BJP Counters Rahul Gandhi: How India's Manufacturing Boom Defies Claims

In a series of posts on social media platform X, Malviya said available government and industry data clearly show that India’s production capacity has expanded significantly over the past decade, especially in manufacturing sectors such as electronics, mobile phones and automobiles.

“The claim that production in India has declined is not supported by available data,” Malviya wrote on X.

“Over the past decade, India’s manufacturing base, particularly in electronics and mobile phones, has expanded substantially, and the country has emerged as a net exporter in several key sectors,” he mentioned.

He said India has emerged as a net exporter in several key sectors, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and defence, which contradicts the claim that production has declined.

“India is now a net exporter in sectors such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, and defence,” the BJP IT cell chief said.

According to the data shared by Malviya, electronics production has increased sharply from about Rs 1.9 lakh crore in 2014-15 to around Rs 11.3 lakh crore in 2024–25.

“Electronics exports have also risen from Rs 38,000 crore to more than Rs 3.27 lakh crore during the same period,” Malviya added.

Highlighting growth in mobile manufacturing, Malviya said India had only two mobile phone manufacturing units in 2014-15, which has now increased to around 300 units.

Mobile phone production has grown from Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 5.45 lakh crore, while exports have surged from Rs 1,500 crore to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore.

The BJP leader also pointed to employment data, saying manufacturing continues to be one of the largest job-creating sectors in the country, especially for semi-skilled and skilled workers.

He said around 17 crore jobs have been created over the past decade. In another post, Malviya addressed claims that manufacturing in India is declining by comparing India’s performance with global trends, particularly in the automobile sector.

He said that among the world’s top 10 automobile-producing countries, eight produced fewer vehicles in 2024 than in 2014, including major economies such as Japan, the US, South Korea and Germany.

In contrast, India has almost doubled its automobile production over the past decade, making it one of the few major countries to record growth in this sector.

Malviya said automobiles form a critical part of India’s manufacturing ecosystem, with strong links to steel, electronics, chemicals, MSMEs and services.

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- IANS