If India desires to construct a strong laptop and electronics manufacturing business, it must shift focus, quick. Instead of concentrating on the home market, it ought to turn out to be regionally aggressive and export-driven. That means recognizing that Vietnam, not China, is its largest rival.

The newest reminder of this urgency got here final week with a US attraction for New Delhi to make the enterprise surroundings simpler and extra clear to navigate, or preserve dropping out on international direct funding. Cutting import duties must be excessive on the record, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti instructed the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce on Jan 30.