China’s acquisition of India’s economy is mainly through 3 channels.
- The consumer market in India.
- Share and investment of Chinese enterprises in Indian industries.
- Chinese companies in government projects.
1. The consumer market in India
China has established itself as a manufacturing hub and continues to expand its dominance in the world market. Today, China is the world’s number one exporting country, lagging far behind its rival countries by exporting goods worth more than 2,499 billion U.S. dollars a year to the world market [Ref#1]. India has also become a major market for China. As of 2019, India is the eighth-largest export market for China, accounting for about $77 billion dollars a year[Ref#2]. At the same time, goods worth only $19 billion dollars are exported from India to the Chinese market[Ref#2]; and India ranks 28th on the list of China’s imports. In addition, every year India is releasing one ladder after another on China’s export list.
India, the world’s second-largest-populated country, has no doubt that it will become the largest market for China in a few years. In almost all areas of India, from small to large, from toys to electronics appliances, from home decor to Diwali crackers, etc., the one-sided dominance of Chinese products is on the rise. It is rare to find that the materials used in India are not “made in china”. Despite the fact that the quality of Chinese goods is well known to even young children, Indians have always had a desire to buy it at a low price.
At a time when India is rapidly establishing itself as a large consumer of digital goods, China is well aware of this and is making a fuss through its products in the Indian electronic market. Mobiles, computers, speakers, earphones, fridge, AC, online shopping websites, mobile and computer apps, daily usage stuff, and etc. are becoming popular as cheap and user-friendly tools or utilities. Not only does China benefit financially from the export of its products, but it also illegally collects Indians’ data through digital devices such as mobile, computer, websites, and apps, and misuses it at the government and private levels. This allows China to control the individual, political, and social behavior or attitudes of Indians as well as infiltrate national secrets and spy on the government.
Resist China in the Consumer market
Chinese products are already so influential among Indians that the abandonment of them has the potential to have a huge impact on the behavior of the common people of India, both financially and daily life. Because of this fear, the general public is reluctant to abandon Chinese products. Adopting to Chinese products seems like the story of a drunken man. A man who is intoxicated day and night has the terrible consequences of abandoning it all of a sudden. Similarly, Indians are addicted to Chinese products; and leaving them at risk of financial and daily problems. Due to its cheapness, user-friendliness, and insufficient alternatives for Chinese products for everyday life, It is very difficult to give up them all. It is unfortunate that none of India’s own products are available as alternatives to Chinese products.
For all these reasons, according to many experts and intellectuals, it is very impossible to boycott Chinese products. As the mediums by which Chinese goods are supposed to be boycotted are also Chinese products. That is why a ridiculous mood and a negative feeling are created in the minds of the people towards the expulsion of Chinese products. The question is, is it really possible to boycott Chinese goods? Yes, it is possible. If a drug addict can be cured by medical treatment if he or she is addicted, then there are many appropriate means and processes to break the addiction of Chinese goods addicted Indians. Yes, it is a little difficult and time consuming, but there are many ways to prevent it.
A. ‘No’ to new Chinese goods – If we first want to uproot a large tree from its root, we will definitely fail. So, first and foremost, Indians have to admit that there is no problem in using the most useful tools or services used by the people participating in the ongoing campaign to boycott Chinese products such as – mobile, computer, TV, websites, apps, yearly Subscription of various services. Think of these devices as the roots of a huge tree, bought in exchange for a lot of money. This is because the abandonment of such devices puts a huge financial burden on the family. Therefore, it is important to note that small and large devices that are planned to be purchased in the future are not “made in china”. Yes, it is possible to invest a lot of money in selecting alternatives, or it is not possible to find items with that facility within your budget.
But, forgetting them, you should buy them by choosing the right items within your budget. This is a short-term plan that should be implemented immediately, with a short-term goal, such as a week, or a month. Short-term planning is the first step in resisting Chinese products. These short-term schemes include daily equipment and services, equipment used in festivals, home appliances, equipment and services used to maintain modern lifestyles, websites and apps used for online shopping and entertainment, and Monthly Subscription of various services. If there is no Indian option for goods and services, then products from other countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, or America, can be purchased.
B. ‘No’ to Chinese products for the renewal or repair of old materials –When replacing or repairing previously purchased equipment in a hefty amount of money, it should always be kept in mind that the materials needed for the renovation or repair of the equipment are not “made in china”. The products of other countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, or America, can be selected as the second choice, with the first choice being made to buy goods made by various Indian companies. This is a long-term plan. Long-term plans include mobiles, computers, fridge, machines, TV, AC, and Yearly Subscription of various services. It may take more than a year, but the Chinese product must be uprooted like uprooting a giant tree. Long-term planning is the second step in resisting Chinese products. Yes, it is possible to invest a lot of money in selecting alternatives, or it is not possible to find items with that facility within your budget. But, forgetting them, you should buy them by choosing the right items within your budget.
C. Support and Contribution to “Make in India” – In addition to boycotting Chinese products, it should also be promoted at the personal level to increase production in India. If the Indians expect that without their cooperation they will get everything from elsewhere, then they will not be able to completely boycott Chinese products. In their own strength, Indians should start small and large productions. Software engineers should be able to develop online services & products that can be used in business, entertainment, and daily activities to the best of their ability. hardware engineers and scientists should develop a variety of useful materials such as mobiles, computers, fridge, AC, machines, speakers, and earphones or their components at least. Indian artisans should make various small and large household items, such as crackers, colors, cups, plates, decorative items, bottles, and so on. In addition, Indian small, medium, and large-scale industrial enterprises should also focus on building domestic appliances and services to increase productivity as fast as possible. This process should be achieved in a few years, including long-term planning. To accelerate the process, the central and state governments need to work together to help businesses and individuals.
2. Share and investment of Chinese enterprises in Indian industries
The work done by India’s skilled entrepreneurs in the last few years is commendable. Among them, Paytm, Flipkart, Oyo, Ola, PhonePay, Byju, Urban Clap, Zomato, Swiggy, and mobile or hardware manufacturing companies like YU Televentures, JIO, videocon, Lava, Carbon, Micromax, Intex, IBall, and LYF are prominent. Unfortunately, in these companies, Chinese companies have either bought large shares or done investments in them and run them indirectly. That is why there is a negative feeling among Indians. In the run-up to boycotting Chinese products, the sentiments of Indians who want to buy services or equipment from Indian companies have also been weakened. However, we should also take this as the root of that giant tree of our example, which should be gradually and systematically abandoned. This is because Indians still have the majority share in those companies, and those companies are managed by Indians only. So, the Indians have to adopt the proverb -“Something is better than nothing”. At the same time, Chinese companies and shareholders need to be put out of the loop by putting pressure on such companies through social media and various campaigns. These entrepreneurs should also refrain from doing such things. They should prioritize Indianness and change their business plans accordingly. There are no big hurdles to do so. However, entrepreneurs and the public should come forward to take this as a long-term plan.
3. Chinese companies in government projects
There are many government projects in India that Chinese companies are working on with the approval of the government which is also unfortunate. However, it should be noted that the Government of India and its various ministries and agencies have already removed Chinese companies from many projects. E.g., Indian Railway, Road Transport Project, and Mines Project. In addition, the Indian government has imposed various restrictions and customs duties on goods imported from China. Indians need to understand that it is not so easy to impose cuts at the government level. This is because of the fact that there is always political pressure on the country at the international level, which is what the government does only by deliberating at the highest level. However, the Government of India and the state governments of some states such as Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana are commendable in this regard. The government should take even tougher steps in this regard.
It is important to note that if all these steps are taken in parallel, it will not take long for the campaign to succeed. Before all this, Indians must first say to themselves – “I will boycott Chinese products.”
