New Delhi, June 21 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s surprise visit to south Delhi’s computer hardware market in Nehru Place and his stinging criticism of a ‘decline in manufacturing since 2014’ invited a sharp rebuttal from the BJP that dismissed his narrative as ‘misinformed and disconnected from reality’.

Amit Malviya, in charge of the BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, listed the gains from the government’s policies and offered a point-wise response to Gandhi’s allegations on the failure of ‘Make in India’ and job creation efforts.

“India is now the world’s 2nd largest mobile phone producer. From just two mobile manufacturing units in 2014 to over 300 today. The so-called ‘failed’ PLI scheme, as labelled by Rahul Gandhi, has led to cumulative investments of Rs 10,905 crore; total production worth Rs 7.15 lakh crore and exports of Rs 3.9 lakh crore,” wrote Malviya on X.

In a message loaded with data, he said, “Electronics production value rose from Rs 18,900 crore (FY14) to Rs 4,22,000 crore (FY24), mobile phone exports surged 77-fold from Rs 1,566 crore (2014-15) to Rs 1.2 lakh crore (2023-24) and 99.2 per cent of mobile phones sold in India are now made in India, up from just 26 per cent in 2014-15.”

The BJP leader reminded Gandhi that “the government has approved landmark semiconductor projects worth Rs 1.52 lakh crore, a critical leap into deep-tech manufacturing and overall, electronics production is projected to reach $300 billion by 2026”.

He said that under the PLI scheme for electronics alone, 1,39,670 direct jobs have already been created; 1.8 lakh new companies were registered in 2023-24, marking a 16 per cent increase over the previous year, and electronics exports hit $38+ billion in FY24-25, a 32 per cent year-on-year increase.

Earlier, Gandhi said on X, “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. Since 2014, manufacturing has fallen to 14 per cent of our economy,” said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

Sharing his experience about his Nehru Place visit, Gandhi said, “I met Shivam and Saif — bright, skilled, full of promise — yet denied the opportunity to fulfil it. The truth is stark: we assemble, we import, but we don’t build. China profits. With no new ideas, Modi ji has surrendered.”

He said even the much-hyped PLI scheme is now being quietly rolled back. India needs a fundamental shift — one that empowers lakhs of producers through honest reforms and financial support.

“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,” said the Congress leader.

–IANS

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