Make in India lion seeks a home

NEW DELHI: The Make in India lion that graced the Republic Day parade ceremony and travelled all the way to Germany’s Hannover Messe is shrouded in controversy these days, along with a blue veil.

Perched atop a high platform in front of Udyog Bhawan — home to the ministries of commerce and industry, textiles and small and medium enterprises, the lion has been made and installed by Bharat Heavy Electricals at the behest of the department of heavy industry.

While the ministry of heavy industries is awaiting availability of its minister for inauguration, a senior BHEL executive said the company was awaiting instructions from the government for final installation.

“We were asked by the Department of Heavy Industry to fabricate the lion for Udyog Bhawan…They have borne most of the cost,” said a BHEL spokesperson.

The lion, with its rotating gears and wheels, was designed to showcase the engineering prowess of India in Germany’s industrial fair but was kept aside after it could not pass safety standards. Small wonder then, that the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) — nodal ministry for Make in India — which originally gave permission for the lion’s installation, has now washed its hands of the project.

“We have been asking the heavy industries ministry to expedite installation and unveiling…It has nothing to do with DIPP,” said a department official.

Meanwhile, the lion is generating intrigue in the corridors of Udyog Bhawan. Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman — after enquiring if the statue belonged to her department — suggested the glass cage around the lion be removed.

The Make in India lion has been a symbol of manufacturing potential across the globe. While any private entity needs to seek government permission to use it as a logo, government departments are free to use it.