Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Chidambaram Criticizes India’s Economic Model, Manufacturing and Trade Policies
P. Chidambaram said India’s economy has too many rules and government hurdles.
He compared this system to the old licence raj, when businesses faced heavy restrictions.
He said India needs a stronger economic plan like the one associated with Manmohan Singh in 1991.
Chidambaram questioned whether semiconductor factories are truly receiving private investment because much of their funding comes from government subsidies.
He also said manufacturing makes up 14% of the economy.
India imports many materials and equipment from China, and he wants more of these goods to be made in India.
He said India has trade agreements mainly with smaller countries and needs stronger competition.
He also argued that many industries are dominated by a few companies and that the competition regulator has limited power.
P. Chidambaram said India’s economy is constrained by rules, regulations, investigations, enforcement and bureaucratic hurdles.
He compared the current rules-and-regulations system with the restrictive licence raj of the past.
Chidambaram said semiconductor plants receive 80–85% subsidies from public money and questioned the government’s broader manufacturing vision.
He said manufacturing accounts for 14% and argued that India should produce more goods domestically to reduce reliance on imports from China.
Chidambaram criticized India’s trade agreements, shrinking competition and the Competition Commission of India’s enforcement record.
- Who
- P. Chidambaram, former finance minister of India, made the remarks and discussed the economic approaches associated with P.V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.
- What
- Chidambaram criticized India’s economic regulations, manufacturing initiatives, foreign trade agreements, imports and levels of competition.
- When
- The article does not specify when the remarks were made.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- Chidambaram argued that excessive regulation, public subsidies, limited competition and dependence on imports are weakening India’s economic design and manufacturing capacity.
- Speaker
- P. Chidambaram, former finance minister of India
- Rules and regulations
- Chidambaram said the current system is as formidable as the old licence raj.
- Semiconductor subsidies
- He said companies establishing semiconductor plants are subsidized by 80–85% from public money.
- Manufacturing share
- Chidambaram said manufacturing accounts for 14%.
- Trade agreements
- He said India’s existing FTAs are concentrated among smaller countries and questioned the absence of major agreements with countries including the United States, France, Germany and China.
- Competition concerns
- He said sectors including telecom, petroleum, cement, steel, airports and ports are monopolies or oligopolies.
- Competition regulator
- Chidambaram called the Competition Commission of India toothless and asked which recent merger it had stopped.