(Frost & Sullivan: Mumbai, India) -- Manufacturing is one of the key contributors to the growth of an economy. A country with a well-equipped manufacturing process is believed to be balanced and independent. Every economy goes through the cycle of growing from an agrarian to an industrial and finally to a service-dominated economy, which in turn leads to dependency on other economies that can fulfill their product needs. This has led companies to compete globally to produce goods, which are acceptable as per the global norms.

The global manufacturing scenario has put manufacturers under constant pressure to deliver innovative products, reduce costs, and provide rapid response to customer demand. To survive in this highly dynamic and competitive market, and overcome these challenges, many organizations have embarked on their world class manufacturing (WCM) journey. China and India, two of Asia's largest economies, have shown tremendous resilience after the effect of the global recession, amply reflected by the rising manufacturing purchasing manager's index (PMI). While India's PMI has jumped up to 55.3 in June from a low of 44 in December 2008, China's PMI has risen to 53.2 in June from a low of 38.8 in November.

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