NEW DELHI: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticized the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative on Monday, claiming its failure has allowed China to establish a presence within Indian territory. Speaking during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the ongoing Budget Session, he raised concern alleging India’s dependence on Chinese products and its impact on national security.
Gandhi cited statements from the Chief of Army Staff, asserting that Chinese troops have entered Indian territory. He linked this to India’s declining domestic production capabilities, arguing that the country is increasingly reliant on Chinese-made electric motors, batteries, and optics. “Our Chief of Army Staff has said that the Chinese are inside our territory. This is a fact. The reason China is inside our territory is important…The reason China is sitting inside this country is because ‘Make in India’ has failed,” said the LoP.
Further emphasising on Chinese presence, he added, “The reason China sitting inside this country is because India is refusing to produce and I’m worried that India is going to give up this revolution to the Chinese once again…If and when we fight a war with China, we will be fighting with Chinese electric motors, Chinese batteries and Chinese optics and we will be buying Chinese motors, Chinese optics and Chinese batteries.”
Also highlighting India’s strategic partnership with the United States, Gandhi urged both nations to collaborate in building a robust industrial system. He asserted that India plays a crucial role in global manufacturing due to its cost-effective production capabilities, making it an essential partner for the US. “”We have a strategic partner called the United States. The partnership should focus on how India and the United States can work together to take advantage of this revolution. India is as important as the United States for the simple reason that they cannot build an industrial system without us. The Americans simply cannot do what India can do because their cost structure is much more expensive than ours. We can build things that the Americans would never imagine,” he said.
Further, reiterating his stand on India’s manufacturing sector, stating that while the country effectively manages consumption (services), it has failed to organize production (manufacturing). He pointed out that although some Indian companies attempt to structure production, much of it has been outsourced to China. “We have excellent companies that try to organize production, but essentially, what we have done is we have handed over the organization of production to the Chinese,” he added.
Then, using mobile phones as an example, he argued that despite claims of being “made in India,” they are merely assembled domestically, with most components originating from China—essentially making India dependent on and paying a “tax” to China.