India does not need to import from China, says Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: Highlighting the role of MSMEs in enhancing exports and helping the country achieve self reliance, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Monday said India does not need to import from China. "Already in automobile sector, in many sectors now, in agriculture, automobiles, everywhere, we have already found the solutions. Now we don't need to import from China," said the minister.

He observed that India was exporting a lot of items instead of importing them.

"So I don't want to talk anything much about China and other things because every country has their own policies, but as far as Indian policies are concerned, the way in which we are accepting technology, reducing cost and making good quality (products), our strength is the young talented manpower which is available in India," he said.

The minister said at the same time, our IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), engineering colleges and research centres are doing a lot of innovation, expressing confidence that this will help India fulfill the requirement of the whole world.

The Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Road Transport & Highways said that currently, majority of countries are not interested to deal with China; they are rather interested in India. He said such a situation is advantageous for the country's manufacturing sector to ramp up its capabilities to boost exports from India.

"We have already reduced our imports from China and already our (India's) exports are increasing. The trends are positive and I am expecting good results in this field," said the minister. He said the MSMEs are doing an excellent job despite facing an economic crisis.

Gadkari expressed confidence that India will get a COVID-19 vaccine "as early as possible" and overcome the pandemic to win the economic war.

"I am confident that we will get a vaccine as early as possible and 100 per cent we will win this war against COVID-19 and also win economic war," Gadkari said at a

virtual event organised by Dun & Bradstreet.