NEW DELHI: Despite the push for local manufacturing under Aatmnirbhar Bharat, and push against Chinese imports, trade deficit between India and China stood at $30.07 billion during April-September 2021.
India’s exports to China from April to September 2021 stood at $12.26 billion, while imports were aggregated at $42.33 billion, according to data given by Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. She said the imports from China have increased from $60.41 billion in 2014-15 to $65.21 billion in 2020-21, exhibiting an increase of 7.94% over six years.
Major items of import from China include telecom instruments, computer hardware, fertiliser, electronic components, chemicals and drug intermediates. “The government has made sustained efforts to achieve a more balanced trade with China, including bilateral engagements to address the non-tariff barriers on Indian exports to China,” Patel said.
Schemes like the production-linked incentive scheme will help promote domestic manufacturing capacities and attract investment and reduce dependency on imports from China, the minister said.