Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Saturday launched a scathing attack on the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, questioning its effectiveness in boosting the manufacturing sector.
In a post shared on platform X, Gandhi highlighted that manufacturing has fallen to 14% of India’s economy since 2014, while imports from China have more than doubled.
“Make in India promised a factory boom. So why is manufacturing at record lows, youth unemployment at record highs, and why have imports from China more than doubled? Modi ji has mastered the art of slogans, not solutions,” Gandhi said in his post.
“Modi ji has mastered the art of slogans, not solutions. Since 2014, manufacturing has fallen to 14% of our economy…..The truth is stark: we assemble, we import, but we don’t build. China profits,” Gandhi said further alleging: “With no new ideas, Modi ji has surrendered. Even the much-hyped PLI scheme is now being quietly rolled back.”
The share of manufacturing in India dropped from 16.3% of GDP in 2014–15 to 14.3% in 2020–21, and dropped further to 14.1% in 2023–24. This is a decline even after the launch of the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. While the government aims for 25% of GDP from manufacturing by 2030, the current trend shows a continued decrease in its contribution.
Emphasizing that India needs a fundamental shift in its manufacturing strategy, Gandhi criticized the government’s Production Linked Incentive scheme, saying it is being quietly rolled back without yielding desired results. He also noted that imports from China have surged, while India’s manufacturing sector struggles.
“We must stop being a market for others. If we don’t build here, we’ll keep buying from those who do. The clock is ticking,” Gandhi warned.
Asserting that manufacturing’s contribution to India’s economy has declined significantly, Gandhi cited examples of skilled youth denied opportunities.
He also stressed the importance of vocational training to bridge the gap between education and industry needs.
Gandhi’s remarks come amid growing concerns about India’s ability to leverage its demographic dividend and create meaningful employment opportunities.