Putin praises PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ in automobiles: ‘Doing the right thing’

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ policy.

While speaking at the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia’s port town of Vladivostok, and said that Modi was “doing just the right thing” by encouraging Indians to use products made in India and promoting the programme.

Speaking on a query made on Russian-manufatured cars, Putin said that domestically manufactured automobiles should be used and countries like India have already set examples through their policies under Modi’s leadership.

Addressing the forum, Putin said, “You know, we did not have domestically made cars then [in the 1990s], but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should learn from many of our partners like India. They are mostly focusing on production and use of the cars and vessels produced in India. And in this regard, Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing by encouraging people to use the brand Made In India. We have those vehicles available as well, and we should make use of it.”

He added that it was absolutely fine to use the automobiles made in Russia.

As per a transcript of the plenary session, Putin said, “This will not lead to any infringements of our WTO obligations, absolutely not. It will concern state purchases. We must create a certain chain regarding what cars different classes of officials can drive, so that they will use domestically-made cars.”

He added that it would be easier to buy Russia-made cars because the “logistics are streamlined”.

At the event, Putin said that there was nothing in the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) — announced on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi — that could hinder Russia and he only saw the project benefiting the country.

“True, the Americans jumped on this train at the last moment. But for them, I don’t see much point in being in this project. Only, perhaps, from the point of view of business interest. Meanwhile, the additional movement of goods along this corridor is, in fact, an addition to our North-South project. We have nothing here we see something that could somehow hinder us.”

According to the Russian news agency TASS, Putin said that the United States jumped in the “last car” by agreeing with the European Union, Saudi Arabia and India. He said that IMEC would help Russia in developing logistics adding that the project has been under discussion for past few years.