‘Make In India now Buy from China,’ Gandhi says as Chinese imports soar

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday targeted the Modi government over the issue of jobs, saying that ‘Make in India’ was turning into ‘Buy from China’.

Gandhi said imports from China were at an all-time high under the Modi government as it had “destroyed” the medium and small industries and unorganised sector that creates jobs.

“JUMLA for India, JOBS for China! Modi Government has destroyed the Unorganised Sector and MSMEs that create the most jobs. Result: Make In India is now Buy from China,” he said on Twitter.

The former Congress chief also shared a 90-second video that said that the Modi government promised Make in India, yet it only “buys from China” and there had been a record 46 per cent increase in imports from China in 2021 – the highest ever.

In the short video, he also shared excerpts of his speech in Parliament on the issue, where he attacked the government on China.

Record Imports

Indian imports from China reached nearly $100 billion for the first time in calendar year 2021, as the import of electrical and electronic goods, particularly smartphones, as well as machinery, fertilisers and specialty chemicals witnessed a massive surge.

According to figures published by the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC), exports to India reached $97.52 billion in 2021, while total bilateral trade touched $125.66 billion. India’s exports to China, amounting to $28.1 billion, were up by as much as 56 per cent from two years ago. The trade deficit last year reached $69.4 billion, up by 22 per cent from the pre-pandemic figure in 2019.

According to the GACC, the biggest jump was in the shipment of electric and electronic goods, including smartphones and storage units; industrial goods, including telecom equipment, auto components and machine tools; and specialty chemicals.

In terms of key import items from China in the first eight months of the calendar year 2021, the import of petroleum and petroleum products, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones, and also that of coal, coke, and briquettes jumped significantly, according to Foreign Trade Performance Analysis by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

These items together accounted for about $60 billion of the total imports from China during this period.

A report in the Chinese state-run Global Times recently said: “An increase in China-India trade in 2021, which reached a record high, surpassing $125 billion, amid bilateral tensions, is just another piece of proof that New Delhi is unable to reduce its dependence on the Chinese market.”