The tongue lashing that Indian industry got from the normally mild Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday at the Confederation of Indian Industry's annual session was, according to reports, a self goal scored by the industry's representatives.

According to confirmed reports from the government and industry, the speech, which put Indian industry in the dock on the issue of CEO salaries and a dismal record on social responsibility, could have been avoided had the industry representatives been more attuned to the nuances of PM's views on inclusive growth.

The normal practice when someone of the stature of the prime minister accepts an industry body's invitation, is that representatives of the organisation meet the prime minister in order to give him overview of the theme of the session and the message they are plan to bring out. It is on the basis of this meeting that the prime minister's speech is drafted for the event.

This time too, it was the then CII president R Seshasayee and CII director general Lt. General S S Mehta who met the prime minister a few weeks before the event and requested him to speak on social inclusiveness and corporate social responsibility.

They reportedly told Dr Singh that they were "seeking a few guidelines on inclusive growth" and not just how well Indian industry was doing.

The premier, whose definitive views on the subject were revealed on Thursday, asked the representatives whether they truly wanted his views on this, hinting that the industry may not like what it heard from him on the matter. When the group insisted, Dr Singh agreed to the proposal, and thus the speech was drafted.

In his speech, the prime minister listed out a 10-point social charter of inclusiveness and criticised the industry for having overpaid CEOs. He also reprimanded the industry for its failure to ensure inclusive growth.

His blistering speech has surprised many and elicited reactions from across the industry and those in the government. The ripple effects of the plain-speak may linger on for a while.