Who do the reforms benefit?

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a policy of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan', which means 'mission for self-reliant India'. "India's self-reliance will be based on five pillars -- economy, infrastructure, technology driven system, vibrant demography and demand," he said. This is part of Modi's desire to replace China as a manufacturing power under the 'Make in India' program. "In a short space of time, the obsolete and obstructive frameworks of the past have been dismantled and replaced with a transparent and user-friendly system that is helping drive investment, foster innovation, develop skills, protect IP and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure," says the official website. "China continues to be the most important hub of global value chains," wrote Nikita Kwatra. "Even as India's troops are engaged in a tense confrontation with China since April, the share of Chinese imports in India's trade basket has only gone up, despite the rhetoric of 'self-reliance'. China accounted for 14% of total imports in the last fiscal year. So far this year, it has increased to 19%." Self-reliance is not new, wrote Udit Misra. It started with the first Five Year Plan (FYP), with the aim of protecting local industry and reducing dependence on rest of the world. "This push for self-reliance reached its crescendo during the 6th and 7th FYP (1980-1990) when policies of import substitution and license-permit raj ruled the roost." This led to the balance of payments crisis in 1991 when India had to pledge 67 tons of gold to the Bank of England and the Union Bank of Switzerland to pay for imports. "The government has already restarted resorting to bans and handing out import licenses." The government passed a raft of laws in the recent monsoon session of parliament, most important of which were changes in how agricultural produce can be sold, company law and labor laws. Parliament was boycotted by the opposition over the farm bills. "The government completely undercut Parliament in its effort to ram through the legislative changes," wrote Mihir Sharma. "Already, opposition-ruled states are refusing to implement the new laws." "If India only reforms when under pressure, then now should be a moment for big changes," wrote Reuben Abraham. "There's an obvious place for the government to start, too: India's failed special economic zones." Taxes are too high, wrote Andy Mukherjee. "India must break out of this vicious cycle in which taxes are high, consumer demand is low, investment and job creation are constrained, and wage incomes are insufficient to boost purchasing power at the bottom of the pyramid." Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani seem to be the only businessmen who are thriving in this coronavirus recession. That is bad because, "Like in South Korea, people may one day realize how a few conglomerates are sapping the entrepreneurial energy of everyone else." Crony capitalism, high taxes, license-permit raj, nothing changes. Same to same, as we Indians say.