Mastered slogans, not solutions: Rahul slams Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of relying on catchy slogans without offering concrete solutions. Highlighting the state of India's manufacturing sector, Gandhi claimed it has declined to 14 per cent of the country’s GDP despite the 'Make in India' campaign.

"'Make in India' promised a surge in factories, yet manufacturing is at record lows, youth unemployment is soaring, and imports from China have more than doubled,” he said in a post on X.

As Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi further alleged that Modi has “no new ideas” and has effectively “surrendered” in addressing core economic challenges.

"Even the much-hyped PLI scheme is now being quietly rolled back," he alleged.

Gandhi said 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," he said.

Gandhi met mobile repair technicians at Nehru Place, Delhi and attached a video of the conversation to the post.

"In Nehru Place, New Delhi, I met Shivam and Saif - bright, skilled, full of promise - yet denied the opportunity to fulfil it.

Noting that there is a difference between 'Made in India' and 'Assembled in India', he said: "The truth is stark: we assemble, we import, but we don't build. China profits." "China is the world's electronic market. There is no other electronic market anywhere. Assembly as many iPhones as you want, all you are doing is giving money to the big oligopolies of India. Start making iPhones, it's a completely different ball game," he said in the video.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday underscored the importance of valuing physical labour and technical skill in manufacturing, saying that true industrial growth requires respect for the hands that build.

“To manufacture even the smallest components—be it a motherboard or precision parts—you need a deep understanding of machining, tolerances, and quality,” he said, adding that such expertise is learned over time and not acquired instantly.

He criticised the prevailing societal attitudes that overlook the contributions of workers in the informal sector, like street vendors and skilled labourers. “Until we begin to respect physical work and the individuals doing it, we cannot hope to truly progress,” he remarked.

Gandhi linked this systemic disregard to the caste structure, calling for transparency in how Indian society distributes both power and respect. “This is uncomfortable for some, but caste lies at the heart of these disparities. We must expose how power and dignity are allocated,” he stated.

The Congress party has been advocating for a nationwide caste census to determine whether power in India is equitably shared among all communities.

(inputs from PTI)