Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha and Congress Parliamentarian Rahul Gandhi on Saturday unleashed a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of overseeing India's manufacturing sector decline and not doing anything about soaring youth unemployment.
In a scathing social media message on X, Gandhi challenged the effect of the "Make in India" initiative, initiated in 2014, that instead of triggering a factory boom, the program had coincided with all-time-low manufacturing production and all-time-high unemployment among youth.
"'Make in India' vowed to usher in a factory boom. So why is manufacturing at record lows, youth unemployment at record highs, and why have imports from China more than doubled?" Gandhi wrote. "Modi ji has got the skill of slogans, not solutions. Since 2014, manufacturing has dropped to 14% of our economy."
The Congress leader shared a video of his latest trip to Nehru Place in New Delhi, where he encountered two young men, Shivam and Saif. He referred to them as "bright, skilled, full of promise – yet denied the chance to realise it." Gandhi employed their tales to illustrate what he referred to as systemic shortcomings in India's prevailing economic system.
"The reality is brutal: we import, we assemble, but we don't manufacture. China gains," he said.
Gandhi further accused Modi's administration of "surrendering" on its manufacturing agenda and rolling back vital schemes quietly without public discussion.
"With no new thoughts, Modi ji has surrendered. Even the much-touted PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) scheme is now being rolled back in a quiet manner," he said.
Demanding root-level changes, Gandhi emphasized the necessity for robust financial assistance and sincere policy reforms to support Indian producers.
"India needs a systemic change – one empowering lakhs of producers with sincere reforms and economic assistance. We need to stop becoming others' market. If we don't produce here, we'll continue to purchase from them. The clock is ticking," he cautioned.
The "Make in India" initiative was rolled out by Prime Minister Modi in September 2014 to make India a manufacturing powerhouse of the world, induce foreign capital, and provide jobs.
Yet, repeatedly since its launch, it has been questioned for its implementation and the absence of any tangible outcome almost a decade down the line.
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