During his visit to Delhi’s Nehru Place, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, alleging it has failed to boost domestic manufacturing and tackle rising unemployment. Interacting with mobile technicians at the electronics hub, Gandhi claimed that most electronics, including iPhones, are merely assembled in India using imported parts, resulting in economic gains for China rather than Indian industries.

In a social media post, the Leader of Opposition targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, “Make in India promised a factory boom. But manufacturing is at record lows, unemployment is at record highs, and imports from China have more than doubled.” Gandhi asserted that since 2014, India’s manufacturing sector has shrunk to just 14% of the economy, while the government continues to rely on slogans over real solutions. He also criticised the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, alleging that it is being quietly rolled back due to ineffectiveness.

Calling for a fundamental shift in economic strategy, Gandhi urged for “honest reforms and financial support” to empower small and medium producers. He stressed the need for real domestic manufacturing instead of mere assembly, warning that without this change, India risks falling further behind global competitors like China in sectors such as mobile and laptop production. Gandhi concluded by stating that employment will only grow when India truly starts building, not just assembling, products within the country.