Daily Newsings: 15 May 2025
On industry and rising economic activity in the country
Daily Newsings are musings on the daily news
The Madhya Pradesh State Government has allocated 60.03 hectares of land in the Raisen district of the state for a new manufacturing facility of BEML.1 This facility will make parts and components for train and metro coaches. In another news, the Union Cabinet approved a project worth ₹3700 crore of investments in Uttar Pradesh. This is for a chip-making facility. The facility will be jointly built by the Indian company HCL and the Chinese company Foxconn. In a third related news, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu has restarted the construction of the capital city of the state, Amaravati. He is also exploring the possibilities of setting up shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries in the coastal regions of the state.
Industry is good. The manufacturing industry, especially, will be a huge benefit to India's economy. It provides jobs to a lot of people who would work in these facilities. The presence of such large-scale manufacturing also attracts the setting up of smaller industries which supply raw materials. Or it might attract the setting up of medium-scale or small-scale industries which process the by-products of such manufacturing. Jobs will be created in all the connected services, such as transportation, warehousing, and other logistics.
With so many people getting jobs and people moving from different parts of the country to work in one place, shops and other businesses will be set up around these centres. These would further provide livelihoods to many people. In addition to all of this, the construction workers who build these facilities and houses surrounding it would get jobs and livelihoods. We could go and on.
It is good that the country is investing in more industries and attracting economic activity.
Biblically speaking, we understand such industry to be a result of how God created humans. He made us in his own image. God is a creator, and his image-bearers likewise create. Unlike God, who alone creates ex-nihilo (out of nothing), humans as his image-bearers merely create from the materials available around us. We shape reality around us to make things. God also blessed Adam and Eve with the mandate to rule over the earth and subdue it. Industry of this nature is part of God's good and beautiful plan.
Industry and economic activity is also a sign of peace in the land. We see this most clearly in the reign of King Solomon in the Bible. King David was the conquering King. During his time, the kingdom was expanded. But during Solomon's reign, God gave him rest over his enemies. And what did Solomon undertake when he had rest? He undertook massive construction projects. The temple took 7 years to build (1 Kings 6:37-38), and the palace took 13 years (1 Kings 7:1). International trade flourished in his kingdom (2 Chron 1:17, 2 Chron 8:18). The result of all of this was that there was prosperity in the kingdom (2 Chron 9:27). Peace and prosperity was in the land of Israel during the reign of King Solomon.
At the same time, the story of Solomon provides a warning for us. With increasing economic activity and increasing wealth in the kingdom, the people grew spiritually lethargic. Worship of God began to be crowded out. Solomon was in fact uniquely commissioned by God to build his temple -- to build the place of worship. One could almost see worship of God getting suffocated in the time of peace and prosperity. It is almost as if the god of prosperity begins to be worshipped in place of the true God. As our country progresses economically and increases in wealth, we ought to be careful.
Another incident that is a warning to us is the building of the Tower of Babel. The people of Babel had mastered technology and undertook a massive construction project. But the purpose was rebellion against God. It was to build a name for themselves (Gen 11:4).
Even as India sees a lot of economic activity in the coming years, let us be thankful for the peace and prosperity that God has blessed this nation with. And at the same time, let us be wary of the dangers. The dangers of worshipping at the temple of prosperity. And the danger of building and creating for the purpose of building a name for oneself. Let us always seek to build and create only for the glory of God and the service of our neighbour.
BEML is a Public Sector Understaking (which is a company with majority stakes owned by the Government) which was formerly known as Bharat Earth Movers Limited. In 2007 they removed the full form but retained the acronym as their name.