shortcuts and “good enough” thinking.

It is pride in doing one’s job well—whether you are a worker, engineer, contractor, regulator, teacher or policymaker. At the purest level it is not linked to costing, remuneration, profit margins or economic state of the person. A Karmanisthak person will just do his assigned job with utmost sincerity and due diligence, always and every time. Whereas an opposite personality will take short cuts, be casual and insincere irrespective of his salary, position or criticality of the task.

We cannot afford to dilly-dally and procrastinate any more. Time has come for us as a nation, as a society, to shed this chalta hai attitude and adopt #Karmanishtha as the new motto.

This is what Guru Nanak meant when he said “Kirat Karo”—earn an honest living through dignified, sincere work.

Turning Philosophy into Practice

For Karmanishtha to matter, it must translate into action:

• Manufacturers must adopt a zero-defect mindset and offer long-term warranties.

• Regulators must prioritise real-world outcomes, not paperwork compliance.

• Consumers must reject substandard products, even when cheaper—this is a powerful
  economic signal as a whole by the society.

• Procurement reform is essential. India must move beyond L1 bidding to lifecycle-cost and performance-based models, especially in infrastructure, healthcare, defence and
  public utilities.

Aatmanirbharta supported by karmanishtha is even more pertinent in the new world (dis)order. If as a nation we fail to uplift our product quality soon, we will perish in this volatile and ferociously competitive world. Aatmanirbharta without excellence is fragile and unsustainable.

Quality as a National Priority

If Bharat aspires to become a developed nation by 2047, quality must be elevated to being a national priority. Karmanishtha as a philosophy needs to be part of our school curriculum; it needs to be ingrained in young kids by elders at home and teachers in school by personal example. It has to be a way of life…This renewed self-pride and self-respect will drive innovation and ensure highest quality of products/services as an outcome. This is not emotional nationalism—it is economic realism. Innovation, advanced manufacturing and strategic autonomy demand high-quality systems.

We have to make Karmanishtha as the new national motto, our new national mantra.

Cultural change is never instant. But beginnings matter.

We are fortunate to have leadership willing to take bold, even uncomfortable decisions. Quality must become non-negotiable. Excellence must become habitual. Only then can Bharat truly usher in Amritkaal and earn its place as a world-class nation. This Republic Day, let us take a collective pledge—to practise Karmanishtha in every sphere of life.

“श्रेय नहीं कर्म की सफलता, श्रेय है कर्म की साधना।”

True credit lies not in success alone, but in sincere dedication to the act itself.

Views expressed here are those of Gp Capt Sandeep Singh Chhabra is a veteran pilot from IAF. He has flown 3000+ hours on fighter and trainer aircraft. He is a flight safety expert. He writes on work culture, leadership and institutional reforms. Passionate about nation building, he emphasises individual responsibility as the starting point for national progress.