india vs china

by: Priya Nigam

India Stands Tall

Recently, I bought a pen that has a torch at one end. It’s pretty useful you know. And it’s compact and slick. What’s most fascinating about the pen is that it cost me Rs10. Yes, you guessed it… it was made in China. It seems like everything around us is made in China these days, from color pencils to DVD players! Heck, I even bought a souvenir in Australia to find out later that it had “Made in China” etched below it! And I think to myself, “Why is India lagging behind?” Well, guess what. It’s not. In fact, it is way ahead. No, I’m not saying this out of patriotism. Bertelsmann Foundation, a German NGO, is saying this in a recent study.

By Vipin Agnihotri

In my opinion, as Indians scale newer heights of consumption, retail shelves are becoming showcases of the competitiveness (or, in few situations, the lack of it) of Indian manufacturing. It has come into the notice of The India Street that bigger sections of these shelves are getting filled by products from China, particularly in categories such as toys, home decor items, luggage, consumer electronics, appliances, and stationery. Notwithstanding the lead paint scare in the US from Chinese made goods, India needs to take the initiative and start promoting Indian manufacturing.