New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) The BJP on Friday slammed the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of creating doubts and attempting to malign India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Speaking to IANS, BJP National Spokesperson Tuhin Sinha alleged that Rahul Gandhi has, for some time now, been consistently questioning and undermining India’s manufacturing capabilities.

“Rahul Gandhi has been continuously creating doubts and trying to defame India’s Make in India initiative in the manufacturing sector. Wherever he goes, he claims that manufacturing in India is insignificant and that the Make in India programme is a complete failure,” Sinha said.

Referring to a video released by Gandhi around six months ago, Sinha said that the Congress leader had criticised Indian drone manufacturers and compared them unfavourably with Chinese companies.

“In that video, Rahul Gandhi said that Indian drones are nothing compared to Chinese drones. After seeing that, I decided to personally visit a few manufacturing units to understand the ground reality,” he said.

Sinha added that instead of visiting large companies, he chose to visit a small drone manufacturing unit near Delhi.

“I deliberately did not go to big market players. I visited a small drone manufacturing company to understand the process. What I witnessed in the MSME sector was quite impressive. High-quality drones of various types are being manufactured in India under the Make in India initiative,” he claimed.

Highlighting the growth potential of the sector, the BJP spokesperson said the Indian drone industry is currently valued at around Rs 1 billion and is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

“The work being done by Indian entrepreneurs is truly commendable. The contribution of MSMEs to making India self-reliant, or Aatmanirbhar, is significant and deserves appreciation,” Sinha said.

Questioning Gandhi’s intent, Sinha asked why the Congress leader was allegedly defaming Indian drone manufacturers, the defence sector, and MSMEs.

“Does he want to promote foreign players? Does he want India to remain dependent on other countries? The Leader of the Opposition needs to introspect. Instead of making such remarks, he should motivate small businesses and manufacturers who are playing a crucial role in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.

Meanwhile, in February 2025, Rahul Gandhi had used a Chinese-made DJI drone, which is banned in India and often used by drug smugglers along India’s borders and de facto factors.

Gandhi had uploaded a 9.15-minute video titled “Industrial Vision for India” on social media, showing him flying what he described as a Chinese-made DJI drone. In the video, Gandhi said drone technology is changing warfare and cited Ukraine as an example. He had criticised the BJP government for failing to grasp this technology that combines batteries, cameras, motors and optics to revolutionise warfare.

–IANS

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