Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Saturday called for a structural overhaul of the country’s manufacturing sector, asserting that India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative has become an ‘Assemble in India’ exercise under the current government. He said the country must transition from simply putting together imported components to genuinely manufacturing goods if it aims to generate jobs and compete globally, especially with China.
In a post on X, Gandhi said that India’s manufacturing reality remains deeply dependent on foreign components and lacks self-reliance in actual production. “Do you know that 80% of the components of most TVs made in India come from China? In the name of ‘Make in India,’ we are merely assembling – not truly manufacturing,” he wrote.
क्या आप जानते हैं कि भारत में बने ज़्यादातर TVs का 80% हिस्सा चीन से आता है?
‘मेक इन इंडिया’ के नाम पर हम सिर्फ असेंबली कर रहे हैं – असली मैन्युफैक्चरिंग नहीं। iPhone से लेकर TV तक – पुर्ज़े विदेश से आते हैं, हम बस जोड़ते हैं।
छोटे उद्यमी निर्माण करना चाहते हैं, लेकिन न नीति… pic.twitter.com/xNVXbRjuei
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 19, 2025
Gandhi also shared a seven-minute video of his visit to a TV assembly unit in Greater Noida, where he interacted with workers and owners. In the clip, he refers to the government’s policy as ‘Assemble in India’ and stressed on the challenges small-scale entrepreneurs face. He points out the monopoly of a single major supplier in the TV parts industry, which he says is squeezing margins and discouraging competition.
“Until India becomes self-reliant in production, talks of jobs, growth, and ‘Make in India’ will remain mere speeches,” Gandhi said in Hindi. He argued that only a ground-level transformation can make India a genuine manufacturing power.
The Congress MP alleged that while small businesses are eager to produce goods locally, they are weighed down by a lack of state support, heavy taxation, and an industrial ecosystem dominated by a few large corporates. “There’s neither policy nor support. On the contrary, heavy taxes and monopolies have gripped the country’s industry,” he added.
Last month, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “mastering the art of slogans” without offering concrete solutions, claiming that India’s manufacturing sector is at a record low despite nearly a decade of ‘Make in India’ campaigns.
“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 had said during an earlier interaction with mobile repair technicians at Nehru Place in Delhi. He also shared a video of that meeting, explaining the need for structural reforms and better financial support for India’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
With PTI inputs
