Rahul Gandhi has sharply criticised the Narendra Modi government's 'Make in India' initiative as a failed endeavour while presenting an alternative vision focused on energy and mobility revolutions to address unemployment and technological gaps. His remarks came during parliamentary debates analysing India's economic trajectory and employment challenges.

Rahul Gandhi acknowledged that while PM Modi’s 'Make in India' was "conceptually a good idea," it resulted in manufacturing’s share of GDP dropping from 15.3% in 2014 to 12.6% in 2024—the lowest in 60 years.

He emphasised India’s failure to organize domestic production, leading to over-reliance on Chinese imports for electronics, defence equipment, and critical components. Gandhi highlighted that even smartphones labelled "Made in India" are merely assembled domestically using Chinese parts, effectively imposing an indirect "tax to China".

Rahul proposed leveraging four key technologies—electric motors, batteries, optics, and AI—to capitalize on global shifts in energy and mobility. He stressed that China holds a decade-long advantage in these sectors but argued India could bridge the gap through:

Educational realignment to prioritize technical skills
Financial decentralization to support small/medium businesses
Trade policy reforms to reduce import dependency

This strategy aims to create jobs by boosting production in renewable energy systems, EV batteries, and AI-driven mobility solutions, sectors projected to dominate 21st-century economies.

Government Initiatives And Challenges

While Gandhi’s critique focused on policy gaps, the 2025 Union Budget introduced measures aligning with parts of this vision:

₹20,000 crore allocation for a Nuclear Energy Mission targeting 100 GW capacity by 2047

Customs duty exemptions expanded to 35 EV manufacturing components

Critical mineral access reforms to enable localized production of solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries

However, Rahul Gandhi contends these efforts remain insufficient without systemic overhauls in banking, education, and foreign policy to prioritize domestic technological sovereignty. The ongoing political debate underscores the urgency to address manufacturing stagnation and China’s strategic dominance in advanced industries.

ANI