Consumers' focus on local products to help create job opportunities: Goyal

As consumers emphasise more on quality products and services at the right price manufactured in the country, it will create more jobs for the youth and help in accelerating the growth of the countrys economy, Goyal said while addressing a virtual event on the occasion of the National Consumer Day.The economy is consumer-driven and 130 crore consumers in the country have the power to decide how fast the economy of the country can grow.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said the focus on 'Vocal for Local' and manufacturing of value-added products in India can create job opportunities for the youth and boost the country's economic growth. As consumers emphasise more on quality products and services at the right price manufactured in the country, it will create more jobs for the youth and help in accelerating the growth of the country's economy, Goyal said while addressing a virtual event on the occasion of the National Consumer Day.

''The economy is consumer-driven and 130 crore consumers in the country have the power to decide how fast the economy of the country can grow. The more value-added products are manufactured in the country, the more jobs opportunities it will create in the country,'' he added. He said it is a collective responsibility of both the consumers and the manufacturers to become vocal for local, which will help in providing jobs for everyone in the country and also help in growing the country''s export share in the global markets.

The minister further said that if the youth demand the best-quality products at the right price and not get attracted to the low-quality or low-priced product, this will force the manufacturers to produce and sell quality products across the country at the right price. ''This will also help the industry to take up this as a challenge to only sell good-quality products or the consumers will reject them,'' he added.

Goyal further stated that the government is committed to protection of rights of consumers. He said start-ups need to be encouraged so that people in India get an opportunity to showcase their talent and boost the economy.

In his keynote address, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Raosaheb Patil Danve, who was also present on the occasion, stressed the need to regulate e-commerce and direct selling as online purchases are increasing every day. He said increasing number of consumers are using consumer apps for registering complaints and this app is also being monitored in the ministry regularly.

''We should all work towards empowerment and awareness of consumers,'' he added. Consumer Affairs Secretary Leena Nandan said several unique features of the new Consumer Protection Act are advantageous to the consumer.

In order to spread awareness and educate, particularly in rural areas where consumers are more susceptible to exploitation, the Department of Consumer Affairs is associating with state governments to implement the programmes through common service centres, panchayats and krishi vigyan kendras, she added. The Department of Consumer Affairs virtually celebrated the National Consumer Day 2020 with the theme 'New Features of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019'.