Won’t Allow Chinese in Road Construction Projects, MSMEs: Gadkari

Gadkari said that a policy would soon be formulated to ban Chinese firms & relax restriction on Indian ones.

Gadkari said that a policy wold soon be formulated to ban Chinese firms & relax restriction on Indian ones. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Amid tensions between India and China over the standoff in Ladakh, Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, 1 July, said that Chinese companies will not be allowed to partake in highway and other infrastructure projects in India.

Gadkari, who is also the minister for micro, small and medium enterprises, said that Chinese players would be barred from making investments in the MSME sector as well.

The minister also clarified that joint ventures involving Chinese partners and investors will not be allowed for projects in India.

“We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint venture in our country, we will not allow it.”

Gadkari told PTI

For this purpose, Gadkari said that a new policy barring Chinese investors would be brought in and restrictions on Indian investors would be relaxed. In the MSME sector, Gadkari said that India would encourage foreign investment from other countries, but would bar the Chinese.

While claiming that the holding up of Chinese consignments in different Indian ports “was not arbitrary,” Gadkari said that PM Modi’s clarion call of an Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) would greatly reduce dependence on Chinese imports.

The decison comes just days after the Union government banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and Cam Scanner, citing threats to national security.