A 100 million tonnes of steel. The pre-requisite for a developed, economically strong and vibrant Nation. The India of my dreams. The India of our dreams.

At Gujarat NRE Coke, we sought to do our little bit in achieving this vision, when we crossed the mighty oceans to acquire our first coalmine, since christened NRE # 1, in Australia. It wasn't just a mine that we purchased - it was years of sheer labour, hard work and dedicated toil. It was also our first faltering step towards the world market, towards the NRE Vision 2020. It was also another example of a truly Indian company breaking free from the shackles of the mind. It was a moment of defiance when we looked at the past - of scarce resources, of stunted growth, of stifling opportunities, of an inability to not only grow but stretch the horizons.

This transformation, this vision of a 100 million tonnes of steel is most visible in our passports. Let me erudite - the nature of my work ensures that I travel around the world for more than half every month. And my heart fills with pride these days, when I see the marked and visible change in the attitude of people around the world, when I present the Indian passport. Gone are the days when an Indian passport used to elicit snide queries and we were looked with disdain. Indians, the reigning feeling was, were there seeking to crossover, seeking to sell their brawn for a better living. These days we are viewed more as suppliers of brains to the world. These days, we Indians are the torchbearers of knowledge, of commerce, of the future. The Indian passport, some goddess of learning has whispered in the ears of people around the world, is here to add value. The Indian standing in front of you is not here to gape at your standard of living, for many, many, Indians have already achieved it today, and are aspiring for more. That's what a 100 million tonnes of steel means to the Nation. The winds are a blowing, my friend, silently transforming ….

However, a lot more needs to be done. There are many, many more battles to be won, before we really savor the feeling that is a 100 million tonne's worth. These battles are with ourselves, with our fears, with our worst selves. These battles are with corruption. Not the kind of corruption that screams from banner headlines in the morning newspapers. Not the kind of corruption that is "exposed" day in and day out in our electronic media. Not the kind of corruption that is the staple of the Nation. But corruption of a different kind -- corruption that is silently corroding the fibre of the Nation. Corruption that you and me indulge in on a regular basis. The little tip to the traffic policemen to hush up a speeding ticket. The suppression of income and wealth. The window dressing of balance sheets. The muscle tax to the local goon for political favours…. It is time we Indians held our collective head high and desist from these petty crimes. We have long focused our attention on the recipients of bribes, on the perpetrators of corruption, conveniently shifting the attention away from us, who are the better half of this marriage of convenience. It is time we look inward. It is time we build our sinews of steel. And the day, we, the Nation, learn how to say "No" to corruption, we would have built many, many 100 million tonnes of steel.

The two gravest concerns facing the Nation, according to me, is the lack of infrastructure and the rampant spread of the tentacles of corruption. While steps are afoot to tackle the issues facing the nation for the want of adequate infrastructure, and I am sure Indian ingenuity will triumph, it is the second problem that really keeps me wondering.

And the more I wonder, the more things point towards a general direction. How long will we continue to suffer under antiquated, anachronistic and antipodal laws? The sheer labyrinth of miles of legislation that in its dense verbosity stifles entrepreneurial efforts and defeats the self same purpose for which they were written in the first place? Why is it that economic crimes are often what we are forced to commit because of the fact that the very law that is there to give us the framework is tilted so heavily against rationality that the result is obvious? What is the way out? And I urge the policy planners to seriously consider the implications. For to me, a 100 million tonnes of steel is not the destination for Nation India. It is, at the best, a signpost on our march to prosperity. A March that will see million of Indian honing their entrepreneurial skills. A march that will give birth to innumerable economic efforts, enterprises, corporate entities - entities that will, at some point in their life, be faced with the insurmountable wall of laws that will bare their fangs and force, otherwise honest enterprises into the underworld of darkness.

A 100 million tonnes of steel. The synonym for a developed India of my dreams. The war cry for entities like us to conquer the prophecies of Adam Smith. The march across the poverty line into a life of dignity. The Collective head of a Nation - held high in self respect.

Before I finish, let me float another idea whose time has come. I was at the CII organized India Economic Summit in partnership with the World Economic Forum in New Delhi recently, where we were asked to classify our companies under various heads - and we were at a loss, for there was no category called the "Indian Multinational". It is time we salute our Tata Steels and our Aditya Birla Groups and their likes - which are truly, not only multi-cultural and multi-locational conglomerates but are as multinational as any other entity on any global list. Let us begin by accepting what we have achieved long back - the crown title of the Indian Multinational, for, Inshallah, with a 100 million tonnes of steel, many more will join the ranks.

A 100 million tonnes of steel is also the pride of being Indian. It is also the quiet confidence of the "Made in India brand". It is also the belief that "we can"…. We can conquer - distant markets, minds, ourselves.

Jai Hind!

(The author is Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd. The first Indian company to acquire a coalmine in Australia)