# Sitharaman: India must cut import dependence, boost domestic manufacturing

2026-09-26T22:51:28+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the central government is providing support to industry to start domestic manufacturing or source from elsewhere to end dependency on other countries, particularly China. Speaking at the Bharat Shakti Pondy Lit Fest 2026, she said India does not get adequate market access to China, with exports like buffalo meat and pharmaceutical drugs reaching China via Vietnam, distorting trade figures. She said the opposition's criticism of GDP numbers has 'mala fide intent' and that India is growing against all odds. Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran separately told ThePrint's Off The Cuff that India must urgently reduce dependence on foreign supply chains for chemicals, energy, and base metals. He said manufacturing is 'alive and kicking' and must create jobs, but the government cannot be the main employer. The Centre's production-linked incentives have yielded mixed results, and states like Tamil Nadu and Gujarat must become manufacturing powerhouses on the scale of Vietnam or Malaysia, according to ORF Online.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The Hindu Business Line and Livemint both lead with Sitharaman's market access complaint about China, framing it as a diplomatic and trade grievance without questioning its basis. ThePrint focuses on CEA Nageswaran's structural warnings about supply chain vulnerability and job creation, omitting Sitharaman's political attacks. ORF Online stands apart by arguing that India's industrial policy has been underwhelming and that state capacity, not just incentives, is the missing piece. The balanced reading: all sources agree on the need to reduce import dependence, but the finance minister's claim that India exports more to China than data shows is not corroborated by the CEA or ORF. The government's PLI scheme faces a credibility test as private investment lags. The Centre's next major economic data release will show whether manufacturing output and export figures support the government's narrative.

## Coverage

- thehindubusinessline.com (neutral report) <https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/centre-extending-support-to-manufacturing-to-end-dependency-says-finance-minister/article71512441.ece>
  Leads with FM's China market access complaint and opposition criticism, no counter-framing.
- theprint.in (neutral report) <https://theprint.in/off-the-cuff/india-cant-depend-on-foreign-supply-chains-must-create-jobs-within-manufacturing-says-cea-nageswaran/3053282/>
  Leads with CEA's supply chain vulnerability warning, no political framing.
- orfonline.org (government critical) <https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/the-missing-piece-in-india-s-economic-diplomacy>
  Frames industrial policy as underwhelming, highlights missing state capacity.
- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/economy/why-can-t-india-boost-exports-to-china-sitharaman-flags-lack-of-market-access-it-goes-to-vietnam-then-china-11790602798017.html>
  Leads with FM's China remarks, includes her political rebuttals, straight reporting.

Tags: import dependence, manufacturing, Nirmala Sitharaman, Production Linked Incentive, supply chain, V Anantha Nageswaran
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