Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asks industry to explore chances of exporting to China

CHENNAI: Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has asked the industry to explore the possibilities of exporting products to China.

"Why they (Chinese products) are able to intrude into our market so deeply?", she asked industrialists at a FICCI interactive session held here last night.

Sitharaman was responding to a suggestion to ban Chinese imports of Chinese goods.

At the interactive session, a participant noted that "right from (Indian deity) Ganeshmurthy's idol, LED bulbs, crackers are being imported from China".

"Such imports of goods should be abolished," the participant suggested.

Responding to it, Sitharaman asked: "Why Indian manufacturers never thought of that? When Chinese were able to identify it (of making Ganeshmurthy idol, LED bulbs and crackers and importing to India), why you are not able to identify that?".

Sitharaman said she had learnt that at Siddhi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai that even the Ganeshmurthy's idols sold there were made from China.

She asked participants to study the products being imported from China and why they were not manufactured in India itself.

"Randomly pick the products imported from China. It may be from different sectors. But give me facts on why those products are imported to India (from China)....", she said.

To a request to conduct review meetings every three months in Chennai, Sitharaman said they can write to the Ministry as and when required.

"I will come here regularly. But you write to me if there is anything. You can also email me. Make use of the technology. There is no excuse on that," she said.