‘Won’t go around begging’: Piyush Goyal rejects China’s TBM monopoly, vows India will build its own motors

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said India would develop its own tunnel boring machines if foreign countries refused to supply them, underlining the government’s push to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce dependence on overseas technology.

Speaking at the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College, Goyal highlighted India’s efforts to build indigenous capabilities in critical sectors, including tunnel boring machines and rare earth elements.

He said the country would not compromise its self-reliance efforts even when faced with restrictions from foreign suppliers.

“Regarding tunnel boring machines, India’s approach is different. Many other countries might bow down and enter into agreements. We do not wish to spoil relations with anyone; even today, our relations with China remain good. But if they refuse to provide tunnel boring machines, we will develop them ourselves in India,” said Goyal.

#WATCH | Delhi | At the Young Leaders Discourse Forum at Kirori Mal College, Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, "...Regarding tunnel boring machines. India’s approach is different. Many other countries might bow down and enter into agreements... We do not wish to spoil relations with anyone; even today, our relations with China remain good... But if they refuse to provide tunnel boring machines, we will develop them ourselves in India... When they restricted rare earths, we did not go around begging. We held a meeting with various startups in this field. Can we not build our own motors without relying on rare earths? After all, rare earths didn't always exist... Some startups in India have begun innovating and have started producing motors without rare earths that offer equal quality and efficiency..."

— ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2026

Start-ups working on rare earth alternatives

Goyal also referred to restrictions on rare earth elements, saying India had responded by bringing together start-ups to explore alternatives rather than relying on foreign supplies.

He said the government had encouraged domestic innovators to develop motors that could operate without rare earth materials, with some Indian start-ups already making progress.

“When they restricted rare earths, we did not go around begging. We held a meeting with various start-ups in this field. Can we not build our own motors without relying on rare earths? After all, rare earths didn’t always exist,” Goyal said.

He added that some Indian start-ups had begun developing and producing motors without rare earth elements, offering comparable quality and efficiency.

The minister said India’s broader strategy was to build alternatives to imported technologies and strengthen its domestic manufacturing ecosystem, particularly in areas considered critical to the country’s industrial and economic interests.

Trade deals to protect India’s interests

Goyal also outlined India’s approach to international trade agreements, saying negotiations were aimed at securing better market access for domestic industries while protecting sensitive sectors.

He identified textiles, processed food, marine products, footwear, leather, gems and jewellery, and pharmaceuticals as key areas where Indian businesses could benefit from preferential access to international markets.

“I think in the trade agreements we have two critical ways of negotiation. One is our offensive sectors, where there are a lot of opportunities. These would be things like textiles. It’ll be processed foods, our fish, marine products. We are very good at footwear and leather products; we are masters in gems and jewellery. We are called the pharmacy of the world for our strength in pharmaceuticals. So these are all our offensive interests, where we work to get preferential market access,” he said.

Agriculture and dairy remain sensitive sectors

The minister said India remained cautious about opening certain sectors, particularly agriculture and dairy, to foreign competition. He also stressed that the country maintained safeguards against genetically modified (GM) products, taking domestic and religious sensitivities into account.

“We are very sensitive to opening up to certain agricultural produce, our dairy. We are very sensitive about not allowing any GM products to come to India. We are sensitive to our religious sensitivities. We have a list of sensitive items, and I can say with confidence that India has never compromised on a single sensitive item that we want to protect, whether of our farmers, our fishermen, or our MSMEs,” he added.

Goyal said India had identified a list of sensitive products and had not compromised on protecting the interests of farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during trade negotiations.

(with ANI inputs)