Is the “Made in India” label important to consumers? The answer is yes and no. While “Made in India” was the most popular label in the country – viewed more favourably even than “Made in the U.S.” or “Made in Germany” – quality, price and the brand name still mattered more to consumers than where a product was made.
According to a survey by YouGov, Indians were most likely to check a country of origin label for food, but also for phones and cars – all options with a good variety of products made locally and/or made by local brands. When it comes to alcoholic drinks, fewer Indians go by the origin label, perhaps reflecting a market segment with poorer home-grown choices and brands.
Origin countries that Indian consumers said would not have a positive effect on their purchase decision were Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Sweden. Consumers were somewhat divided on Chinese products with 58 percent attesting no positive influence.
After fighting among Indian and Chinese soldiers at the countries’ Himalayan border has left 20 Indian soldiers dead, calls for the boycott of Chinese companies and Chinese-made wares have circulated on Indian social media. But as for many countries around the world, a boycott at the world’s manufacturing powerhouse is easier said than done.
Trade between China and India is still quite the lopsided affair. China is the bigger exporter by far, delivering $75.5 billion worth of goods to India in 2018. Almost half of that value was generated by electronics and other machinery, namely phones, computers and other technology-based on semiconductors.
India, on the other hand, shipped goods worth approximately $16.6 billion to China that year. The biggest Indian exports to China were less lucrative raw materials like oil and metals as well as chemical products and textiles.
