The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has hit back at Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of maligning India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and undermining the country’s manufacturing potential, particularly in the defence and manufacturing sectors.
BJP National Spokesperson Tuhin Sinha alleged that Rahul Gandhi has, for a long time, been consistently questioning India’s manufacturing capabilities and attempting to portray them as weak.
Sinha said,
“Rahul Gandhi is continuously trying to defame India’s Make in India initiative in the manufacturing sector. Wherever he goes, he speaks negatively about India’s manufacturing capacity and declares the Make in India project a failure. His attitude towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing is especially negative, clearly reflecting his pro-China mindset.”
Criticism of Indian Drones, Praise for China
Referring to a video released by Rahul Gandhi around six months ago, Sinha said the Congress leader had criticised Indian drone manufacturers and the domestic drone industry, while lavishing praise on China. He pointed out that Gandhi was even seen flying Chinese drones in the video.
“In that video, Rahul Gandhi claimed that Indian drones are nothing compared to Chinese drones. After watching this, I decided to personally visit a few manufacturing units to understand the ground reality,” Sinha said.
Ground Reality of India’s Drone Manufacturing
Sinha further stated that instead of visiting large corporations, he chose to visit a small drone manufacturing unit near Delhi to get a realistic picture of India’s MSME-driven manufacturing ecosystem.
“I deliberately avoided big market players. I visited a small drone manufacturing company to understand the entire process. What I witnessed in the MSME sector was truly impressive. Under the Make in India initiative, high-quality drones of various categories are being manufactured in India,” he said.
Highlighting the sector’s growth potential, the BJP spokesperson noted that the Indian drone industry is currently valued at around Rs 1 billion and is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years.
“The work being done by Indian entrepreneurs is genuinely commendable. The contribution of MSMEs in making India self-reliant is extremely significant and deserves appreciation,” Sinha added.
Questioning Rahul Gandhi’s intent, Sinha asked why the Congress leader was repeatedly targeting Indian drone manufacturers, the defence sector, and MSMEs.
“Does he want to promote foreign companies? Does he want India to remain dependent on other countries? The Leader of the Opposition needs to introspect. Instead of making such remarks, he should encourage small businesses and manufacturers who are playing a vital role in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
The DJI Drone Controversy
It may be recalled that in February 2025, Rahul Gandhi used a Chinese-made DJI drone in a video titled ‘Industrial Vision for India’. These drones are banned in India and have often been found in use by drug smugglers along India’s borders and the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In that video, Rahul Gandhi spoke about drone technology and criticised the BJP-led government, claiming it had failed to understand the potential of technologies such as batteries, cameras, motors, and optics, which could revolutionise warfare and multiple industries.
His remarks had also drawn strong objections from Indian drone manufacturers. Following this, BJP National Spokesperson Tuhin Sinha personally visited a small drone manufacturing company to better understand how Indian manufacturers operate and what they think about the Make in India initiative.
Interestingly, during this visit, it was revealed that the capabilities of the drones being manufactured there were claimed to be superior even to Chinese DJI drones.